GRAPEVINE, TEXAS—We live in a world, like it or not, of uncontrollable rumors. So when there was some Floyd Mayweather related news out of Las Vegas Tuesday, it spread around here like wildfire.
“Mayweather is going to jail.”
“Floyd got arrested by the cops in Vegas.”
“They're going to charge Mayweather in that shooting at a roller skating rink. He will never fight Manny Pacquiao now, this gives him a solid excuse.”
The story got bigger and bigger in the constant retelling and it reached Pacman's inner circle.
“I hope it's not true,” Pacquiao lawyer Franklin “Jeng” Gacal told me in front of the Gaylord Texan Hotel as he and friends grabbed a cab to go off property for some dinner.
“We very much still want that fight. Manny has a personal score to settle with this guy after the false allegations.”
Earlier in the day, a relaxed Coach Freddie Roach admitted that, while the camp is not taking Joshua Clottey for granted, a Pacman-Mayweather superbout is very much on his mind.
"I've almost got the fight plan finished for Floyd," Roach said, grinning widely. "I have and it's still the big fight that we want, that Manny wants. I know Manny can beat Floyd and maybe he is the only guy who can defeat Mayweather."
Turns out that Las Vegas police arrested Ocie Harris, a Mayweather bodyguard who was on the lam in Chicago.
Personally, I think that it's the end of the investigation as to the August 23 incident.
Shots were fired into the trunk of a BMW 650 belonging to a young man named Quincey Wllliams, 25,who had angry words with Mayweather at the rink some minutes before the gun went off.
The guy with the legal problem is Harris, not Mayweather.
The guy who may go to prison is Harris, not Mayweather.
If police had information that tied Mayweather to this, if they could prove that Harris was acting at the explicit direction of his boss, then that would be problematic for the boxer.
But apparently they don't. Mayweather ordering the violent scare tactic is assumed but, unless Harris flips the script, he will be the only one looking at jail time.
Metro detectives report talking to 32 potential witnesses on this case. If they had something solid ot nail Mayweather with, you might think he would've been sitting in the hoosegow Sunday alongside his known associate (Harris was quickly bailed out and goes to court to be arragined today).
I'd be interested to know if Harris' lawyer is being paid by his employer, Mayweather. There's nothing wrong with that by any means but it could be a big factor in limiting the potential exposure of Mayweather in this incident.
I'd be just as interested if Mayweather posted the bail for Harris, either directly or provided the cash to a front man to give to a bail bondsman to get Harris out of the slammer.
At this point, I think it's safe to say that if anyone is going down, it's Harris and not Mayweather.
If the cops had someone who was willing to testify that they heard Mayweather give an order for shots to be fired, Mayweather's link is tangential, his culpability is slim. If the police had such a person, why would they wait to make a case against Mayweather?
The reason for this dustup at the rink?
Mayweather was angry that he got a nasty text mail (“I hope you get knocked out in your next fight” or something similar) from the longtime acquaintance and confronted him verbally about it.
"Do you know who I am? I could have you trumped," Mayweather allegedly said face to face to Williams.
Six bullets flew shortly thereafter into the bakc of the vehicle Williams and a pal, Damein Bland, were riding in as thel left the Crystal Palace rink.
By late Tuesday night, when people had a chance to check the internet, the wild rumors had petered out.
Looks like there may soon be a job opening in the Mayweather camp...
Harris is facing a gun charge and an attempted murder rap.
Gracious Pacquiao fight loser David Diaz, who fights on the undercard at Cowboys Stadium Saturday night, is in the headquarters hotel and he is still getting much love from Pinoys who appreciate how the Chicagoan humorously and graciously handled his stoppage by Megamanny.
Diaz's popularity in Manny's homeland was later enhanced when he made a visit there and did a commercial.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
***
No comments:
Post a Comment