This is how to not run a sport

50 Cent looks good with all of Mayweather's former titles. Too bad the former pound-for-pound king is taking forever to get back in the ring to try and get them back. 

So in my last blog, I sung the praises of combat sports, including boxing. It's a sport that never really lets me down — except for the times when it never actually happens of course. 

Many people say boxing is a dying sport. The first reason it will never die is because the Vegas gamblers will never leave and it has been Vegas that has always supported the sport. The second reason it won't die is because there will always be a Muhammed Ali, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and now Manny Pacquiao. 

However, it may never catch on with mainstream attention again because it is hard to follow when big-name fighters pull out of bouts. This trend has been very popular within the last month. 

First we have David Haye pull out his highly anticipated fight with heavyweight kingpin Wladimir Klitschko. This one is especially heartbreaking since Haye was a breath of fresh air in a very stale division and he had talked so much trash, that it was sure to be a heated bout. 

Haye was devastated he had to pull out because of a back injury, and I truly believe he wanted the fight. He claims he wants to retire in about two years, though he is still very young, so we may never get to see this match happen. 

Haye is expected to fight in September, while Klitschko is going to defend on June 20 against Ruslan Chagaev. This will make it difficult for both fighters to even up their schedules to meet in the future. 

As if losing an exciting heavyweight bout wasn't enough, the biggest fight of the summer was recently canceled after Floyd Mayweather pulled out of his comeback fight against top pound-for-pound champion Juan Manuel Marquez. 

Pretty Boy Floyd severely injured his ribs and will not be able to meet JMM anymore. This, coupled with Manny Pacquiao's insane request that Miguel Cotto fight him at 143 pounds, makes it seem like everyone is trying to avoid each other. 

Pacman and Mayweather both know they can't afford losses if they want to set up their superfight, but at the same time neither man wants to fight each other right now. There is a good chance Pacman could get out-muscled by Cotto if he moved up to welterweight, and there is a good chance JMM could have beaten Mayweather. 

So for the time being, two of boxing's biggest stars will dance around negotiations while fans wait for something to develop. 

And if having all this turmoil among boxing's elite wasn't enough, one if it's fastest rising stars, Amir Khan, pulled out of his upcoming bout. But unlike the other fighters, Khan didn't want to scratch plans all together. Instead of fighting on June 27, the young prospect will get into the ring on July 18.

If boxing ever wants to draw a large fan base again, promoters are going to have to work harder to deliver on their promises of big fights. Injuries happen, that is to be expected. But if one happens, reschedule immediately so fans are not robbed of fights. 

If rescheduling is absolutely impossible, do your best to attract other stars such as Shane Mosley, to step in. I know it's not an easy task, but the fans deserve it and in the long run it will help the sport. 

Huerta Has It Right

At 25 years old, Roger Huerta is ready to hang up his gloves after going 6-1 in the UFC. The top-ranked fighter will give Hollywood a shot and I think thats a great decision. 

All good things must come to an end. It's a phrase that has been proven true time and time again. It's also a concept many sports fans fear. 

It was a sad day when Michael Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls. It was a sad day when Cal Ripken Jr. called it a career. And it will be a sad day when Tiger Woods sinks his last putt. 

And while it is sad to see fighters retire, fans should not criticize a fighter for leaving the game early, instead we should all be thankful for the contributions and happy for the person. Floyd Mayweather Jr. drew a lot of criticism for leaving boxing as an undefeated fighter after defeating Ricky Hatton on Dec. 8, 2007.

Mayweather was only 30 years old at the time and was still in his prime. Many boxing enthusiasts and experts criticized "Pretty Boy Floyd" for retiring while tough challenges against Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto were still out there. 

But at 39-0 and with millions of dollars in the bank, I could not criticize the young fighter. He paid his dues and more importantly, he made his money. Boxing has always been a way to improve a tough situation and Mayweather did just that. He knew he was financially set and he still had his health. It was a great move to retire. 

Now the mixed martial arts media has disapproved of Roger Huerta's decision to leave UFC after his next fight to pursue opportunities in acting and modeling. The Mexican-American fighter is 6-1 in the UFC and was on the brink of being a top-10 lightweight. 

But going 6-1 in the UFC is usually good enough for some decent money and fighting opponents such as Clay Guida and Kenny Florian secures even a bigger purse. So with money in his pocket and his fame established, he decided to leave fighting for a while to pursue entertainment. And at 25 years old, this is his best shot to succeed in Hollywood. 

Once again, while I would love to see Huerta continue to fight, I have to agree with the decision. No person should ever endanger their well-being for longer than they need to. MMA and boxing are both dangerous sports. When a fighter feels they have accomplished what they need to, then there is no shame in calling it a career. 

Does the UFC lightweight division take a hit with the absence of Huerta? Yes. But that gives another fighter the chance to realize their dreams and make the type of money that can support their families. Manny Pacquiao became boxing's biggest star after Mayweather left. Everyone wins except for the fans, but sometimes that is OK. 

But for every Huerta and Mayweather, there is a Jesse Taylor. The former Ultimate Fighter cast member has been fighting in the small show circuit on a monthly basis and racking up wins. With another kid on the way, he said this is his way to make a steady living. Since he is winning and has an expanding family, the drive is there to fight as often as possible. 

I will never criticize a fighter for leaving the game at an early age. If a person can use boxing or MMA as a way to achieve a better life and walk away with health intact, than more power to that person. 

Mayweather is about to come out of retirement and fight in as early as July. He has the itch again, but he knows he doesn't need to take a beating four times a year anymore and I think that is a good thing. 

Huerta will be back. But for now, he should give his body a rest and enjoy any success he can get from his five years of professional fighting. And when he wants to come back, I will welcome him gladly. 

"Pac" it in

If you're a boxing fan, you have already heard the news about the highly anticipated fight between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton being cancelled. The projected May 2 fight was axed after Pacman declined to sign the offer sheet from Hatton's camp by the Wednesday deadline. 

Let us take a moment to mourn the loss of this fight.......OK, that's enough, now it's time to rip these coddled superstars for being spoiled and once again turning their backs on boxing fans. 

There is no denying boxing has lost some of its popularity and some of it can be attributed to the inability for promoters to pull off the big fights at the right time. This was a chance to book an important match with both fighters still close enough to, or even in, their prime. But that evil color green reared its ugly head once more and the dollar sign delivered another knockout punch to boxing fans. 

While both fighters are to blame, the brunt of the blame should fall on Pacquiao. His win over Oscar De La Hoya has inflated his ego as well as his price to step into the ring. The pride of the Philippines did not get his fair share for fighting the Golden Boy, I will give him that, but he shouldn't take it out on the fans. 

Hatton's camp offered Pacquiao a 50-50 split on the purse, not a bad deal considering it would net Pacquiao a minimum of $12 million, which is the most he would have ever made in his career. Considering $12 million was the base, I have no idea why Pacquiao wanted to push the purse split higher. 

Pacman reportedly wanted a 60-40 split, which is ridiculous considering Pacquiao is moving up in weight to challenge the Super Lightweight Champion. 

I can understand Pacman wanting to have the "superstar split." After all, he was pretty much robbed when he agreed to fight De La Hoya on a 68-32 split in the Golden Boy's favor. However, Ricky Hatton fights have drawn some of the biggest crowds in recent years as he drew 57,000 in Manchester and 30,000 in Las Vegas. 

The guaranteed sold-out crowd along with the pay-per-view purchases should have been enough for Pacquiao to agree to a 50-50 split, but Hatton's camp budged a little near the end of negotiations and offered a 52-48 split for Pacman. Still the offer wasn't good enough as Pacquiao's camp said they would not even begin to listen until a 55-45 offer was on the table. 

So Hatton grew tired of the stubborn superstar and the deal was pulled Wednesday night, leaving both fighters scrambling for an opponent. Hatton said he would still like to fight May 2 and he has quite a few options. Matches with either De La Hoya, Juan Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez or David Diaz could be pursued. 

Mayweather is very unlikely as they have already fought once and it was clear Pretty Boy Floyd was the better man. It is also unlikely because one reason Pacquiao may have backed out of the Hatton fight was because he had his eyes set on a match with Mayweather in the fall. Risking a loss to Hatton in the spring would make the Mayweather fight much less attractive. 

But if Pacquiao were to fight Mayweather in the fall he would have to take a 60-40 split or even another 68-32 split in Mayweather's favor as he is the biggest draw in boxing. Pacquiao said he pulled out of the fight because he thought he could get his 60-40 split fighting Edwin Valero or Juan Manuel Marquez and make just as much money. He might be able to get his split, but it would not even come close to the money he could make with Hatton. 

It has been estimated the Hatton/Pacquiao fight could have brought in close to $57 million. And after the promoters, managers, venue and networks all get paid, I would still split that 50-50. 

There is still one last hope this fight could be back on. That one last hope is Bob Arum. Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, is one of the best, if not the best promoter in boxing. When he found out Pacquiao turned down the deal, he set up a face-to-face meeting with his star boxer to find out what in the world he was thinking about. 

Arum is a very powerful man in boxing and when he takes time to fly to the Philippines to meet with a fighter, you know he is serious. Arum saw his dollar signs fly out the window when Pacquiao shrugged off the contract, so I still have hope Arum can convince Pacquiao to wake up and take the deal within the next week. 

Ladies and gentlemen, this is why they are called prizefights and not boxing matches.