A few months back I penned an article focusing on the upside that new media has presented the boxing industry. I encouraged athletes and fans alike to embrace new media (Twitter, Facebook, Ustream, YouTube, etc.) and realize the potential these outlets possess to help keep the fistic flame alight while traditional media continues to sweep boxing under the rug. While I wrote almost exclusively about new media’s upside, I only scratched the surface when describing the potential dangers that it presents athletes — citing an ill-advised tweet by Andre Berto calling women “motherf***ers” after Edwin Valero killed his wife, then himself.

However, last week, with one ten minute racist and homophobic rant, Floyd Mayweather exemplified the dangers that new media presents to athletes.

“We’re going to cook that little yellow chump…Once I stomp the midget, I’ll make that motherf***er make me a sushi roll and cook me some rice,” Mayweather said about the Filipino Congressman, Pacquiao.

He continued, “Step your game up, f****t…That mother f***er Pacquiao, he can’t speak no English…Mother f***er signed with two companies. Look it up. And then this mother f***er with Nike only got 70 Gs. How stupid can a mother f***er be? Reebok gave me a million dollars for three weeks. I wore Reebok s**t for a week for a million dollars. This mother f***er’s name is Emmanuel. He got a fake name, taking power pellets.”

The following day Mayweather issued an apology in which he claimed he was just “having fun.”

The National Federation of Filipino Americans Association rejected Mayweather’s apology and issued a powerful statement condemning PBF’s “uneducated” remarks.

“This disgusting diatribe against Pacquiao is a racial slur against all Filipinos and Filipino Americans and an embarrassment not only to the boxing community, but to all Americans,” said Greg Macabenta, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) national chairman in a statement.

In addition to the backlash Mayweather has received from the Filipino community, there are also various petitions circulating online aimed at alerting adidas and Reebok that the companies stand to lose customers if they do not reprimand their client.

When thinking of the dangers new media presents public figures, I could only think of one analogy. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.

Similar to the way that guns can serve as collector’s items as opposed to weapons, new media can be used as a promotional tool, or a platform to broadcast hateful messages. Unfortunately for Mayweather, he logged onto Twitter to direct fans to his Ustream page where they witnessed a cringe-worthy tirade against Pacquiao and all Filipinos.

While the immediate reaction was and still is one of disgust, it is not necessarily one of shock. Mayweather’s narcissistic attitude has been well-documented, whether it be through interviews, news stories, or even HBO’s 24/7. He lives a lavish lifestyle and flaunts his money and material items whenever he gets the chance. Since new media removes traditional communication barriers between public figures and the general populous, it is the responsibility of the public figure to create his or her own filter,and understand the raw access that new media provides.. New media websites such as Twitter allow individuals to broadcast messages without anyone telling them what to do or say. All who participate in social media websites are responsible for their own words and actions — anything that is written or said can potentially reach millions of eyes and ears.

The less-than-humble Mayweather occasionally allows for a sneak peek into his lavish lifestyle by posting pictures on his Twitter page. By doing so, he also exposes his disconnect with the world around him — especially to boxing fans, who have historically been a blue-collar group.

In the past two weeks alone, Mayweather has posted pictures of himself standing next to his Cadillac golf cart, a picture of himself holding a luxurious watch in front a briefcase full of banded $100 bills (which until then I only thought existed in movies), and a picture of himself posing in front of a large portrait of…HIMSELF.

Considering that most users of new media are teenagers and young adults, Mayweather’s narcissism along with that of celebrities and athletes from other sports, can have a profound impact on the impressionable youth in America and abroad. For example, here are some of the comments on the Mayweather’s twitter pictures:

“Everything you own is the greatest, just like you.”

“You always have stacks of money in your hands.”

“I’m trying to be just like you when I grow up.”

According to Leonard C. Groopman, M.D. and Arnold M. Cooper, M.D.’s work on Narcissistic Personality Disorder, two potential triggers for the disorder are “excessive admiration that is never balanced with realistic feedback” and “being praised for perceived exceptional looks or talents by adults.”

Further, board certified physician and addiction medicine specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky (from Loveline and VH1’s Celebrity Rehab fame) co-authored a book with Dr. S. Mark Young, titled The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism Is Endangering Our Families And How To Save Them.

In the book, Dr. Pinsky writes, “I can’t help but conclude that there are many more individuals suffering from unhealthy levels of narcissism than there are patients diagnosed with narcissism as a psychological disorder…Another reason Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) can be difficult to diagnose is that narcissism, even at NPD levels, doesn’t stop people from attaining positions of power, wealth, or prestige. Narcissists often develop attractive or persuasive social skills to help them maintain the persona they have constructed to get what they want from the world.”

Pinsky continues with a revealing fact, “Any challenge to a narcissist’s unrealistic self-image is likely to provoke rage, disdain, denial or other protective behaviors, as the individual struggles to protect the pseudo-self at all costs.”

Perhaps the backlash and disappointment aimed at Mayweather after he refused to accept Pacquiao’s latest challenge humbled Mayweather a bit and made him resort to taking cheap-shots and name-calling.

Whatever the reason for Mayweather’s rant — whether he truly believes the things he said or if he was just “having fun” — it all can be traced back to a lack of filter – a lack of filter that is a common trait found in most narcissists.

When you feel that you don’t have to answer to anyone, you are more willing to speak what is on your mind. Most of the time, new media can act as a positive vehicle for the athletes that use it — giving them the opportunity to share their story and connect with fans on a human level — without managers and publicists intervening. For the most part, boxers on Twitter have understood and embraced this concept. I hope to see more boxers join new media sites and allow fans to interact with them on levels that were nonexistent even five years ago.

I further hope that Mayweather’s rant on Ustream won’t discourage other athletes from joining new media websites, as I truly believe it can be integral part of boxing’s future. In addition, I think it is important to take what Mayweather says with a grain of salt. You can make of it what you want, but I’ll stick to my gun analogy.

Similar to guns, the potential for new media to be used as both a force of good and evil exists. However, it is important to remember that new media doesn’t harm people, narcissistic people exposed by new media harm people.

You can take Dr. Drew Pinsky’s Narcissistic Personality Test here. The average score for non-celebrities is 15. www.jimpham.com/2009/04/dr-drews-narcissism-test.html

You can follow Kyle Kinder at Twitter.com/KyleKinder

Undefeated Welterweight contender Mike Jones talks about his fifth round stoppage over Irving Garcia and a look ahead to a possible showdown with Andre Berto

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Welterweight contender Demetrius Hopkins talks about his recent win over Mike Arnaoutis and a possible title shot with Andre Berto

Watch Demetrius Hopkins in Sports  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Undefeated WBC Welterweight champion, Andre Berto talks about Floyd Mayweather’s big win over Shane Mosley and talks about his place in the Welterweight division

Watch Andre Berto in Sports  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBC Welterweight champion Andre Berto slightly tore a bicep muscle in his eighth round stoppage win over Carlos Quintana this past Saturday in Sunrise, Florida.

“But my tendons are still intact as they can see,” Berto said. “So I am gonna have to ice it and rest for a few weeks so the swelling can go down [and] then start rehab.”

“But the doctor said it should be fine,” Berto said. “Not a serious tear, just needs time to heal.”

The report indicated that Berto would need six to eight weeks to recover.

Sunrise, FL — Fighting for Haiti was the name of the card and the name of the game tonight for WBC Welterweight Champion Andre Berto. Berto 26-0 (20KO) retains his WBC strap with an exciting KO win over Carlos Quintana 27-3(21). Berto was able to fight through an early fight torn bicep muscle to overpower the southpaw Quintana.

Berto showed blazing speed right from the opening bell in round one however, was knocked down by the southpaw early, the clean shot was called a rabbit punch, and a knockdown was not credited.

In round 2 Quintana caught Berto with a big straight left that stunned the champ and turned the boxing match into a slugfest.

Round three found both fighters throwing mean shots and Berto catching Quintana with a clever left hook mid round and putting him on the ropes with a variety of body head shots. Quintana was deducted 1 point for hitting behind the head, which he did often.

Berto answered the bell of the fourth round with fast sharp punches, but kept the southpaw in front of him creating a power punch fest. Berto’s pressure served up intense infighting that produced a barrage of heavy shots.

The tempo was just as fierce in the 5th round with several exchanges as these two warriors battled for punching positioning by doing just that, punching. In the seventh Berto came out swinging hard and caught Quintana with some crisp shots all the while being the aggressor. In the eight came the end for Quintana, who was caught with a barrage of crushing right hands. Berto’s onslaught lasted a good minute before referee Tommy Kimmons called an end to the contest at 2:16 of the eighth round with a TKO accredited to Berto’s records. This was a great showing for Berto who is coming off close to a one year layoff. Berto, some may say looked less than perfect but Quintana’s unorthodox style can make a great fighter look average. Berto retained his WBC belt and looks to move up the ladder for a possible super fight in the near future.

“My knockout was pretty vicious,” said Berto. “It may open up their eyes a little bit. But then again they have to look at I’ve been off for a long time so it’s only going get better from here.”

The card, promoted as “Fighting for Haiti” due to, part of the proceeds will benefit the Haitian earthquake relief fund. Berto was born in Florida and his parents were born in Haiti. To help rebuild Haiti, Berto started the Berto Dynasty Foundation.

In the Co-Main Event featherweight Celestino Caballero 34-2 (23 Kos) of Panama city Panama claimed the WBA World title strap with a unanimous decision win over Daud “Cino” Yordan 25-1(19KO) hailing all the way from Indonesia. The longtime WBC and IBF champion Calallero dropped Yordan in the second as a result of a Yordan falling into sharp uppercut. Caballero used his height and reach well throughout the fight keeping the Indonesian fighter at the end of his sharp punches often throwing multi punch combinations at a high connect rate. Yordan found a home for a strong left hook, however not nearly enough as the Mexican’s punch output proved to be too much for Yordan. The twelfth round was wildly entertaining when Yordan stunned Caballero with a series of hard shots, but the attack was a little to late as Caballero weathered the late storm and captured the title with a unanimous decision with the cards reading 119-108 120-107 118-108.

Antwone Smith 18-1 (9kos) from Miami Florida took it to Franklin Gonzalez 13-5 (9kos) of the Dominican Republic in the 10 round welterweight fight. Smith, who often used a George Foreman-like infighting techniques, worked uppercuts and body shot throughout the fight. The end came at 2:40 in the third when Smith caught Gonzalez with a brutal liver shot which left Gonzalez on the canvas for some time after the bell.

Jonathan ‘El Conquistador” Cepeda 8-0 (7KO) from West Palm Beach dominated Shadrack Kipruto 18-15(10KO) with constant heavy shots from the opening bell. Kipruto was dropped in the first and rounds from constant pressure on the Kenyan fighter who looked off balance and awkward. A huge left hook finally ended the bout @2:31 of the second round.

In a very entertaining fight light welterweight Joseph Elegele 6-0(4KO) stopped the game and tough Mario Hayes with a straight left hand in the third round at 2:51. Hayes was also knocked down with a perfect left hook earlier in the 3rd which ultimately set up the KO. Elegele was the 2008 National Golden Gloves runner up, who lost a close and controversial decision to Danny O’Conner.

In a one sided Jr. Middle weight bout Yhudel Johnson 6-0 (4 KO’s) completely dominated Chris Grays 9-20(2KO) who got knocked down twice in the first round did not make it out of the first. Referee stoppage at 2:04.

In a great second fight of the night Willie Monroe (8-0 3ko’s) looked both the slicker and the more powerful puncher beating Ibaheim King 7-2 (2ko’s) to a decision in the six round fight. Scores were all 60-54 for Monroe.

In the first bout of the evening, Yunier Dorticos 4-0 (4ko’s) knocked Zack Ziegler 3-1 (2 KO’s) to his knees with a well placed liver shot at 1:24 in the first in a very one sided fight. Ziegler’s 3 wins must have some by way of Ragu container.

Notable boxing attendees where, Randall Bailey Andre Dirrell, Francisco Palascios, John Jackson, and more.

Johnny Schulz and Dan Stasiukiewicz reporting ringside.

Be sure to listen to the Sunday Sizzler at 4pm with interview from the winning fighters.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBC Welterweight champion Andre Berto will defend his crown against former WBO champion Carlos Quintana on April 10th in Sunrise, Florida.

“Andre is energized and ready to fight again,” said Berto’s promoter Lou DiBella. “The working title of the card is ‘Fighting for Haiti.’ There will be a lot of charitable elements to the event.”

In the televised co-feature, light heavyweight titlist Tavoris Cloud (20-0, 18 KOs) will make his first defense against mandatory challenger and former champion Glen Johnson (50-13-2, 34 KOs), who is also from South Florida.

“Cloud and Johnson, stylistically, can’t miss,” DiBella said.

“Obviously, Mosley being the huge name that he is presented a big opportunity for Andre, but I believe this is a good test for him,” said DiBella, who promotes Berto and Quintana. “He is fighting a guy who is 1-1 with Paul Williams and who is clearly one of the 10 best welterweights in the world. Quintana is an excellent fighter. This fight is no walk in the park. People want to see Berto with a real quality welterweight. This guy is a real quality welterweight. It’s a difficult fight. Quintana is a tough fighter. Just ask Paul Williams.”

“Carlos is very slick and capable of being an excellent offensive fighter,” DiBella said. “He’s got a good skill set and he’s tricky. I don’t think there is a welterweight out there who would view Quintana as a day at the beach.

“Quintana has wanted a big fight for a long time and Berto has been a guy who has always come up as a possibility because he views fighting Berto as a big fight. So I am happy for Carlos that he is getting the opportunity. I think Berto knows he has to focus on the fight and be at his best because he’s fighting a damned good fighter,” he said.

Shaquille O’Neal has a good idea and now boxing needs a few good men to do what Kobe Bryant and LeBron James won’t. Fight for Haiti.

With noisy rancor and none of the humor that punctuates the late-night feuding between Jay Leno and David Letterman, the public is turned off by everything said and alleged in the abortive negotiations for a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight. But a chance to come together behind a good cause and for one of its own, Andre Berto, is there with the tragic earthquake that has left Port-au-Prince looking like prehistoric rubble.

O’Neal suggests that the NBA’s richest celebrities compete in the slam-dunk contest at the next All-Star Game. He wants to give half of the proceeds to Haiti. But apparently Bryant and James have decided they would rather save their legs instead of the Haitians. They said no to O’Neal’s proposal, according to various news reports. But the idea is, well, a slam dunk.

A couple of cards, one put together by Top Rank and the other by Golden Boy Promotions, with a percentage of proceeds from each for Haitian relief would say that Bob Arum, Richard Schaefer, Oscar De La Hoya, Pacquiao, Mayweather and all of the other usual suspects can actually agree on something bigger than a personal agenda.

The lead had already been taken by Berto, the World Boxing Council’s welterweight champion who set aside the biggest opportunity in his career and withdrew from a Jan. 30 bout with Sugar Shane Mosley at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay. Instead, Berto is headed to Haiti, his homeland, where at least eight in his family are reportedly dead. His sister, Naomi, her daughter and his niece, Jessica, are homeless.

“I have seen the pain in my parents’ eyes as they attempt to understand what has happened to our homeland,’’ Berto said in a statement. “…As a result of this disaster, I am mentally and physically exhausted, and I have no choice but to withdraw.’’

In a business so characterized by decisions dictated only by me-me-me, Berto’s selfless act stands out, especially in the immediate wake of the blame-game played out in the Pacquiao-Mayweather talks.

Against Mosley, Berto, who lives in Florida and was the only boxer on the Haitian Olympic team at the 2004 Athens Games, finally had his chance at becoming a player at the welterweight table. Upset Mosley, and there was a spot in line against Pacquiao and maybe Mayweather. Fight a competitive bout, and there might have been a rich rematch and even bigger riches against the biggest names in the sport.

But there is a bigger fight, Berto’s only fight. Boxing should help him fight it and in the process help itself.

NOTES, ANECDOTES

· Already, there are headlines saying that Mayweather-Mosley is almost a done deal for sometime in early May. Please, there were headlines that said the same thing about Pacquiao-Mayweather before their March 13 deal was done in. I won’t believe Mayweather is fighting until I see him in the ring with gloves on, robe off and answering an opening bell.

· If Joshua Clottey doesn’t make the Pacquiao corner nervous, he should. The March 13 date in a ring on a NFL field at the Dallas Cowboys palace has the potential to further remind everybody that they blew a chance at boxing’s Super Bowl, Pacquiao-Mayweather. Clottey is as durable as anybody in the welterweight division. He has been reminded that he was passive in the late rounds of a narrow loss to Miguel Cotto so often that he’s not likely to repeat that error. Then, there’s Pacquiao, whose motivation might have taken ht when the Mayweather talks unraveled. Pacquiao also might be looking ahead to a campaign for a Congressional seat in the Philippines. Elements for a major upset are in place.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the much anticipated Welterweight unification bout between Shane Mosley and Andre Berto scheduled for next Saturday in Las Vegas has been canceled due to Berto’s focus being on the recent tragic earthquake that took place last week’s in Haiti which is where Berto and his family are originally from.

The cancellation of the fight could lead to Mosley instead defending his title against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the spring.

“Since the 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday evening, I have been focusing on my family and the Haitian people who are facing an inconceivable battle for survival while still trying to continue to prepare for an opportunity I have dreamt of since childhood,” Berto said in a statement. “I lost several family members to the earthquake and, after two days without word, was relieved to learn that my sister, Naomi, and her daughter, Jessica, survived, but were left homeless. I have seen the pain in my parents’ eyes as they attempt to understand what has happened to our homeland and recognize a place they once called home.

“As a result of this disaster, I am mentally and physically exhausted and, therefore, I have no choice but to withdraw from my bout on January 30.”

Berto lost at least eight family members in the disaster.

“Throughout the past six days, I have received an incredible outpouring of support, and I sincerely appreciate everyone’s prayers for the people of Haiti,” Berto said. “I hope that everyone will continue to keep the Haitian people in their thoughts and prayers as we work to rebuild this proud nation. The rebuilding of Haiti is not something that will happen overnight, but I am fully dedicated to helping the Haitian people recover from this catastrophic event.”

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who promotes Mosley, said he told Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) about the cancellation of the fight, and he was understanding.

“It’s just a very unfortunate situation,” Schaefer said. “This is unbelievable. Everyone has seen the pictures from Haiti and followed this devastating situation. We all feel very bad for Andre. We know where his focus needs to be and that is with his family and his people. I talked to Shane. Obviously, he shares the sentiment. He feels bad for Andre and understands. But at the same time he is disappointed because he is in amazing shape with two weeks to go, and now this fight fell out. He is not happy about it, but he fully understands the situation. We just wish the best for Andre Berto.”

The cancellation may pen the door for a mega showdown between Mosley and Floyd Mayweather

“That is a super fight, and now my next order of business — to see if we can put [Mosley-Mayweather] together,” Schaefer said. “That is what I am going to be doing in the coming hours. The sooner the better if we can get this potential fight done. With Shane now being available and Floyd being available, that’s a fight all fight fans and sports fans would embrace. This would be a huge showdown. Shane has wanted that fight for a while. That’s what I am going to try to do.”

“I think he made a correct decision for himself,” said Lou DiBella, Berto’s promoter throughout his professional career. “Your mental health and physical health are more important than one fight. I know that Andre has been in agony since this happened. He has been really struggling. He is mentally and physically exhausted and I don’t think he’s been sleeping. He’s been torn about whether to fight and had to make this decision. I think he’s going to go to Haiti next week.

“It’s the right decision. It’s impossible to watch those pictures from Haiti even if you’re not Haitian. But he and his family and his parents are suffering. It hits very close to home. How could any human being focus under those circumstances? I’m glad for Andre that he made this decision for himself.”

“Not one person involved in the promotion had any negative response to this decision,” DiBella said. “Everyone empathizes with Andre and his whole family. The young man’s well-being outweighs any one fight.”

HBO’s Kery Davis echoed DiBella.

“Andre Berto is a terrific athlete and an even better person,” Davis said. “We can only imagine the pain the earthquake has caused the entire Berto family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Andre and we hope to have him back on HBO when he is ready to return to the ring.”