Boxing Community Is Saying the Same Thing as Floyd Mayweather’s Suspended Protégé Seeks Forgiveness

For young Curmel Moton, it was perhaps the first brush with boxing’s infamous upheavals. Aside from witnessing an upcoming bout being canceled, faced a suspension. Nevertheless, the boxing prodigy decided it was high time he offered an apology. Directed to the New Jersey Athletic Commission and scores of fans, through an Instagram post, he shared that he will be back in the ring soon. The post has since witnessed a range of comments.

The eighteen-year-old who marked his debut last year was scheduled to face Bryan Mercado on ‘Tale of Garcia IV’. Headlined by the fight between Anthony Young and Windry Amadis Martinez, the event promoted by former champion Danny Garcia took place on November 30 at ACX1 Studios in Atlantic City. However, controversy erupted when, during the final weigh-ins, Curmel Moton missed the weights by nearly 15 pounds. For a 133-pound limit bout, he tipped the weighing scale at 148.7 pounds. As a result, the fight against Mercado met with cancellation.

Curmel Moton and the overweight turmoil

“I want to apologize to the New Jersey Athletic Commission and fans,” read the message on Moton’s Instagram post. He added, “The commission had nothing to do with what happened last week. God willing, I’ll be back in the ring soon.”

Apparently, he attributed his failure to make weights on account of some administrative error. “I’ve been going back and forth with the commission about my bloodwork passing, and as of right now, they lost my blood in their system. I’ve known this for the past three days. So, there was no point in killing myself to make weight,” he reportedly said.

It seems he assumed the fight would not be approved (sanctioned), leading him to skip the process of cutting weight, as he believed the bout was unlikely to happen.

The open apology perhaps signaled the closure of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. Hence, most fans welcomed the young boxer’s move. Let’s check what a few of them had to say.

Hold your ground and shine anew

This fan offered their encouragement and support. “You good, champ. Life is not perfect; stay up 🔝,” they said, advising him that though life has its ups and downs, Moton has to stay positive and motivated. For the next one, it was important that Moton learned from his mistakes. They said, “Aye, don’t worry, champ; lesson learned, enough said; now let’s keep working ❤️🙌❤️🙌❤️🙌❤️.” While it was okay to err, it was important that he move forward and stay focused on his goals.

The next user also expressed confidence in Curmel Moton’s ability to overcome the setback and succeed. “You’ll be good, champ 💪🏽💪🏽,” they said. The user suggested a potential future matchup as well: “Fight Albert Bell in 2-3 more fights 💪🏽🥊.” Perhaps they believe Moton will be ready for such a fight after gaining more experience.

For this follower, it was all about understanding and compassion. They said, “It happens. Get ’em next time, champ.” Acknowledging that setbacks are part of life, they felt that Curmel Moton’s effort to clarify the situation deserved encouragement: “Great job on the clarification.” It will help him to focus on doing better next time.

However, the naysayers weren’t far behind. For instance, this user was disappointed. “Disrespected the sport of boxing; I ain’t gon lie,” they said. Maybe they felt that Curmel Moton’s missing weight displayed a lack of respect for the discipline and professionalism required in boxing.

Given his youth and limited experience, Curmel Moton could view the incident as a valuable learning opportunity.

The Salt Lake City-born prodigy is mentored by a legend of the sport, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Few young boxers can claim to have learned directly from one of boxing’s greatest, making Moton’s potential all the more promising. To live up to this pedigree, Moton must aim for the highest levels of the sport. Latest reports suggest Moton may return to the ring on December 30. He could face Albert Pagara on the Ryan Garcia-Rukiya Anpo undercard.

Do you think Curmel Moton should step up his game in 2025 and go after ranking contenders?