In “A Fish Called Wanda,” John Cleese’s character offers the following apology to Kevin Kline’s character for calling him stupid, after Kline’s character hangs Cleese’s out the window upside down:
All right, all right, I apologize. I’m really, really sorry. I apologize unreservedly. I offer a complete and utter retraction. The imputation was totally without basis in fact and was in no way fair comment and was motivated purely by malice, and I deeply regret any distress that my comments may have caused you or your family, and I hereby undertake not to repeat any such slander at any time in the future.
Joan Guzman, who failed to make the 135-pound limit this weekend and didn’t end up fighting Nate Campbell because of a series events related to his weight, has offered an apology of a similar magnitude. You can read it all here. He extends apologies to nine separate parties. He makes only the tiniest excuse — that he’d been able to get away with dramatic weight loss before — but ultimately places the blame entirely on himself. “No trainer is to blame. No nutritionist is to blame. No manager is to blame. No promoter is to blame. Put the blame on me, Joan Guzman, because I was completely at fault.” Judging by the reaction on message boards, it may help him with some boxing fans. It probably won’t dig him out of a world of hurt in the courts, or with television networks, or anyone who can help him get back on television and into big money. From my vantage point, it’s a good start. UPDATE — In an item I didn’t see yesterday, Guzman trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. lays the blame at the feet of Guzman’s strength coach at Fight Hype. When asked, “Guzman has to know a lot of doors closed because of that situation,” Mayweather answered helpfully: “Oh yeah, yeah, yeah! It’s pretty much over man, to tell you the truth.”
