Floyd Mayweather Jr proved he is the most skilled boxer in the world last weekend with his knockout win over Ricky Hatton but he is still a long way from being the most exciting. It wasn’t a particularly good fight to watch as they grappled and mauled in the early sessions but the punch that knocked Hatton down in the 10th round could well be the best of the year.
WBC welterweight champion Floyd was in a corner as Hatton attacked but he then wheeled away and delivered an absolutely perfect left hook (his weaker hand) while moving backwards.
The combination of movement, power and accuracy needed to deliver that punch reinforced Mayweather as the most gifted fighter of his generation.
As the year draws to a close then Mayweather must be considered the ‘pound-for-pound’ champion.
He was more aggressive than usual against Hatton _ especially after the Englishman mocked him in the sixth round _ but there are other boxers who are more entertaining to watch.
There have been some brilliant fights in 2007, which I would rank higher than Mayweather’s victories over Hatton and Oscar de la Hoya in May.
In my opinion, the best performance of 2007 was delivered by WBC super-flyweight champion Cristian Mijares during his points victory over Jorge Arce in April.
It was considered an even match but southpaw Mijares dominated in such an aggressive and technically excellent manner that it was a joy to watch. Arce’s bravery made it an unforgettable contest.
Two weeks ago, Arce demolished Thailand’s former WBC flyweight champion Medgoen Singsurat in just 47 seconds which puts Mijares’ display into perspective.
Although Mijares v Arce was a great fight it was too one-sided to be the best of the year.
As I see it, that honour falls to the WBC super-ba
