Add another name to the list of champions that have fallen to undisputed pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. (45-0, 26 KO’s).
Before him stood a formidable opponent who solis possessed speed, power, and skill.
However, like many others before him, his was over-matched by a boxer who appeared to be a cut above.
Mayweather makes great boxers look ordinary and is the epitome of a true pugilist. And though some may find his style boring, the true art of boxing is ‘hit and don’t be hit.’
His dominant performances make some observers believe his opponents were not worthy of being in the ring with him. But those who assert the opponent was carefully selected to inflate Mayweather’s pocket and record use flawed logic. Simply because Mayweather is dominant is not an indication of poor competition – It’s an indication of greatness.
Perhaps Floyd is a victim of his own greatness? Some tend to ridicule when they should praise.
Courtesy of Showtime Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KO’s) was an undefeated champion and had he been placed in the ring against another opponent at 154 lbs, he would have been more competitive if not victorious.
We had never before seen him seem so vulnerable against an opponent but he was not in the ring with just any opponent – He was in the ring with the best pound-for-pound boxer in the sport today.
What Canelo experienced September 14th is nothing new and not unlike what previous champions have experienced against Mayweather – The the inability to connect on enough punches and defend enough against his lighting fast punches.
Frustration.
A look at Floyd’s record reveals the names of vanquished legends, multi-champions, and former champions.
How can he be accused of carefully selecting easy opponents? RTD 8 Genaro Hernandez – 1998 TKO 10 Diego Corrales – 2001 RTD 6 Arturo Gatti – 2005 SD 12 Oscar De La Hoya – 2007 TKO 12 Ricky Hatton – 2007 UD 12 Juan Manuel Marquez – 2009 UD 12 Shane Mosley – 2010 UD 12 Miguel Cotto – 2012 MD 12 Saul Alvarez – 2013 If this list of opponents appeared on another boxer’s record, would the naysayers feel the same about that boxer ?
We cannot deny Mayweather’s boxing skills as he is truly great. That is undeniable. He has demonstrated in the ring he can compete against the best of the best. If he wasn’t extremely skillful, he would have lost by now, especially given the talent of the above-listed opponents.
Floyd is deserving of the praise.
Courtesy of Showtime The difficult task for Leonard Ellerbe and company face is selecting an opponent the public deems worthy of challenging Mayweather.
Difficult, because it’s challenging to find an opponent who matches-up well against Mayweather. Every opponent is scrutinized and arguments are raised insisting that opponent isn’t worthy of the opportunity and will ultimately be the next to fall before Floyd. Add to that, the limited number of fights he has left (at 36) and the list of challengers available becomes even smaller.
Floyd cannot possibly fight every top fighter who challenges him so he must select the best possible, most available opponent.
There are also contractual restraints that make certain match-ups difficult, due to promotional rivalries and promoter obligations to competing networks. This was evident in the very highly publicized Mayweather-Pacquiao debacle where the parties could not agree on terms and the negotiations abruptly ended.
Many still hold hope this fight can be made, but it’s not likely to happen.
When fights don’t take place, arguments are constantly made about who is/was the better fighter but, ultimately, athletes are judged on performance and Mayweather’s performance still reflects that of a man who is undefeated.
He has four fights remaining on his contract with CBS/Showtime and intends to serve his obligation by fighting two fights per calendar year in the remaining 24 months. He intends to fight in May and September – the same schedule he has been accustomed to the last few years.
Who do you think he should fight next ?
Possible Opponents Amir Khan Danny Garcia Marcos Maidana Adrien Broner Timothy Bradley Manny Pacquiao Sergio Martinez Bernard Hopkins (wild card)
