The Floyd Mayweather/Ricky Hatton fight last Saturday played out exactly as most Mayweather fights do?Floyd seemed to struggle in the early rounds until he found a weakness, then he capitalized on it. Hatton mugged and mauled Mayweather as well as he could, but Mayweather didn?t fold. In fact, he often out mauled the reigning pound-for-pound mauler in the sport.
When Floyd didn?t want to in-fight anymore, he stood flat-footed and punched Hatton in the mouth. During the ninth round, he decided to jab and landed 11 of the 15 he threw. Amidst all that, Floyd continually walked Hatton into short left hooks. It took him ten rounds to time it perfectly.
Mayweather can adapt. He did it against Zab Judah. He did it against Oscar de la Hoya, and he did it again with Hatton.
While Hatton is often portrayed as an everyday, blue collar, carry his lunch pail and punch a time clock sort of fellow, when it comes to boxing, it?s a description that might more accurately describe Mayweather.
Whatever misgivings one may have about Floyd?s antics, his professionalism in the ring?and in training?has to be admired. He doesn?t get out of shape between fights and he hones his skills to a fine edge during camp. He goes to work, does his job to the best of his ability and goes home.
For those who wish he had done more against Baldomir–a six foot, 154-lb Vernon Forrest couldn?t knock him out either. Surely Floyd could have done better against DLH, right? Maybe, but consider that Oscar, a taller, naturally bigger man than Floyd, continually backed off when Floyd stood his ground and fired.
Maybe you had wished that Floyd?s scrap with Oscar was more of a?well?scrap. Consider this: In Mayweather/Hatton, ?The fight that brought out the best in Mayweather? Floyd threw an average of 32 punches per round, and Hatton threw, on average, 37. Floyd and Oscar? Floyd threw 40 per round, while Oscar clocked in with 48
Like every tradesman who studies his craft and has had years of experience to test what he has learned, Mayweather knows when he can ?work smart, not hard.? Apparently, he?s done with smart work and hard work for the time being as he says that he?s taking at least two years off.
I know, I know. He?s ducking Cotto, Williams, Margarito, and Mosley, right? If he?s the real pound-for-pound best, shouldn?t he fight these guys? The problem is that Floyd isn?t a real welterweight. His fight with Hatton was a fight between two junior welterweights; they just happened to be fighting for the WBC welterweight trinket. If we are to use the ?He should fight the best in the welterweight division to prove how good he is? criteria, then why stop there? If he?s that good, maybe he should give Kelly Pavlik a call.
The way I see it, if he fights either Cotto or Margarito, he wins. Cotto is strong and proved his versatility against Shane Mosley, but Mosley won the second half of their fight, proving that he had more cards to work with. Mayweather has an extra deck.
Margarito is too slow to catch up to Mayweather. The Mayweather hate club would say that Floyd ran all night, but he would win. The toughest fight in the welterweight division for Mayweather is Paul Williams. A six-one southpaw who throws 100 punches a round is tough for any 5-8, orthodox fighter. Even Mayweather. Could Mayweather win? He could. But he could just as easily lose if the judges were of the sort who get all glassy eyed over fighters who are constantly throwing punches, even if they aren?t hitting anything.
Win or lose, it would be difficult for a stylist like Mayweather to look good in the ring with an octopus like Williams. Besides, the general public is still in the ?Paul who?? category.
What will Mayweather do for the next two years? Ostensibly, he has Mayweather Promotions to keep him occupied, but what he?ll really be doing is watching and waiting.
There is an inevitable clash between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, but that particular piece of fruit isn?t ripe yet. Kermit Cintron and Paul Williams must be dealt with first.
Cintron is a powerhouse, but, strange as this may sound, showed a weakness in character in his stoppage win over Jesse Feliciano last month. He appeared to have all but given up before rocking Feliciano. He isn?t mentally strong enough to hang with the big boys in the division.
Williams has the physical tools and the toughness?he went a strong twelve rounds against Margarito?but his massive frame won?t allow him to stay at 147 for two more years. Cotto and Margarito will fight lesser lights, possibly even the aforementioned Cintron and Williams; then they will meet in Mayweather?s absence to see who is worthy of being the undisputed welterweight champion.
The winner of that fight will, by then, be a huge pay-per-view draw. Especially if it?s Cotto, who already has a massive Puerto Rican fan base and heavy television exposure. Whoever it is, they will get a call from Mayweather.
It?s a win-win for Mayweather. Mayweather gets an opponent who is can give him Mayweather/DLH or Mayweather/Hatton type PPV numbers, and Mayweather will be 32-years-old, so if he loses it doesn?t diminish his legacy. He can say that he came back from a two year lay-off and at 32 just isn?t the fighter he once was. But if he wins, he becomes an icon.
I remember a fellow named Sugar Ray Leonard pulling off a stunt like that. If, in two years, you still can?t stand Mayweather, just think of it as Leonard-Hagler II.
