Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a tremendous talent and an extraordinary fighter. His nearly 14-year career has seen him win titles in five weight divisions while defeating a wide range of talent in vastly different ways. The 33-year old future hall of famer is definitely a great fighter but one thing he hasn?t been, at least not in recent years, is a finisher. So one must certainly take Don King?s recent comments with a grain of salt after hearing the bombastic promoter claim that Floyd would stop Manny Pacquiao if the two were ever in the ring together.
In looking over Mayweather?s career you can definitely say that his power has been underrated throughout the years. Never a one-punch knockout artist, Floyd still had a way of breaking his opponents down during his days campaigning between 130 and 140 pounds. His January 2001 10th round TKO over Diego Corrales was a showcase of this ability, as Floyd dominated his taller foe with depth movement and pinpoint punching, dropping him five times before the brave fighter?s corner threw in the towel. It wasn?t nearly about his power as much as it was about his timing, accuracy and tremendous speed in what will go down as one of this finest displays as a prizefighter.
Following the Corrales blowout Mayweather?s record stood at 25-0 with 19 knockouts yet he would only go on to score six stoppages in his next sixteen bouts. While it should be noted that Floyd has risen in weight over the years while still testing himself against solid opposition, we are simply much more accustomed to seeing him drawn into deep waters more often than not in recent years.
After dominating Corrales at the MGM Grand Mayweather went on to stop the likes of Jesus Chavez, Phillip N?dou, Henry Bruseles, Arturo Gatti, Sharmba Mitchell, and Ricky Hatton while winning decisions over Jose Luis Castillo, Carlos Hernandez, Victoriano Sosa, DeMarcus Corley, Zab Judah, Carlos Baldomir, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley. His stoppage wins were highlighted by his ability to land clean and effective punches while breakings his foes down as the rounds went by.
Mayweather was brilliant against N?dou, Bruseles, and Gatti in particular, landing clean shots all night against the South African, Puerto Rican and Jersey City fighters all night. He struggled in his first bout with Castillo and had to selectively pick his spots against Baldomir and De La Hoya as a stoppage didn?t seem to be in the works at any point in either fight. He finished Hatton off impressively and looked to be on the verge of halting Judah before a mini-riot broke out in the 10th round after the southpaw cracked Floyd with illegal blows to the groin and back of the head.
Of the nine fighters who lasted the distance with Mayweather in that time frame, five of them would go on to be stopped later in their careers including Castillo, Sosa, Corley, Judah, and De La Hoya. In recent times Mayweather?s fights have been typified by his ring generalship and pinpoint accuracy inside of the ropes as he has scored just one knockout in the past four-plus years. Not to say that Floyd doesn?t have a little bit of power, but for a fighter who competed at 106 pounds as an amateur he is certainly more accustomed to going the full route in his bouts these days.
There are those who feel that Floyd lacks killer instinct, seeing as though he certainly has the tools to end fights early but eases up at times. That was on display during his comeback bout against Marquez last September. Mayweather would drop the Mexico City fighter in the second round and seemed to have him reeling late but settled for a whitewash decision win instead of an emphatic knockout.
During the Mosley fight he was rocked in the second round after absorbing a flush and wicked right hand from the Pomona, California fighter but regrouped and went on to dominate the rest of the fight. Mayweather would return the favor, catching Mosley repeatedly with stinging right hands and one key observer noted that Floyd?s pop seemed to be affecting Shane.
?The fact that Shane didn?t want to exchange later told me that Floyd was probably hitting pretty hard because he didn?t want to get knocked out,? said David Avila, the West Coast Bureau Chief for The Sweet Science. ?I am surprised that his arms held up because he?s always had hands troubles. I mean the way that he was hitting Shane he was really hurting him.?
Fair words from Avila who has always been one to speak with objectivity and it puts into perspective how Mayweather is simply more of a master tactician inside of the ropes as opposed to an aggressive killer. Showcases in the sport of boxing come in all shapes and forms and Mayweather is obviously content on displaying his craft over the duration of a bout.
If Pacquiao and Mayweather find themselves in the ring with one another, which seems like wishful thinking at this point after two failed negotiating processes, it?s not hard to imagine Floyd defeating Manny. A fighter as versatile as him with as many gifts should never be counted out but I find it unlikely that he would stop Pacquiao.
The Filipino icon has seen his star rise in recent years after rising in weight and thrashing the likes of De La Hoya, Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey, respectively. Ever since his March 2005 loss to Erik Morales, Pacquiao has improved his skills leaps and bounds while showing a stout chin and the ability to constantly put his neck on the line. If Floyd is to defeat him it would probably be from putting on a master boxing clinic as opposed to a punishing TKO.
But you can?t knock King for repping Floyd, as the grey-haired legend has been pursuing Mayweather in recent weeks in hopes of adding him to his stable of fighters. Floyd has worked with Golden Boy Promotions for his last four bouts and while he has made good money King obviously feels he could take him to another level.
?Whatever [Mayweather] makes, he could make more with me,? King boasted during an interview with the London Times. “No on can generate money like I can. I never cease to amaze myself. I?m a people person and Mayweather and Pacquiao would be a people explosion. It?s the fight the people want to see and they will come from all over the world to see it. It will be like the Rumble in the Jungle. In those days you did not have the same media outlets that you do now. It would be a world extravaganza.?
Floyd Mayweather update: Looks as though the undefeated fighter spent yesterday at the race track betting on his prized horse. For more images of Floyd please check out the slideshow below?
