By Eric Thomas: According to Michael Marley from the Examiner, Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be facing former International Boxing Federation welterweight champion Kermit Cintron (32-2-1, 28 KO’s) next on March 13th. If this turns out to be the case, this would be a huge departure from the past for the 32-year-old Mayweather, who lately has preferred to fight smaller opponents. At 5’11”, Cintron is three inches taller than Mayweather and has a two inch reach advantage as well.
But even better than that, Cintron is a huge puncher, a lot more powerful than Mayweather or even Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent Joshua Clottey. If Mayweather wants to take away some of the excitement from the Pacquiao-Clottey fight, then Cintron is the right opponent to do that.
I see this as a better fight than the Pacquiao-Clottey bout, because at least Cintron can punch and wouldn’t just be a sitting duck covering up on the ropes all night long like Clottey. Ideally, Mayweather should wait for the Andre Berto vs. Shane Mosley winner to get free and then take that fight. But if Mayweather is determined to fight on March 13th, then Cintron is a good choice. He’s ranked #2 in the WBC, #2 WBO and #3 in the IBF light middleweight division. Cintron has been stopped twice by Antonio Margarito, most recently in April 2008. In February 2009, Cintron fought to a controversial 12 round majority draw with Sergio Martinez in a fight that Cintron appeared to have been stopped.
I’d rate Cintron as a better opponent than two of Mayweather’s other potential opponents for March, Nate Campbell and Paulie Malignaggi. Cintron is much bigger and stronger than those two, and he punches like a mule. Cintron may not have Mayweather’s blazing hand speed, but if he can catch Mayweather with a big shot, Cintron can end the fight at a moments notice. He not only hits hard, but he’s much improved in terms of boxing skills. Cintron recently defeated top light middleweight prospect Alfredo Angulo, out-boxing Angulo over 12 rounds last year in May. It was a great performance from Cintron, who boxed at times and threw heavy leather at others. Although Cintron has been fighting as a light middleweight recently, he seems more at home as welterweight.
Cintron appears to be the much bigger puncher than Clottey with either hand. Clottey punches well with his left hand, but his right is weak and he has only one knockout in the past five years. That doesn’t say much for Clottey’s power. Clottey’s last knockout was against a fighter by the name of Jose Luis Cruz in 2008. His next knockout win before that was way back in 2004 against a fighter by the name of Christopher Henry.
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