What Makes Mayweather So Difficult to Beat?

By KenWoods123 - 08/06/2013 - Comments

floyd#83By Ken Woods: Floyd Mayweather will embark on his 45th fight, and perhaps his toughest, on September 14 against Saul Canelo Alvarez. Mayweather is undefeated, and many have wondered what the remedy is to beat the gifted fighter.

So what exactly is it that makes Mayweather so successful? The answer has nothing to do with speed or power.

Rhythm

Mayweather does not fight in one rhythm. Most fighters move to their own consistent pace. This makes it easier to time them. However, “Money” does not. He may move around the ring quickly on his toes. He may walk slowly around the ring in a defensive posture. He may stand against the ropes or in the corner in a vulnerable position. But the key is that he never allows his adversary to get adjusted to anything, and he can throw punches from each position.

He switches rhythms throughout the fight. That is the reason fighters have the look of a Catholic reading the Kabbalah in the later rounds. This skill also allows him to time his foe and make them pay on the way in. They are unable to do the same.

Distance

Mayweather controls the distance from the opening bell. In the Robert Guerrero fight, he constantly touched the right glove of Guerrero with his left glove. He knew that if he could do that he could shoot the straight right hand from that distance. Mayweather has a very long reach for a guy his height, which makes controlling the distance easier. His ability to dictate the distance allows him to avoid so many punches.

Not only does it make his defense better, but it allows him to anticipate when his opponent will throw a punch as well. His jab has never really been a great threat, but he uses it early in the fight as a distance finder, and then uses it precisely towards the later rounds.

Patience 

“Money” is perhaps the most patient fighter we have witnessed. He can control the pace of the bout with his patience. He will wait for an opportunity instead of pursuing one that may not be there. Other fighters get frustrated with his lack of punching and, in turn, lose their patience.

This strategy is one that takes an immense amount of discipline to execute, and Canelo lacks in this department. The evidence of that is when he threw wild looping right hands from a good distance against Austin Trout.

Sparring 

There is no other fighter that can correctly duplicate or mimic what you will see in the ring on fight night. Training camp is where the fight is won and where one builds confidence. However, most Mayweather foes are ill-prepared for the challenge when they step in the ring and it shows. He has a style that is unmatched and very hard to calculate.

In addition to his physical gifts, the aforementioned skills are what elevate Mayweather to a level above his opposition.



Comments are closed.