Why I think Mayweather is a cherry picker

By Nick Hagan - 02/05/2014 - Comments

floyd777By Nick Hagan: There is absolutely no doubt, that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a great boxer. However, many boxing fans, are becoming increasingly disappointed, because time and time again, we just being short changed by Mayweather as an elite boxer.

Mayweather’s career success has been based around his ability to use the “Philly Shell” roll defence, his reflexes and to counter-punch, arguably doing all three, better than anyone in the history of our sport.

In my opinion Mayweather has learnt to fully maximize his skill set that I have listed above, but only against “flat footed” opponents, where this style of boxing actually works. As a result of this, Mayweather has given many of us the Illusion that he is “unbeatable”.

I feel that I can easily back up the above claims, just by listing Myweather’s last six opponents, ‘Alvarez, Guerrero, Cotto, Ortiz, Mosley and Marquez. All of these boxers, (possibly with the exception of an Old Shane Mosley), were “flat footed” and just not quicker enough to consecutively land clean shots on Mayweather. I’m not saying they are not great boxers; it’s just that Mayweather makes them look ordinary, because of their styles.

Within the three year time period that he has fought the above boxers, he could of legitimately of had fights against the following champions, to name but a few (all of have fought within his chosen weight categories) Manny Pacquiao, Paul Williams, Timothy Bradley, Sergio Martinez, GGG and Erislandy Lara. However all of these fighters would/ would have presented a real threat to Mayweather’s “0”

All we keep hearing is the great fights can’t happen because of the “Cold War”, between Top Rank and “The Money Team”/ Golden Boy Promotions. Or TV right’s between Showtime and HBO, etc, etc.

I would argue that this is all a smokescreen and is a way of Mayweather giving us all the reasons in the world not to fight, for instance, a swarmer like Manny Pacquiao, or a pure boxer with real power such as GGG.

I would also argue that he is now reluctant to accept a fight with Khan, simply because Khan although not the hardest puncher in the world, would present a real problem, in respect to his possible speed and movement advantage. This is a fight, we were all told, was pretty much set in stone, until last week. I’m of the belief that Khan presents more danger than Maidana. I respect and think Maidana is a great boxer, but he is flat footed and is no different to Mayweather’s previous six opponents. Mayweather is clever and knows full well that Maidana is going to get more votes (and subsequently will be his next opponent) than Khan, simply because he has a massive following in The US and South America. Khan’s popularity even in the UK is on a downward spiral.

We as the fans should have been given the option of choosing are own opponent for Mayweather, from a complete list of boxers between the weight classes of 147 – 154 and not just two opponents. Secondly if Mayweather, wants to use the reason for none fight happening due to “Cold Wars” and TV rights, how come champions such as Shaun Porter, Keith Thurman who fight with Showtime are not put within the equation and even GGG who is coming off another win and is not contracted to any of the big promotional companies.

Unless Mayweather chooses to take riskier fights, he is in real danger of damaging his long term legacy and I for one will just remember him as a “Cherry Picker”.  Mayweather should risk the “0” and give the fans the fight’s they crave for.



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