By @BoxingMuse: Floyd Mayweather Jr. (45-0, 26 KO’s) has won world crowns from Super featherweight up to Light middleweight but before he hangs his gloves up for good, would the lure of a championship title in a sixth weight division tempt the pound-for-pound number one, to take on the challenge of a middleweight title.
Common sense and business sense suggests that if ‘Money’ were to step up to 160lbs to attempt to secure a championship belt out of the four main titlists Sergio Martínez, Gennady Golovkin, Felix Sturm and Peter Quillin surely ‘Maravilla’ is the most feasible opponent.
Mayweather, Jr. steps into the ring against Marcos René Maidana on May 3rd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for a 147lbs unification fight. Floyd will be defending his WBC & Ring Welterweight titles.
While ‘El Chino’ defends the WBA Welterweight title he impressively captured from Adrien Broner in December. Marcos currently stands as a 8-1 underdog and although this bout will provide an entertaining event, boxing intuition and logic suggest Mayweather will take his record to 46-0 against his hard hitting opponent.
But the other side of the equation plays out on June 7 in Madison Square Garden, New York when Martínez faces Miguel Cotto in defence of the Argentines WBC middleweight belt. With such a great match up it is hard to predict the outcome. Sergio is clearly the bigger man as an established middleweight having overcome much larger opponents than Miguel but ‘Junito’ has the age advantage of around six years. Cotto has fought the higher quality of opponents albeit at a lighter weight. This is as close to a 50-50 fight as you may find in the boxing game, the winner will be the fighter who employs the better game plan and utilizes their power, speed and boxing IQ.
Floyd who can apparently make the 140lbs division although is the main man at Welterweight. It is obvious to state that many of the middleweight champions are considerably larger men than Mayweather. It goes without saying Floyd is running out of genuine competition especially considering the boxing ‘cold war’ between HBO and Showtime who have allied themselves with a TV network each Top Rank and Golden Boy. This situation does not help a future matchmaking for Mayweather Jr. in any division including middleweight.
There are some difficult challenges in the middleweight division. The question is, is it a fair, reasonable and righteous demand to suggest ‘Money’ should compete at a two full weight classes above where he unquestionably reigns. It truly may be a step too far for the finest welterweight of a generation in Mayweather Jr.
The main factor here is depending on who wins on June 7th between Cotto and Martinez may provide the opportunity for a Mayweather middleweight fight. There is an argument for a Cotto rematch considering the Puerto Rican gave Floyd arguably one the toughest tests in his career, along with Castillo and De La Hoya. The Cotto rematch may make more business and logical sense given their entertaining bout on May 5th 2012 and the fact that Miguel is not a natural 160lbs fighter therefore it would allow for Floyd to compete for a middleweight title on a more even playing field than would be the case if he challenged established Middleweight champ Martinez, who although spent his younger days as a welterweight is a natural bigger and stronger man, but would ‘Money’ see Martinez as a too bigger risk. It goes without saying but Floyd as the biggest drawn in sport calls the shots, so he will decide his own destiny.
As a boxing fan Mayweather versus either Cotto or Martinez is truly an exciting possibility, but firstly May 3rd will see Mayweather face Maidana and just over a month later Cotto will battle Martinez for the WBC middleweight title.
The outcome of these fights may well give the boxing world a thrilling middleweight championship event.
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