By Dave Lahr: I’d like nothing more for Floyd Mayweather Jr. to fight knockout artist Kermit Cintron (32-2-1, 28 KO’s) on March 13th, but I can’t see it happening. This would go against everything that I’ve seen from Mayweather in recent years. It’s not that Mayweather hasn’t faced huge punchers before during his career, because Mayweather dominated big punching Diego Corrales nine years ago in a 10th round stoppage in 2001.
However, that was a long time ago and Mayweather has taken on few punchers anywhere near the class of Corrales since that time, especially lately. Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez, Mayweather’s last two opponents, can punch well, but neither of them can hit like Cintron. Mayweather would have an advantage in speed and boxing ability against Cintron, and he could probably box circles around him if he wanted to.
But I think Mayweather won’t want to take this fight because Cintron will make it hard for Mayweather by hitting him with a number of big shots in every round. Even if Mayweather dominates most of the fight, Cintron will still make him feel a lot of pain every time he lands one of his big shots. And unless Mayweather plays it really careful to avoid Cintron’s big right hands, there’s a chance that Mayweather might get dropped or possibly even stopped.
I doubt it will happen, but I think there’s a chance. Floyd is getting up there in age at 32, and that’s old for a welterweight. In the lower weight classes, fighters can continue to still be effective in their early 30s, but they start to slow down with their movement around that age. Mayweather has to be able to move well for him to beat a hard puncher like Cintron. He can’t just stand in the corner and think he’s going to beat a slugger like Cintron using a check left hook and his shoulder roll.
Those kinds of gimmicks might work against a small light welterweight without massive power, but against a 5’11” welterweight with knockout power in either hand, Mayweather will have to come up with more than that if he wants to get the win. This is why I think Mayweather won’t even bother taking this fight.
There is too much danger there for him in this fight because of Cintron’s power, and Mayweather would have to run all night long to prevent Cintron from catching up to him and putting hands on him. Mayweather would probably look like a war surviver after a fight against Cintron. I think he’d win, but it would be a very tough fight and totally unlike any of his recent bouts in the past five years.
My guess is Mayweather will pick Paulie Malignaggi to fight next. That seems more of the type of opponent that Mayweather would choose.
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