by Liam Fitzgerald: The 40-0-0 perfect record of Floyd Mayweather Jr is certainly formidable and would suggest that he is perhaps an unbeatable force. He has won world titles at 5 different weights and has never really looked in big trouble in a fight. But the question is, can anybody beat him and if so, what type of fighter?
There is a real possibility that he will retire, properly, with his 0 still intact and that for him is very important. Yet, after announcing that he will be fighting Shane Mosley on May 1st Mayweather seems to finally be fighting the best fighters out there. A mega fight with Manny Pacquiao will surely take place in the future and if anyone is going to defeat Pretty Boy, it will likely be one of these 2 men. But is either of their styles enough to manage that feat?
What is clear is that Mayweather wins fights by taking his opponents out of their rhythm and making them fight the type of fight that he finds comfortable to deal with. He is defensively brilliant and more than competent offensively which makes it easy for him to come away with wins. His last 3 victories are great examples of how Pretty Boy’s style disrupts his opponent and leads him to another W.
Against de la Hoya you would never have believed it was the silky ex gold medalist in action. De la Hoya did push Mayweather hard and nearly took the decision but you could tell it was a hugely uncomfortable fight for him. He attempted to pressurize Mayweather which wasn’t effective and the majority of rounds that he did win were due to Mayweather’s inactivity. Hatton clearly is a lot better pressure fighter than de la Hoya but on the night he was very tense and didn’t stick to any type of game plan. He wobbled Mayweather but was very ragged afterwards and was easy to pick off for the man from Michigan. Juan Manuel Marquez is known as an excellent counter puncher but felt compelled to go after Pretty Boy in their fight and was picked off easily. All 3 of these fights prove how Mayweather is best at taking others out of their comfort zones.
However, there have been examples of Mayweather encountering some problems in fights which could lead a Mosley/Pacquiao figure to capitalise on them and win. As already said, Hatton rocked Floyd and his initial reaction was very interesting. He looked flustered but was fortunate that Hatton’s recklessness prevented him from causing more damage. A calmer boxer, in the mould of Mosley/Pacquiao, would without doubt follow this up better and could cause damage to Mayweather that has not been seen before. Then, his heart will come into the equation and frankly, at this time it remains untested. Mayweather does have a good chin and could shake of attacks but we can’t yet be sure.
I believe Pacquiao has a better chance than Mosley of beating Mayweather for a few reasons. He has great stamina whereas Sugar Shane will have been inactive for nearly a year and half before his bout with Floyd. At 38 years old, this will certainly not help him even though it must be said he is still very fit. However, after a lengthy break, he did look very rusty against Ricardo Mayorga in that particular comeback fight. Also, what makes Pacquiao so special is his phenomenal explosiveness which often results in combinations of up to 10 punches at times. With his speed and power, anyone, even Mayweather the defensive genius, can be overwhelmed by him and he will pose a threat that Mayweather certainly will never have faced before.
Pacquiao is a decent body puncher and this could be useful against Mayweather. Jose Luis Castillo has probably caused Mayweather the most problems in the past and he was a great body puncher. Hatton should have exploited this more but as earlier said, he wasn’t at the races that night.
So there are a few things that could hold the key to beating Floyd Mayweather but it remains to be seen if they will be. Clearly, the most important thing is to make him uncomfortable by not fighting in the way he wants. Body attacks could work whilst calm, calculated combinations should he be rocked are vital in trying to hurt him. Mayweather has never faced anyone as good as Mosley or Pacquiao and in particular, I feel the little Filipino’s explosive style is the one which has most chance of putting a defeat on the Pretty Boy’s record.
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