By Babatis Banda: Looking at Floyd Mayweather Jnr closely through the years, you will realize that he has considerably evolved. His evolution is not a drastic change in style or ability, rather, it is his approach. I would probably call it ‘growth in the game’. The younger Floyd was a little faster, a little hungrier, had a busier footwork and a higher work rate, he did throw a little bit more combinations and certainly fought more often than he does now. It is not clear yet if this is as a result of his advancing age, luck of interest, level of achievement with very little to prove, the tax regime that inhibits him to fight more or just his preferred approach to the game, or is it simply that he is on the downhill?
My take is that Floyd has matured in the game, he may not have the same energy like he did in the early years of his career, but now he maximizes on his skills more and uses experience and brains better than just his physical abilities. Floyd is more measured in his approach, picks his punches and maximizes on accuracy than throw a whirlwind of punches in the hope of landing some. I have no doubt that Floyd has found a way of pacing himself depending on the opposition he faces. I feel there are a number of questions that Floyd has been able to answer about his abilities. At some point, some believed Floyd would not survive pressure fighters, but he fought a good number of pressure fighters and brawlers alike and outwitted, or literally schooled them. Some people wondered how Floyd would react when hit with a good shot, well…we all know now that he is not chinny. Floyd is such a marvel to watch, he outwits his foe not by brutal force, but by his boxing skills and a clearly supreme boxing IQ. Even though he possesses decent power, you will rarely see a bloodied, busted-up Floyd foe.
While Floyd remains at the top of his game, we are yet to see any signs of wear and tear, or any signs of rust due to inactivity. Ortiz is definitely a tough choice for Floyd, but it is difficult to imagine an upset in September. It is clear that Floyd has evolved into a more mature fighter, it will require a tough fighter like Ortiz to make Floyd dig dipper, and probably summon some of that youth and work rate.
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