By Babatis Banda: I sat the other day, wondering exactly what makes Floyd tick as a boxer. I should admit, I developed a liking for Floyd way back, when he was a little boy fighting with his father in his corner. That time I saw a gifted young man who was full of confidence and belief in himself and I have since followed his career and enjoyed his performances ever since.
You ought to remember that during this time, not so long ago though, there was very little if not none at all, of the boxing fanaticism that has come with the emergence of Manny Pacquiao into the spotlight of the spot. Floyd stood there at the top, with a clear separation from the rest, not because of his power, but his genius abilities in the ring.
While it is true that Floyd has marketed himself as a bad boy, some of his critics have failed to separate the bad boy outside of the ring, from the disciplined and immensely gifted boxer inside of the ring. Floyd Mayweather junior is a breath of fresh air when it comes to pure boxing. There are a number of fighters that are in the sport by pure accident, some as a way to escape poverty and others are attracted to this savage sport, just like a moth is to neon lights in the night. Floyd Mayweather junior is none of these, he was born into the sport, his veins carry this gene and it comes naturally to him.
His success in the sport is un-aided by either the love from the press, or the existence of a cult-like fun base. The negative character he has modeled for himself coupled by his well known, undisputed skills in the ring have made him what he is today, the cash-cow of the sport. Unlike the majority of fighters that fight three up to five times a year to remain relevant and popular, Floyd is the only boxer who enjoys the luxury of such extensive breaks, and may fight once in a number of years and yet, he never goes off people’s lips. This is an amazing feat, considering that he seems never out of shape or off-form because he is never far away from the gym and that is what I call discipline.
I honestly do not know if there is a single boxer out there today, who is as gifted as Floyd is. If there is, I wonder if you can still list abilities in the ring in the same manner…best defence system, agile, fast, best counter puncher, pin-point accuracy, can fight on the back-heel, can choose to take it to the opponent even when they are clearly the more powerful. He cuts the ring in such a fashion that it seems effortless, he paces himself to an extent, he intelligently dictates the tempo of the bout, he has a wicked left hook which he uses with such lightning speed and has a solid chin as well.
At this stage in his career, there are a number of truths, no top fighter today can claim. He is unbeaten and has never been knocked down in his professional career.
However, when you watch the Floyd/Gatti fight and you compare with the more recent Floyd bouts, you will realize that he has really matured into another different, but effective fighter and still above the rest. He has more composure, conserves energy by fighting intelligently and still has a good defence though he has clearly lost some of his speed. His luck of movement now is out of choice, rather than luck of ability. Hasn’t he said that he will take it to his opponents? With the emergence of fanaticism in boxing which in my view, can be likened to religious fanaticism, real boxing lovers should not lose sight of facts in this sport and should not fall prey to cheap, cadre-like behaviour that speaks from the heart, than from the mind and reality. Floyd is truly blessed.
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