By Yannis Mihanos: Floyd Mayweather Jr. (48-0, 26 KOs) is one fight away from equalizing a historical record made in the fifties by former heavyweight world champion Rocky Marciano (49-0, 43 KOs).
Mayweather Jr. is also very close to retirement as he already stated back in last May after his 12 round unanimous decision victory over Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Of course things can change and a decision in the heat of the moment can easily reverse.
If the money is right we might as well enjoy watching Mayweather for a couple of years.
With his new opponent for September 12 still under wraps, I thought it would be good idea to open once more the discussion about Mayweather as a fighter and his opposition today.
I have often criticized Floyd for being too selective with his choices. In one of my articles, I read once a comment from a fan saying that it hasn’t always been this way for Mayweather, to be the man who calls the shots.
And that’s true, Mayweather hasn’t always been a top name neither has been always the top favorite in a fight.
Mayweather also had to start at some point from ground zero with nil record. He had too no choice but to dig deep at the beginning and learn from his mistakes and move on. So I mostly agree with that comment, not always his career was full of roses, there were also many thorns on the way.
But Mayweather had the talent, ambition and drive to go where he is today, no doubt about it.
It is also obvious that he has created a formula of success along the way, both in and out of the ring.
This formula of success is what defines Mayweather from all the others.
Often paper champs attempt to enter the big stage arriving with an unbeaten record and maybe with some title on their hands, only to fall like a rotten fruit out of the tree and be exposed by the first serious opponent.
Recently we witnessed that, watching Adrien Broner get exposed once again by losing unanimously to Shawn Porter on June 20th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. So there is a difference by good fighters and great fighters.
Mayweather’s high boxing IQ became evident from early on. He is one of those rare talents who can watch and study the opponent while fighting.
And so while his opponents were entering the ring like raging bulls, Mayweather would study and find their weakness while fighting and expose them.
So far none of the 48 has managed to catch him by surprise, none of the 48 was so difficult to read, and with a few rare exceptions here and there (Jose Luis Castillo vs. Mayweather 1 and Marcos Maidana vs. Mayweather 1) Mayweather has always found the way.
Mayweather’s last victim was also his greatest foe, a man who for the last 6 years was lurking in the shadows of his mind: Manny Pacquiao.
For many, Pacquiao had the right elements to defeat Mayweather, we all know what followed. Mayweather stayed unbeaten continuing marching on his way to greatness.
The problem that I find with all his opponents is that they all were open books.
Even if they all came with great promises and coaches on their side this wasn’t enough for their victory to come.
Great coaches can offer training and motivation up to a level.
The truth is that great coaches cannot box at the same time. On the Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 fight, trainer Robert Garcia expected Maidana to go out there bully and punish Mayweather once again. But it didn’t happen this way because Mayweather didn’t let it happen.
I remember when Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. was exploding near the corner of his son Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in his 2012 fight against Sergio Martinez, screaming and urging him to fight clever with no result whatsoever. I remember trainer Freddie Roach asking Pacquiao to use more angles and attack even more in the fight against Mayweather.
The story is always the same: “It’s easier said than done.” It’s the same story but different characters.
Even today those who appear eager to fight Mayweather in September like Amir Khan and Keith Thurman are open books too.
Once in the ring Mayweather will expose them sooner or later.
His high boxing alertness is always one step ahead. So it remains to be seen if in his few fights left someone will change all that.
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