Floyd Mayweather’s win over Canelo proves he’s the best ever

floyd6544By Paul Walsh; At the end of the final bell I couldn’t help but smile, “he’s done it again” I thought to myself.  Floyd Mayweather Jr. made Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who is arguably the second best pound for pound fighter in the world look extremely average.  Make no mistake Canelo is an exceptional fighter but Mayweather is a league of his own

At times it was nothing more than a glorified sparring season, a very well paid sparring session for the man they call money.  The fight went exactly how I anticipated, Mayweather was too fast, too slick, too cute and too quick which Canelo simply did not have any answer to.  Right from the first bell Mayweather showed how sharp he is and that the age factor was not going to play a part.  In fact you would think that Floyd was the younger man based on the way he fought.

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British Boxing on the Rise

haye777By Paul Walsh: The last two years for British sport has flourished from Tennis to Cricket to Rugby but one sport in particular which has really excelled is Boxing.  This is mainly down to the success of London 2012 and team GBs performance at the games.  They had their most successful games ever which is rubbing off on all forms of the sport.

Britain currently has 4 boxing world champions (Nathan Cleverly, Carl Froch, Ricky Burns and Jamie McDonnell) but with 3/4 more working their way into mandatory positions over the last 12 months this number could potentially double within the year.

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Mayweather-Canelo, “The One” – My prediction

floyd#001By Paul Walsh: When the announcement was made for Floyd Mayweather Jr vs. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez I couldn’t contain my excitement.  Finally a fight the fans want to see.  The two biggest and best names in the sport putting their unbeaten records on the line for the coveted crown of pound for pound king.  It has all the makings of a classic.

Many of you did not expect Mayweather to take this fight so soon into his 6 fight deal with CBS as he has a reputation of “ducking” opponents, case in point would be Manny Pacquiao.  Mayweather however would argue that he made the right decision based on Pacquiao’s last two outings but no one can say the same about this fight with Canelo.

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Adrien Broner- Good or Bad for Boxing?

broner74By Paul Walsh: Now the dust has settled from the split decision win for the now three time world champion Adrien Broner over Paulie Malinaggi, I couldn’t help but be annoyed. What should have been a shift in power in boxing actually left me with a bitter taste in my mouth.

Now I know controversy sells but the antics of both fighters (mainly Broner) only put boxing in a bad light. After the fight I expected both men to put their differences aside and show some mutual respect for one another by hugging and making up but Broner had other ideas. He continued to disrespect Malinaggi in the post-fight interview.

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2013- The Brits are coming…

froch0244By Paul Walsh: 2013 is set to be a huge year for British boxing.  For some it is about redemption, for others it is about new beginnings and the rest it is about stepping up to the world stage.

The road to redemption is a path which Carl Froch will follow this year in what is set to be the year of the rematch for the “Cobra”, he will start with the defence of his IBF crown against the Great Dane Mikkel Kessler.  If it is half as good as the first fight we are in for another special night for British boxing. 

No venue has been set as of yet but Kessler has agreed to take the fight in England and I think that will be the deciding factor.  Carl Froch is in the form of his life and I think he will have too much for Kessler with the backing of the raucous home crowd especially if he can get the fight in Nottingham. 

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Freddie Roach- Is he as good as we think?

Image: Freddie Roach- Is he as good as we think?By Paul Walsh: Two years ago Freddie Roach and the wildcard gym would have had the phone ringing off the hook and the offers flying in.  With three world champions in the stable, it was the place every fighter wanted to be.

Fast forward the clock to today and the outlook is bleak for Roach.  Saturday night at the MGM was the culmination of what has been a simply dreadful year for Roach and the wildcard gym.  Having seen all of his champions beaten and one moved on to up and coming trainer Virgil Hunter, you cannot help but question Roach’s methods and tactics as a trainer.

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The Mayweather Effect

Image: The Mayweather EffectBy Paul Walsh: I remember watching an interview with Floyd Mayweather some time ago and he said something which has stuck with me ever since, “Once I beat a fighter they are never the same, mentally and physically”.  At the time I didn’t know what but after watching Cotto and Hatton fights recently it suddenly reemerged to the surface.

Let’s look at the facts and check the current status of Mayweather’s last 6 opponents;

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Fights I want to see 2013

Image: Fights I want to see 2013By Paul Walsh: With the new crop of rising stars emerging and some of the older generation experiencing an Indian summer there is a host of potential super fights possible for 2013.  This article intends to look at the possible blockbuster match-ups.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao- Even in the wake of Manny Pacquiao’s devastating knockout defeat at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez, this still remains the biggest and best fight in boxing.  Both are coming towards the end of their careers which makes it even more crucial for this fight to happen next year.  This is the only match up in boxing which will capture the imagination of the whole world.  It is simply now or never.

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Is Adrien Broner the new Floyd Mayweather?? No he’s the new generation of boxing!!

Image: Is Adrien Broner the new Floyd Mayweather?? No he’s the new generation of boxing!!By Paul Walsh: The only similarities between Adrien Broner and Floyd Mayweather are they are both black American, unbeaten and charismatic and that is where the similarities end.  After watching Broner’s eight round demolition of lightweight king Antonio DeMarco I was pleased as I knew the world would finally stand up and appreciate the star that is Adrien Broner.

I have been following his career for a long time and from the first fight I saw I knew he was something special.  No longer is he just another flashy, cocky, trash talking fighter with too much confidence he actually has the skill and talent to back it up.  He is indeed a problem.

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If you lose your “0” you got to go!!

Image: If you lose your “0” you got to go!!By Paul Walsh: Boxing has changed, so much so that the most important thing is keeping your coveted “0” intact.   Gone are the days of the best fighting the best in their prime, it is all about keeping the undefeated record in place as that is what sells.  My fear is that unfortunately we are going to miss out on some serious talent because of it.

This past weekend’s fights at Atlantic City was a prime example of what I am talking about, two fast rising unbeaten fighters (Adrien Broner and Seth Mitchell) put their “0” on the line.  Both fights ended spectacularly but only one “0” remained.  Broner’s and with that he’s stock rose whereas Mitchell’s dropped dramatically. 

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