Article: Can anybody beat Floyd Mayweather

johnswan1 · Post by **johnswan1** » 20 Oct 2005, 04:21

Read this on Doghouse boxing. Have to say I don't agree with him on his points regarding Hatton and I'm guessing the guy he speaks about at the end is Margarito but the rest of the article hasn't come out yet. (Also, when talking about Castillo he says "Castillo has a face and head made of cast iron. It took ten rounds of thunder punctuated by a perfect and ferocious left hook to put him on the canvas for the first time in his career; and that was against one of the pound for pound hardest punchers in the sport in Diego Corrales". One of the greatest fights of all time and it seems the guy didn't even see it considering he talks about Castillo hitting the canvas when he clearly did not.....

Athletic phenomenons come along every so often and during their reign at the peak of their sport, they seem untouchable. Such is particularly true of the sweet science, the main difference being the path of decline. Great fighters seldom burn out slowly but are rather vanquished first by deterioration of physical prowess and then by a foe looking to take over the throne.

When a true superstar with elite skills, incredible gifts and absolute dedication emerges and cements himself on the scene, the question for promoters, odds-makers and fans is whether they can be beat, or at least which opponent would put up the best fight. Floyd Mayweather Junior is such an athlete who has elevated himself far above any of his contemporaries in the ring. Ranked number one pound for pound on any credible list, he is so superior to every other currently active fighter that slots two and three ought to remain empty. The question then is, can anyone beat him?

Before we embark on this discussion in any detail, a few ground rules should be laid out. Analysis will be of realistic opponents Floyd might actually face. A match-up with Samuel Peter is never going to happen. There were serious talks of a fight with Ronald “Winky” Wright and therefore, he will be used to determine the upper limit in weight class of potential opponents for Mayweather. In his last outing, Wright fought at 160 lbs. and has signed on for another middleweight contest later this year. Still, Wright is more suited to junior middleweight and there would likely have been some variety of catch weight agreement had the fight with Floyd been made. Only fighters south of middleweight will be considered; that is 154 and below, inclusive.

In addition, this is a discussion of fights that could realistically happen, and therefore only currently active fighters will be considered. The answer to how Floyd would have fared against a prime Roberto Duran or Pernell Whitaker will never be answered and is one for another forum. Our amended question is this: Can any currently active fighter from 140 to 154 inclusive, beat Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

‘Pretty Boy’ has found a comfortable home at junior welterweight and therefore this seems a convenient place to begin. It is fair to allow a couple of lightweights into the equation however, since both could support the extra weight without difficulty, they gave us the fight of the decade earlier this year and they both have history with Mayweather. I am referring of course to Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo.

The Candidates---140 lbs

*

Diego Corrales-

Chico is a very tall fighter and in spite of being thin as well, his frame could handle another five pounds and it might even add some resilience to his already impressive skill set. This is not to suggest Corrales is a soft touch. He is an incredibly tough fighter with heart galore…but that is part of the problem. He might be one of those guys who is too tough for his own good. He is easy to hit, as his opponents prove repeatedly, but usually wins anyway because of his bone-crushing power. Diego used this get out of jail free card to thrilling effect against Castillo earlier this year but tipped his hand in the process and was taken out convincingly in the rematch.

Against Corrales, Floyd Mayweather showed the world, in a scintillating display, that speed kills. There was no answer coming from Chico and after five knockdowns he’d even forgotten the question. The corner came in, saved their fighter from further abuse, and in spite of his outrage they would have to do it again if a rematch with Floyd was ever made.

*

Jose Luis Castillo-

No fighter has given Mayweather anywhere near the kind of trouble Castillo did in their two fights. Both times, Floyd deserved and got the win but it was relatively close in each and naturally some controversy and questions were raised. In fact, CompuBox analysis of the first clash indicates Castillo threw and landed more punches throughout the fight than Mayweather. Obviously that doesn’t tell the entire story but it is a huge credit to the Mexican star that he was able to connect against an opponent most only catch fleeting glimpses of.

A couple of interesting points come up in discussing Floyd’s efforts against Jose Luis Castillo. First, there were issues concerning the frailty of Mayweather’s hands and this has been cited before and since as contributing to a lackluster performance. It is true he has had some chronic issues with the fists, but the degree to which it effected him in these two outings is anyone’s guess. It is at least as likely that Castillo is just an ultra tough, aggressive fighter and cognizant of this fact, Floyd opted for caution rather than engagement. Either way the spectators responded with boos…but Mayweather won the fights.

The second interesting note is that Mayweather, a flashy, stylish type fighter, went for the rematch against the first guy to give him real problems. Rather than move on to the next big payday, Floyd knew he had questions to answer and business to attend to. He may not have gone to war in the rematch, but that shows brains. The fact that he went to the rematch at all, that shows guts.

What got Castillo through the fights with Mayweather is a combination of things aside from just ability as a fighter. Castillo has a face and head made of cast iron. It took ten rounds of thunder punctuated by a perfect and ferocious left hook to put him on the canvas for the first time in his career; and that was against one of the pound for pound hardest punchers in the sport in Diego Corrales. Floyd doesn’t hit anywhere near that hard and really had no other option than to stick and move. Also, Castillo was the larger man and just prior to their rematch, weighed in at 147 to Mayweather’s 138. Should these two complete the trilogy, it would again go the distance but it will either be a wipeout on the cards since Floyd has all but erased the size discrepancy, or another boring boxing lesson.

Miguel Cotto-

Here is a fight that is definitely brewing, although no one in the Cotto camp is foolish enough to look for it anytime soon. They know, as do most analysts, that Cotto has a lot of things to work on before he is ready for the likes of Floyd Mayweather. Miguel is a very good fighter; he has top flight skills, a ton of heart, decent hand and foot speed and a nice jab. He also is possessed of one of the most underrated weapons especially against speed demons: a wicked left hook downstairs. In this case, the superlatives can be heaped on…devastating, precision, relentless, thunderous…when Miguel Cotto goes to the body he beats guys easily. When he gets in trouble, the basement is the escape route. Every time.

But that’s just it…he gets in trouble. There have been questions raised about Cotto’s chin and while this is a little premature the fact is that against lesser fighters he has had strategic blunders nearly wind up costing him big. Each time he has shown the maturity and stones to gut it out and win by knockout, but this would not work against Floyd. Mayweather would get Cotto hurt and then rip him apart like a buzz saw. He’s too fast to get clutched and way too smart to give an injured opponent the opening. If they met tomorrow it would be an ugly blowout but three more Cotto fights and one division up and who knows?

*

Ricky Hatton-

Hatton presents an interesting stylistic match-up and is considered a major player at 140 almost exclusively on the strength of taking out King Kostya in June of this year. Prior to that fight, Hatton had already amassed a staggering undefeated record but it was the beat down of Tszyu that launched him into P4P consideration. Distance from the North American market has quieted the cheering section somewhat, as has the upcoming fight against little known and virtually unheralded Carlos Maussa. Maussa did grind out a win against Vivian Harris in his last outing but more as a result of Harris punching himself out than anything else. Regardless, with the huge upset win over Kostya Tszyu, Hatton has positioned himself at the guy to beat at junior welter.

Floyd Mayweather knows this but also knows there are bigger paychecks elsewhere. However, time is on Floyd’s side and should he decide to try clean up the division he will have to tangle with Britain’s favorite son at some point.

Hatton throws a lot of punches and has fairly fast hands. No one has better hand speed than Floyd, however. He also throws faster, better, crisper and more accurate combinations…even while moving. Hatton moves pretty well and can do a good job of cutting off the ring as he comes forward and presses the body attack. He has also demonstrated that he will not run out of gas in spite of the aggression and volume of shots he dishes. Again however, no one is more superbly conditioned than Mayweather and he would not be worn out especially through the seven or eight rounds this one would go. Hatton is a vicious body hunter, and an all around skilled, relentless type fighter but he has neither the tools nor chin to deal with all that Floyd brings to the fight, especially his foot speed. The body attack is potentially a good weapon against Mayweather but Hatton would be swinging at air and paying dearly with each big miss. This one would be a clinic and another showcase for Pretty Boy’s superiority.

Kostya Tszyu-

Kostya is an unusual fighter to watch. He looks slow, he looks mechanical and he looks small. All three elements are deceiving. He is in fact, methodical rather than slow and plodding. He patiently walks his man down and makes the shots he does throw count. He is deliberate rather than mechanical, and seems to be thinking a couple moves ahead and just proceeding to execute the game plan. He is compact rather than small and within the modest frame lurks huge power as indicated by his remarkable 25 knockouts in 31 wins. He was beaten convincingly by Hatton, and in fact quit on his stool but followers of Tszyu will say he didn’t look like himself. He looked paunchy, out of shape and not ready. Excuses, excuses? Maybe, but it is undeniable that he has been plagued by injury and didn’t seem to have the usual pop.

How a showdown with Mayweather would play out is an interesting consideration, especially if one takes a minute to watch the Tszyu-Judah fight from 2001. It is a showcase of the way in which Kostya’s opponents get deceived by his apparent handicaps in terms of speed and skill. Judah was clearly the faster guy and his movement looked like it would frustrate his opponent all night…until he got tagged. The punch that did him in didn’t look like much either; such is the strength of Tszyu. He did exactly what he had planned to do which was follow Zab around and land those heavy hands whenever he cut the ring off enough to do so. That rhythm and pressure style worked perfectly, but Floyd’s speed and skill are far superior to Zab Judah such that they are not even in the same stratosphere. More importantly however, is the Mayweather defense. Kostya’s hand speed might be faster than people think but it is not quick enough to penetrate on Pretty Boy, and in particular his big head shots would find nothing but shoulder each time. Pop pop pop slide. That would be the rhythm tapped out by Floyd Junior for as long as this one lasted.

Sharmba Mitchell-

After at least a couple false starts, Mayweather has secured an opponent for November 19th. Talks of possible fights with either Winky Wright or Zab Judah either stalled or were overstated by the press and it is officially Sharmba Mitchell who will step in against Floyd next month. It will be Mitchell’s first big fight since he was thoroughly demolished in his rematch with Kostya Tszyu. Many analysts including myself, felt that Mitchell might give Tszyu all sorts of problems but it didn’t materialize and he was instead, utterly dispatched with in three rounds.

The Mitchell camp blames that performance, or lack of, on difficulty making weight. In fact, Sharmba himself has emphatically stated that he can no longer make 140 and would turn down any offer at that weight. Enter Floyd Mayweather Jr., a huge payday and an outside chance to get launched into the stratosphere. The beauty part is the ready-made explanation for the loss: the weight issue.

In spite of the whoopin’ by Kostya, the fact remains that Mitchell is a very talented fighter, with speed, power, experience and a southpaw stance. He has been derailed twice by Tszyu but had excuses both times: the knee injury and the physical toll of making weight. He showed a nice body attack against decent opposition like Ben Tackie and with all the outrageous upsets in the sport as of late, it would be foolish to write a guy with Mitchell’s ability completely off. Having said that, he is also thirty-five years of age with 60 professional bouts under his belt. He is hoping to have 61 under a title belt, but Floyd is too young, fast and focused for Little Big Man whose best days are behind him. This is a good warm up for a showdown with Zab Judah, however.

Before the reader starts thinking this is a press release, or that this analysis will simply be a discussion of how Floyd Mayweather Jr. would dispatch any opponent put before him, let me say that anyone can be beat. Anything can happen in the sport of boxing and this breakdown is based on the skills and abilities that these fighters have demonstrated thus far; on both guys on their “A” game.

Styles make fights and while Mayweather is extraordinarily gifted and well rounded, there is a blueprint for beating even him. As a matter of fact, well, as a matter of opinion anyway, there is a guy out there among currently active fighters with the tools, style, and persona that make him all wrong for Floyd. He is a guy that continues to be unheralded and underestimated in spite of his frightening abilities…and it is precisely for these reasons the two should fight. To be the best you have to continually test yourself against the most dangerous opponents, and sooner or later Floyd will be called on to do just that.

Stay tuned for the welterweights… .

jomothepure · Post by **jomothepure** » 20 Oct 2005, 05:29

Joe Calzaghe would trounce Mayweather anyday

DG. · Post by **DG.** » 20 Oct 2005, 05:44

jomothepure wrote:Joe Calzaghe would trounce Mayweather anyday

I hope that was a joke!

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 20 Oct 2005, 05:58

Nicolay Valuev could possibly beat him.

johnswan1 · Post by **johnswan1** » 20 Oct 2005, 06:18

The article states "Only fighters south of middleweight will be considered; that is 154 and below, inclusive".

jomothepure · Post by **jomothepure** » 20 Oct 2005, 06:27

It was a joke DG, a pitiful one, but a stab at satire nevertheless.

I'd also attempt a joke along the lines of "south of middleweight, where's that, near Middlesburgh?" but boxingchat would only repremand me for not knowing my facts, so I wont.

hitman_hatton1 · Post by **hitman_hatton1** » 20 Oct 2005, 06:48

mayweather is a terrific fighter.

but the gatti fight did flatter him. against chavez and castillo, the 2 guys that pressure him the most. he didn't exactly look a million dollars and got away with it cos of the shortcomings of the 2 fighters.

hatton has a lot more to offer than castillo and chavez did. it's still a tough one for ricky, but don't rule him out against floyd.

boxingchat · Post by **boxingchat** » 20 Oct 2005, 10:55

Hatton shouldn't even be allowed to watch video's of him!

The only one to beat him at present will be himself.

Witter, may have the talent to bore him to death and fornicate his head up and nick a points win. Perish the the thought though.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 20 Oct 2005, 11:47

Would you have been saying that before Ricky absconded to FA?

It's hard to know whether Ricky stands a chance, he's only beaten one figther of note, and we don't know what Tszyu had left in reality.

However, mayweather has struggled against pressure before, and I think Hatton is quicker of hand and foot than Castillo, though probably not as good at standing in the pocket and picking his spots.

I can conceive Hatton winning on points or a late stoppage, or Mayweather either slicing him up or winning an easy points win.

Witter would have little or no chance against Mayweather, bad style matchup, Mayweather does everything Witter does but better. Witter is quick, but he telegraphs a lot of shots and is wild at times, plus his defence is poor. Mayweather is also a lot more economical and compact, and a far better combination puncher. Witter would lose on points by a country mile.

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 20 Oct 2005, 19:35

Get Mayweather on the ropes which is best and Hatton seems to be good at getting fighters on the ropes. He'd need to keep Floyd from slipping away.

Wonder if Witter will end up fighting for the vacant title if Mayweather stays at Welter after the Mitchell fight.

boxbet · Post by **boxbet** » 21 Oct 2005, 11:21

excellent comments on each fighter Johnswan1.

Phenomenal-Nutrition · Post by **Phenomenal-Nutrition** » 21 Oct 2005, 12:04

If Ricky can cut off the ring, force May to the ropes, continually work the body he can beat Floyd. You can't shoulder role bodyshots. Floyd would have to be continually moving.

I really can't make my mind up on who wins this - sometimes I see May completely outclassing Ricky, othertimes I see Ricky making it look like Duran-SRL

Sweet P · Post by **Sweet P** » 21 Oct 2005, 21:51

I cant see Hatton beating him unless he is allowed to hold and punch like the Tszyu fight.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 22 Oct 2005, 02:24

boxingchat wrote:Hatton shouldn't even be allowed to watch video's of him!

The only one to beat him at present will be himself.

Witter, may have the talent to bore him to death and fornicate his head up and nick a points win. Perish the the thought though.

Mayweather would embarrass Witter, based on last night. Junior would argue that he'll fight a completely different fight against PBF. Well, he'll bloody have to. PBF is P4P number one by a country mile.

He is also, however, a shithouse.

Tantum · Post by **Tantum** » 22 Oct 2005, 04:56

Hatton has more to offer than Castillo?

Achybreaky · Post by **Achybreaky** » 22 Oct 2005, 21:40

Who wrote this? Mayweather.

Rory McCloskey · Post by **Rory McCloskey** » 23 Oct 2005, 01:29

MightyWarrior wrote:Nicolay Valuev could possibly beat him.

nahh valuev needs to add some weight if he wants to compete with pbf

heartandsoulofboxing · Post by **heartandsoulofboxing** » 23 Oct 2005, 16:56

no one is unbeatable. let him move to 154 alright and we'll see how he does. most fighters undoing is movng too far up in weight. this guy is no different.

KMcRae1 · Post by **KMcRae1** » 25 Oct 2005, 04:16

johnswan1 wrote:Read this on Doghouse boxing. Have to say I don't agree with him on his points regarding Hatton and I'm guessing the guy he speaks about at the end is Margarito but the rest of the article hasn't come out yet. (Also, when talking about Castillo he says "Castillo has a face and head made of cast iron. It took ten rounds of thunder punctuated by a perfect and ferocious left hook to put him on the canvas for the first time in his career; and that was against one of the pound for pound hardest punchers in the sport in Diego Corrales". One of the greatest fights of all time and it seems the guy didn't even see it considering he talks about Castillo hitting the canvas when he clearly did not.....

Athletic phenomenons come along every so often and during their reign at the peak of their sport, they seem untouchable. Such is particularly true of the sweet science, the main difference being the path of decline. Great fighters seldom burn out slowly but are rather vanquished first by deterioration of physical prowess and then by a foe looking to take over the throne.

When a true superstar with elite skills, incredible gifts and absolute dedication emerges and cements himself on the scene, the question for promoters, odds-makers and fans is whether they can be beat, or at least which opponent would put up the best fight. Floyd Mayweather Junior is such an athlete who has elevated himself far above any of his contemporaries in the ring. Ranked number one pound for pound on any credible list, he is so superior to every other currently active fighter that slots two and three ought to remain empty. The question then is, can anyone beat him?

Before we embark on this discussion in any detail, a few ground rules should be laid out. Analysis will be of realistic opponents Floyd might actually face. A match-up with Samuel Peter is never going to happen. There were serious talks of a fight with Ronald “Winky” Wright and therefore, he will be used to determine the upper limit in weight class of potential opponents for Mayweather. In his last outing, Wright fought at 160 lbs. and has signed on for another middleweight contest later this year. Still, Wright is more suited to junior middleweight and there would likely have been some variety of catch weight agreement had the fight with Floyd been made. Only fighters south of middleweight will be considered; that is 154 and below, inclusive.

In addition, this is a discussion of fights that could realistically happen, and therefore only currently active fighters will be considered. The answer to how Floyd would have fared against a prime Roberto Duran or Pernell Whitaker will never be answered and is one for another forum. Our amended question is this: Can any currently active fighter from 140 to 154 inclusive, beat Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

‘Pretty Boy’ has found a comfortable home at junior welterweight and therefore this seems a convenient place to begin. It is fair to allow a couple of lightweights into the equation however, since both could support the extra weight without difficulty, they gave us the fight of the decade earlier this year and they both have history with Mayweather. I am referring of course to Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo.

The Candidates---140 lbs

*

Diego Corrales-

Chico is a very tall fighter and in spite of being thin as well, his frame could handle another five pounds and it might even add some resilience to his already impressive skill set. This is not to suggest Corrales is a soft touch. He is an incredibly tough fighter with heart galore…but that is part of the problem. He might be one of those guys who is too tough for his own good. He is easy to hit, as his opponents prove repeatedly, but usually wins anyway because of his bone-crushing power. Diego used this get out of jail free card to thrilling effect against Castillo earlier this year but tipped his hand in the process and was taken out convincingly in the rematch.

Against Corrales, Floyd Mayweather showed the world, in a scintillating display, that speed kills. There was no answer coming from Chico and after five knockdowns he’d even forgotten the question. The corner came in, saved their fighter from further abuse, and in spite of his outrage they would have to do it again if a rematch with Floyd was ever made.

*

Jose Luis Castillo-

No fighter has given Mayweather anywhere near the kind of trouble Castillo did in their two fights. Both times, Floyd deserved and got the win but it was relatively close in each and naturally some controversy and questions were raised. In fact, CompuBox analysis of the first clash indicates Castillo threw and landed more punches throughout the fight than Mayweather. Obviously that doesn’t tell the entire story but it is a huge credit to the Mexican star that he was able to connect against an opponent most only catch fleeting glimpses of.

A couple of interesting points come up in discussing Floyd’s efforts against Jose Luis Castillo. First, there were issues concerning the frailty of Mayweather’s hands and this has been cited before and since as contributing to a lackluster performance. It is true he has had some chronic issues with the fists, but the degree to which it effected him in these two outings is anyone’s guess. It is at least as likely that Castillo is just an ultra tough, aggressive fighter and cognizant of this fact, Floyd opted for caution rather than engagement. Either way the spectators responded with boos…but Mayweather won the fights.

The second interesting note is that Mayweather, a flashy, stylish type fighter, went for the rematch against the first guy to give him real problems. Rather than move on to the next big payday, Floyd knew he had questions to answer and business to attend to. He may not have gone to war in the rematch, but that shows brains. The fact that he went to the rematch at all, that shows guts.

What got Castillo through the fights with Mayweather is a combination of things aside from just ability as a fighter. Castillo has a face and head made of cast iron. It took ten rounds of thunder punctuated by a perfect and ferocious left hook to put him on the canvas for the first time in his career; and that was against one of the pound for pound hardest punchers in the sport in Diego Corrales. Floyd doesn’t hit anywhere near that hard and really had no other option than to stick and move. Also, Castillo was the larger man and just prior to their rematch, weighed in at 147 to Mayweather’s 138. Should these two complete the trilogy, it would again go the distance but it will either be a wipeout on the cards since Floyd has all but erased the size discrepancy, or another boring boxing lesson.

Miguel Cotto-

Here is a fight that is definitely brewing, although no one in the Cotto camp is foolish enough to look for it anytime soon. They know, as do most analysts, that Cotto has a lot of things to work on before he is ready for the likes of Floyd Mayweather. Miguel is a very good fighter; he has top flight skills, a ton of heart, decent hand and foot speed and a nice jab. He also is possessed of one of the most underrated weapons especially against speed demons: a wicked left hook downstairs. In this case, the superlatives can be heaped on…devastating, precision, relentless, thunderous…when Miguel Cotto goes to the body he beats guys easily. When he gets in trouble, the basement is the escape route. Every time.

But that’s just it…he gets in trouble. There have been questions raised about Cotto’s chin and while this is a little premature the fact is that against lesser fighters he has had strategic blunders nearly wind up costing him big. Each time he has shown the maturity and stones to gut it out and win by knockout, but this would not work against Floyd. Mayweather would get Cotto hurt and then rip him apart like a buzz saw. He’s too fast to get clutched and way too smart to give an injured opponent the opening. If they met tomorrow it would be an ugly blowout but three more Cotto fights and one division up and who knows?

*

Ricky Hatton-

Hatton presents an interesting stylistic match-up and is considered a major player at 140 almost exclusively on the strength of taking out King Kostya in June of this year. Prior to that fight, Hatton had already amassed a staggering undefeated record but it was the beat down of Tszyu that launched him into P4P consideration. Distance from the North American market has quieted the cheering section somewhat, as has the upcoming fight against little known and virtually unheralded Carlos Maussa. Maussa did grind out a win against Vivian Harris in his last outing but more as a result of Harris punching himself out than anything else. Regardless, with the huge upset win over Kostya Tszyu, Hatton has positioned himself at the guy to beat at junior welter.

Floyd Mayweather knows this but also knows there are bigger paychecks elsewhere. However, time is on Floyd’s side and should he decide to try clean up the division he will have to tangle with Britain’s favorite son at some point.

Hatton throws a lot of punches and has fairly fast hands. No one has better hand speed than Floyd, however. He also throws faster, better, crisper and more accurate combinations…even while moving. Hatton moves pretty well and can do a good job of cutting off the ring as he comes forward and presses the body attack. He has also demonstrated that he will not run out of gas in spite of the aggression and volume of shots he dishes. Again however, no one is more superbly conditioned than Mayweather and he would not be worn out especially through the seven or eight rounds this one would go. Hatton is a vicious body hunter, and an all around skilled, relentless type fighter but he has neither the tools nor chin to deal with all that Floyd brings to the fight, especially his foot speed. The body attack is potentially a good weapon against Mayweather but Hatton would be swinging at air and paying dearly with each big miss. This one would be a clinic and another showcase for Pretty Boy’s superiority.

Kostya Tszyu-

Kostya is an unusual fighter to watch. He looks slow, he looks mechanical and he looks small. All three elements are deceiving. He is in fact, methodical rather than slow and plodding. He patiently walks his man down and makes the shots he does throw count. He is deliberate rather than mechanical, and seems to be thinking a couple moves ahead and just proceeding to execute the game plan. He is compact rather than small and within the modest frame lurks huge power as indicated by his remarkable 25 knockouts in 31 wins. He was beaten convincingly by Hatton, and in fact quit on his stool but followers of Tszyu will say he didn’t look like himself. He looked paunchy, out of shape and not ready. Excuses, excuses? Maybe, but it is undeniable that he has been plagued by injury and didn’t seem to have the usual pop.

How a showdown with Mayweather would play out is an interesting consideration, especially if one takes a minute to watch the Tszyu-Judah fight from 2001. It is a showcase of the way in which Kostya’s opponents get deceived by his apparent handicaps in terms of speed and skill. Judah was clearly the faster guy and his movement looked like it would frustrate his opponent all night…until he got tagged. The punch that did him in didn’t look like much either; such is the strength of Tszyu. He did exactly what he had planned to do which was follow Zab around and land those heavy hands whenever he cut the ring off enough to do so. That rhythm and pressure style worked perfectly, but Floyd’s speed and skill are far superior to Zab Judah such that they are not even in the same stratosphere. More importantly however, is the Mayweather defense. Kostya’s hand speed might be faster than people think but it is not quick enough to penetrate on Pretty Boy, and in particular his big head shots would find nothing but shoulder each time. Pop pop pop slide. That would be the rhythm tapped out by Floyd Junior for as long as this one lasted.

Sharmba Mitchell-

After at least a couple false starts, Mayweather has secured an opponent for November 19th. Talks of possible fights with either Winky Wright or Zab Judah either stalled or were overstated by the press and it is officially Sharmba Mitchell who will step in against Floyd next month. It will be Mitchell’s first big fight since he was thoroughly demolished in his rematch with Kostya Tszyu. Many analysts including myself, felt that Mitchell might give Tszyu all sorts of problems but it didn’t materialize and he was instead, utterly dispatched with in three rounds.

The Mitchell camp blames that performance, or lack of, on difficulty making weight. In fact, Sharmba himself has emphatically stated that he can no longer make 140 and would turn down any offer at that weight. Enter Floyd Mayweather Jr., a huge payday and an outside chance to get launched into the stratosphere. The beauty part is the ready-made explanation for the loss: the weight issue.

In spite of the whoopin’ by Kostya, the fact remains that Mitchell is a very talented fighter, with speed, power, experience and a southpaw stance. He has been derailed twice by Tszyu but had excuses both times: the knee injury and the physical toll of making weight. He showed a nice body attack against decent opposition like Ben Tackie and with all the outrageous upsets in the sport as of late, it would be foolish to write a guy with Mitchell’s ability completely off. Having said that, he is also thirty-five years of age with 60 professional bouts under his belt. He is hoping to have 61 under a title belt, but Floyd is too young, fast and focused for Little Big Man whose best days are behind him. This is a good warm up for a showdown with Zab Judah, however.

Before the reader starts thinking this is a press release, or that this analysis will simply be a discussion of how Floyd Mayweather Jr. would dispatch any opponent put before him, let me say that anyone can be beat. Anything can happen in the sport of boxing and this breakdown is based on the skills and abilities that these fighters have demonstrated thus far; on both guys on their “A” game.

Styles make fights and while Mayweather is extraordinarily gifted and well rounded, there is a blueprint for beating even him. As a matter of fact, well, as a matter of opinion anyway, there is a guy out there among currently active fighters with the tools, style, and persona that make him all wrong for Floyd. He is a guy that continues to be unheralded and underestimated in spite of his frightening abilities…and it is precisely for these reasons the two should fight. To be the best you have to continually test yourself against the most dangerous opponents, and sooner or later Floyd will be called on to do just that.

Stay tuned for the welterweights… .

I didn't know Floyd wrote for doghouse boxing. This was clearly written by a PBF fan and not an objective boxing writer. Joke.

Article: Can anybody beat Floyd Mayweather

Article: Can anybody beat Floyd Mayweather

Re: Article: Can anybody beat Floyd Mayweather