"You're only as good as your last fight" -Does Floyd Mayweather Jr expose the saying?

You hear this a lot in boxing - "You're only as good as your last fight"

Floyd Mayweather Jr has proved time and again, that he can have a long break and come back just as good if not better than the last fight. Is this statement true at all? Or is it just that Floyd Mayweather Jr is such a genius and so far ahead of the rest of the field in the ring, that the statement is insignificant to him, but does and can apply to others?

For instance the Mayweather against Cotto was far from the best we have seen and many expected Robert Guerrero to have similar success with a similar style and effort to that of Miguel Cotto. Which in the end, could not have been any further away from the truth. Mayweather was improved and imperious as ever against Guerrero, going "back to his roots" so to speak, and focusing on the defensive side of the game a lot more again. By far and away his best attribute. Mayweather was the main cause in the Cotto fight, for the want to make it exciting. Mayweather soon realized that is not the way to go as you age (see Bernard Hopkins) and made sure to tighten up against The Ghost.

So is that statement true or does it only apply to fighters who are not geniuses in the ring and in sport in general?

If you look at geniuses in sport, it seems that they can take long breaks away and come back with little practice and still shine, unlike the rest of the field. Where an extended break away for those can break them and for them to shine they have to keep at it and keep on top. Ronnie O'Sullivan proved this in Snooker, who also had a year long sabbatical, apparently never picking up a cue in that time, comes back for the World Championships, and wins it by a country mile.

Michael Jordan proved this in Basketball with the Washington Wizards, although not being anywhere near as successful with a poorer team, he could still "do it"

Michael Schumacher also proved this, without ever matching his earlier glory in the Ferrari in a poorer Mercedes, he could still "do it"

Kimi Raikonen is also proving that today in F1.

Tiger Woods also.

There is also a long list of sportsmen, who come back and can't "do it"

Are geniuses at a certain age separate from - "You're only as good as your last?"

I ask some of these questions after hearing Sergio Martinez will probably be out for the rest of 2013, maybe longer, citing injuries. Is Sergio Martinez genius or even good enough to be able to do that and come back and be just as good as before?

 

Is it purely down to age with Martinez though, would he have been able to do this in his prime? Would he have been good enough then to take a break?

Is he genius like Floyd Mayweather?

You can only be genius or not, you cant be a bit genius or less genius than another genius, you are either genius or not.

I dont think Sergio Martinez can do it unless he chooses very well on the comeback, but as a defending world champion, when he comes back big fights will await him. Will he be game enough for them though?

I dont think Martinez would of been able to do this when he was younger, never mind now. Fantastic fighter, world class fighter, but he isnt a genius, thats been proved one or two times of recent.

Ricky Hatton had 3 years out, and "cherry picked" an opponent everyone thought he would beat, and it just wasn't there. 3 years is a long time though, so you have to look at that to.

 

....and he is a super fit fighter also. :good No homo.

So we'll have to wait and see, it will definitely be interesting to see if he can. Because he is clearly no Floyd Mayweather. Segio Martinez could completely destroy the saying if he can come back better, because I dont see him as a genius. A fantastic fighter yes, but a genius, no.

It'll prove me wrong anyway if he does, for saying only geniuses can do it.

I believe at a certain age though. A 70 year old cant come back and match former glory. Obviously.