Many people may not like his style but he's becoming somewhat of a trend setter in his new methods to fighting. Emerging are many smart "boxers," who take boxing to more of a mental level and who are more concerned with winning than creating excitement. There still lies drama within these fighters and their fights because of their style and the idea that maybe someone can take them out. You see fighters like Bernard Hopkins (who has longevity in the game and has shown no signs of slowing down) Guys like Andre Ward, Andre Berto (who tries) ... these guys have created a mind state of being smart effective boxers. I expect to see more fighters like this in the future. You see so many up and coming guys who love Floyd and wish they could be 1/2 the fighter he is. Paul Malignaggi is a great example (except he doesn't commit to punches and just looks to score - might not have power either) ... Andre Dirrell shows signs with the sneaky body attack ...
Floyd is an example of a complete fighter, something thats been around a long time, and has become less frequent. You cant just emulate him and become him, you have to be taught by someone who knows how to teach it, not to mention having the ability, and thats where the problem lies, there isnt enough qualified trainers out there and thats why the sport was on a decline throughout the 90s. I think a lot of the remergence of the sport is from the standard of skills overall dropping and being on more of a level playing field to create exciting fights. The top fighters that most consider the best are trained by old school guys who know what their doing. The rest are just so far off pace and inconsistent, but are successful by the lack of overall competition, and one of the main reasons you see guys like Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins competeting with the so called to guys when they should be home with their grandkids.
Just look at the fighters that he's influencing into their fight careers. You see all the top amateurs from 2004 & 2008 Olympic classes all want to adopt the ability to become a smart fighter. His impact on boxing will show !! ...
to be a great fighter you have to fight the best.... and thats something he has NOT done in the last 7 or 8 years