Mayweather's low-medium punch output with high accuracy and maintanence of range is actually the best way to fight Benitez (check out which rounds SRl lost and won to find examples), b/c Benitez picks high output guys apart b/c he looks to counter off his spectacular defense. The fight would be close, but I think Benitez would be able to counter Floyd's counters enough in a tame fight to take a close decision.
Duran SRL Gavilan SRR Whitaker Armstrong Benitez Hearns Would all be favored to beat Mayweather, IMO. Mayweather though is a great fighter.
Benitez was also the bigger, stronger man in there, more suited to fighting at this weight. That's the primary reason I give him the comfortable edge, given the similarities in their styles.
I think Floyd would use the same excuse to duck Benitez that he used to duck Cotto - the ol', he's not a big enough name yet and his PPV #s need to be bigger. Benitez was not a huge draw but he was a very skilled fighter, very smart, very quick and very dangerous in his prime. A Hall of Famer I believe, if not he should be. Floyd would duck a prime Benitez but would handpick a version of Benitez only if he was over 35 and faded.
There is no doubt in my mind that prime Benitez defense was better. He didnt even block punches, he just avoided them. He just move his head couple of inches from left to right and he'll make a someone throwing a 5 punch combo miss. He was also a master of the ropes, no one uses teh ropes for defense liek Benitez did. Theres a YT highlight of this. Floyd ducks alot (literally), he goes too low,and his stance and posture is very good but as far as reflex goes, I think Wilfred the best Ive seen defensively. go to 7:34 [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ct2jCu7y9Y[/ame]
TBH though, the toolbox outlasts the reflexes... see Roy I made a thread on this a while back and think it'd be a good fight anyway.
Add a prime Hoya, Mosley, Forrest, Wright, Pac. He's harder to beat at the lower weight classes. At welter he's small, can't take a punch, has no power. He'd get taken apart by most of the great welters. Floyd huggers around here are ****ing stupid. You might as well match him up with heavyweights, and you'd be lucky if they picked Ali to beat him.