Pernell Whitaker v Floyd Mayweather Jr

8-4 or 9-3 for Pea sounds about right. His superb jab will keep Floyd on his heels for a large portion of the fight.

 

I understand your sentiment, but you can't go as far as to say kryptonite imo, there is no evidence to suggest we've ever come across anything approaching Floyd Mayweather's 'kryptonite', although he's had some difficult moments in the ring, to suggest we have seen anything approaching his kryptonite is highly speculative for me.

 

Well...maybe one thing...Zab's super cup punch seems to be his Kryptonite.

This content is protected

...Glass balls...There's nothing you can do about that but teach them to roll with the punches. It's simply an inherent weakness. :-(

 

:rofl

 

Nonsense!

Talent wise, they are of the same echelon. I would argue that Floyd is even more talented ... however, the difference between potential and achievement is application and well, for me, it's like this, Floyd has Castillo and Pete has Chavez.

Everything that we've learned about Floyd says that he is an incredible in-ring adapter. His corner and himself are excellent at breaking down an opponent's weaknesses in the ring, DURING the fight and instantly devising a plan to exploit said weaknesses. One thing Floyd is rarely credited for is the unquestionable ability to make round after round adjustment, carry out the advice of Roger and then manifest his will on the fight.

Floyd is going to be made to miss and miss bad because Pete had that herky-jerky headmovement, coupled with the unorthodox, squat-like leg defence that would make your miss look really bad. That catches the eyes of the ringside fans and catches the eyes of the judges. Floyd has just as good headmovement, but it's smoother, more subtle, so even if Pete is made to miss, due to miss-margins, Floyd will be 'outshowmanned' defensively, IMO. Pete's jab will keep Floyd unable to get set and use his excellent offensive ability as much as he'd like to. Floyd of 130 was in reality, a lightweight by the time he's beating Corrales and this Floyd has excellent footmovement, defensive and, yes, offensive output. He's not going to box Pernell in a shell, merely waiting for countering opportunities all night. When Floyd feels that he's strong enough to take some shots, he'll start setting the straight right hand up, taking more chances. Pete, as good as his footwork was, ALWAYS crossed his feet and Floyd is excellent at timing the right hand and even where he misses, just like B-Hop, is good at falling in, smothering the counter, using the forearm and hooking to the temple.

Pete IS going to get tagged by the right hand and left hook and with the crossing of the feet, I do think that he can get knocked down when off-balance. As I said, I think Floyd is just as talented, with quicker footspeed and handspeed, better footwork and a proven ability to make in-ring adjustments. However, I'm not ignorant to Pete's strengths. I cannot see any lightweight pure outboxing Pete and with Pete's jab (IMO, better than that of Hearns, JUST!), which from the southpaw stance, Floyd will have his hands tied up with, and Pete's ability to drop the left hand behind it with underrated power, I think Pete will outhustle Floyd, especially with the higher workrate and 'flashier' defence.

This is a match up of top tier technical fighters and definite ATG's. Whilst, I rate Pete quite higher than Floyd in placing, I don't think that this fight is anywhere near one-sided. This would be the sort of fight that you could score either way, depending on what you were looking for, IMO.

 

People bring up 'southpaws are Mayweather's kryptonite' ignore than Whitaker had problems with faster and slicker righty's like Hurtado, Mcgirt R Mayweather and none of them on Mayweather level just like Judah/Corley aren't at Whitaker's level. Even the predictable Delahoya largely shut Whitakers offense down although he was past prime then. It seems easier to remember recent fighters deficencies while glossing over bad performances of fighters from the past

Also the 'Mayweather would feel out the first few rounds' doesn't apply to the 130-135 Mayweather who started very quick, he started feeling out more as he aged and was in against men bigger than himself

In terms of how they match up, Mayweather is faster better conditioned, Whitaker the better radar, Whitaker the better jab, Mayweather probably bigger/stronger, Whitaker better movement more versatile, but I don't see much in it overall

I honestly don't know who'd win but lean towards Pea without putting money on it, both would be hit more than in any other fight though

EDIT: WTF is it with calling Pea 'Pete'? When did we start doing that, I don't like it

 

Just on Floyd's ability to make adjustments, I mean seriously, who the **** has he had to adjust against?

Judah? Hatton? An old DLH? Doing a tour de france against Castillo in the rematch?

Seriously, the fact that he has HAD to make adjustments for these guys is more worrying than it is evidence of a super ability of his imo.

 

Nah, that was an older, slower, less active DLH shutting down Mayweather's offense - an old Whitaker landed more on DLH than a prime Mayweather did to an old DLH :good