Which fighters (past and present) have the best chance at beating FMJ?

Great post.

 

The way I see it, you have figure out who could win a decision throwing only 30-40 punches per round. Every volume puncher has their output cut down and nobody can count on being able to knock him out.

So if Hearns laid back for the entire fight he could pick his way to a decision, but he'd have to fight smartly. Against Leonard, I tend to think Mayweather would have an edge because he has better defense, counters, and ring generalship. I don't think Leonard's size and power advantages would come in to play. Leonard's best chance for winning would be to keep the rounds close and then try to flurry near the end. It would be a close fight. Prime Dlh would be a lesser version of Leonard, basically.

A fight with SRR would be great. Robinson fought recklessly at times but was relentless and had length and physical advantages that guys like Duran and Chavez didn't, so Floyd would have trouble slowing him down as much as others. Robinson would actually push his agenda on Floyd and make it his fight, but his poorer defense would keep Floyd in it.

Out of current fighters 154 and below, not counting Golovkin, I see Andrade as the biggest threat.

 

This is what I disagree with. Not only would the difference in power mean something, it would be the deciding factor and SRL size would hinder Mayweather's ability to control range.

 

100% agree.

 

I'd expect Floyd-Hearns to look similar Benitez-Hearns. Just so hard to get past Hearns's long very snappy left with that devastating right behind it.

Leonard's jab would also be very hard for Floyd to get past, and if he loses the battle of the jabs, I just don't see him beating a tall WW with Leonard's speed, precision and power. Floyd is more technically skilled, but I'd expect Leonard's physical advantages to trump that.

I don't think Hearns or Leonard would KO Floyd, but Jackson just might. He might actually have had faster hands than Leonard and definitely more power. Floyd could outbox him, but, boy, one slight mistake...

McCallum would be interesting, since Floyd would have a clear speed advantage, making it a less stylistically difficult match-up than the rest. But does he still have the speed at this weight to overcome Mike's reach advantage and beat him to the punch? He'd have to, 'cause if Mike gets into his rhythm behind his jab I don't see Floyd winning. He has to move in and out and really off-set McCallum.

 

sugar ray robinson
tommy hearns

sandy saddler would've beaten him at 135

**** poor era we live in. boxing is the only major sport where the old timers are a lot better than the modern era.

 

^the reason I don't have faith in Leonard's jab is because Floyd has been in with some good jabbers and they never seem to get a rhythm with it. Dlh and Cotto had some intermittent success but that's about it. Marquez, Corrales, Canelo and Pacquiao were all made to look like they couldn't even jab. In contrast to Leonard, I think Hearns' length would allow him to step back after throwing a punch or two and that would make Floyd uncomfortable.

 

None of the ones mentioned above had Leonard's combination of speed and reach. Oscar had about the same reach, but didn't have close to Leonard's speed and timing at that point in his career. Still he gave Floyd some trouble with it.

Leonard's jab was what allowed him to beat Benitez and I expect it would make the difference against Floyd as well.

 

Good post

 

Kid Gavillan perhaps? Has decent hand and foot speed, an excellent chin that allows him to take risks, matches him for size with a slight height advantage, punching power is arguably equal. He'd have to set a solid pace from round one, disrupt Floyd's rhythm and try to wear him down. When the pace of the fight slows Mayweather generally takes over, which is why I believe you have to take enough out of him in the first half of the fight, to deny his dictation of pace in the later half of the fight. Easier said than done of course

 

I've always felt Tommy Hearns would be a safe pick over him at welterweight.

 

Hearns, SRR, Leonard, Duran all beat him. Floyd nearly lost to a shot ODLH for ****s sake atsch

 

Younger Oscar would beat him.

 

Reality is every single fighter you're posting and saying "This guy would definitely beat Floyd"

We know what it took to beat those fighters.

We don't know what it takes to beat Floyd, he's undefeated. Yes, some of you question JLC 1 but at best, that's an MD to Floyd. Reality is it's kind of silly to say "Well, all these guys would just walk through him and win" because the reality is, no one walks through a 48-0 fighter who has managed to handle fighters as diverse as Cotto, ODLH, Judah, Pacquaio, Mosley, Guerrero, Marquez, etc etc etc.

There literally isn't a style yet that Floyd has faced in my view. So it now comes down to size.

Sure, Roy Jones Jr at 160 beats Floyd Mayweather. Technically both those guys could fight there and make that match happen, but reality is - skill set vs skill set, there isn't anyone who would make a fight with Floyd easy.

 

Henry Armstrong would have been on his ass like white on rice from 130 to 147. He would have run Floyds ass out of the ring.