lost to castillo and maidana the first time but it was close. Also Pacquaio was more faded than mayweather when they fought due to Pacquiao's more aggressive fighting style and the damage he took. If he lost 8-4 to floyd in 2015, whos to say he couldnt have taken 7 or so rounds at his optimal weight which is 140 in his prime ?
Although Floyd fights nothing like Whittaker or Taylor, but his speed might trouble JCC sr. Chavez didn't too well versus fast fighters, though his pressuring style has proven to be effective against Mayweather. At 135, Ike williams and the often forgotten beau jack would prove to be a murderous matchup for Pbf. The latter especially. Jack literally looked like an ox in the ring. Floyd struggled with Castillo (but he did win imo) when he was 25 and again with Maidana when he was 37, it suggests that the wilder, pressure style has pretty much always worked against him. Duran is a very good bet. Although slick counterpunchers have been successful against him, they all fought on the front foot and weren't very respectful of his power. Dejesus at 135, Benitez (though it was at 154 and Duran's power wasn't as rattling nor his speed remarkable at the weight) both had major success. I can't see Floyd counterpunching on the front foot, let alone against Duran of all opponents. That said, the younger, wilder, less refined version of Duran that fought Ken Buchanan might be the worst stylistic matchup for Floyd. Ever. He was almost as quick and explosive at 135 as Floyd himself and there was a method to his madness that the other pressure fighters lacked. He was enormously skilled even at a young age and could fight at a pace greater than either Castillo or maidana for over 15 rounds. Floyd ironically has a better chance against Duran from 75-78 (but he will need a 22+ foot ring, they all did). Floyd shouldn't be judged by his work at 147 pounds. He was never that big. Even at 130, where he was deemed on the bigger end of the division, he was fighting fighters like corrales and hernandez (from whom he won his very 1st title) who were almost as big if not bigger. The guy he made his debut against also looked quite big for the division. He might not get past Crawford, let alone guys like SRL or Hearns. But I can see him get the better of Napoles and Griffith, or at least be 50/50 against them. They were quite small for welterweight, just like Floyd was.
Floyd was a great fighter but saying he never lost whilst technically true is disingenuous because he fought exclusively out of his country and he did lose to JLC in most people's eyes and would have had the fight been in Mexico or even perhaps just anywhere outside of the US. He would've taken an L to Maidana in Argentina too. It's like saying Clenelo has only lost twice when we know in reality he lost to GGG and is very lucky not to have even more losses in addition to that Home advantage is a thing. A very big thing and I'm not even alluding to having a home crowd The are numerous factors which can combine to make home advantage advantageous and individual ones alone can often mean the difference between going home with an L or a W Richie Woodhall ''Fighting away from home opens your eyes. People were knocking on my door at 4am. They took me for a medical and said they'd lost all my forms, which was nonsense. I was taken on journeys that were supposed to be 15 minutes but lasted an hour.'' ''I lost fair and square on the night and there are no excuses but things were bad from the start. Everything is against you. The crowd, the promoter and the local people, they try to make it as uncomfortable as possible. If you win a title abroad then you're a true champion, no doubt.'' ---Richie Woodhall on facing Keith Holmes in the US. This is how honest Woodhall is. How many times have you seen a fighter do this, let alone a reigning world champion? Both his reaction and post-fight interview Timestamped This content is protected Iceman John Scully ''Mr. Scully, How difficult is it for a fighter from North America to train for a fight at home and then leave for an overseas fight a week or two before? You hear people talk about the adjustment, time zones and stuff, what is that like? Is it a difficult process for a fighter? - Pat in Maine ICE: I found it to be a mentally tough task to go there partly because of all the horror stories you've heard over the years. Did I get there in enough time? Will the time change affect me? Will the climate or the water or the food and the different altitude affect me? You find yourself asking a lot of questions. I don't know if it was nerves or jet lag or a combination of both but I know that when I fought Henry Maske for the IBF title back in 1996 in Germany there was not even one night there, including the night before the fight, that I was able to fall asleep before day break.
Arguello might not do too well against Floyd tbh. His slower feet always limited him against fast boxers, even though he was technically better at punching than any of them. He has big power, but Floyd has an iron chin. Don't see what strategy might work against Floyd for his fighting style.
“No one remains unbeaten at any weight class so don't worry about it.” Wise words, unless your name is Marciano
Lmao right ok. Floyd retired unbeaten as well. Guess they both would just beat anyone who ever thought then lmao.
Pacquiao is neither a brawler nor particularly physical. He is almost entirely athleticism. Mayweather fought a very safe fight in 2015, but he is very strong in the phonebooth and can definitely control Pacman on the inside.
nah pacquiao is a swarmer and swarmers/brawlers like maidana gave him a lot of trouble. I don’t see how he didn’t have a chance.
