Floyd Mayweather Jr: tools for dominating a decade

I agree with what you wrote. Its uncommon for someone to stay that focused after many years at the top. The temptations, the $, most of us would get fat. He reminds me of Kobe Bryant in that respect. He kept the basketball #1 regardless of what fluff was being pushed in his face. I admired both of those athletes on that count.

 

If you look at some of my early threads and posts, in the few years immediately beyond my join date - I hated Mayweather, as in actively rooted against him and wanted to see him lose as much as the next guy. Somewhere along the way (circa the Hatton/JMM/Mosley run - actually, here, pinpointed it) he begrudgingly won my respect, but I was a hard sell.

Crazy thinking back, if you told IB from 2006 he would someday have a reputation (among PBF haters) of white-knighting for him, that IB would have laughed his ass off at such a ludicrous notion.

There's a certain point at which you just have to acknowledge the undeniably sui generis hard work put in to, yes, be the best. There was a period of time where he was posting live streams of all his workouts, and - Jesus. The man was a beast in the gym, and didn't take it the least bit easy on himself, even when prepping for a blatant mismatch. I've never seen anyone quite like him, and I think you have to have seen him training in order to fully appreciate how and why he is so effective under the bright lights, and what all goes into that.

 

Interesting thread. I can't really add much about Floyd focus, work ethic, and perfectionism except to say that it's always fascinated me.

I was also always fascinated by his love of fast food. I wonder if cutting loose with the occasional Big Mac & large fries was a way to keep his enthusiasm going while basically training 365 days a years since he was in pre-school. Maybe that's why he was never a guy who ballooned up between fights? He seemed to find a good balance between earning his occasional treats with lots of sweat in the gym. You get away with a Mcdonald meal and not feeling guilty if you do 12 rounds on the pads and a 5 mile run afterward.

When you really think about it, that approach seems more destined for longevity and avoiding burnout that the guys who live off chicken and kale for six weeks and then stuff going on a months long junk food binge after the fight.

 

Easily one of the goats

 

That body jab.

That body jab he used was a damn work of art. Floyd's best punch IMO.

 

@130 I dont know if I've ever seen a better boxer.

 

He's my H2H #1 at SFW, top 5 at 140 too.

Awesome defence, footwork and ring IQ. His reflexes, co-ordination and balance are something to behold too. He might be a dick, but he's a great fighter and one who dedicated his entire life to boxing.

 

You know what would be a great match up? Mayweather vs Flash Elorde at 130. What a fast and tricky fight that would be!

 

I saw him fight live for the first time as an amateur in the early to mid 90's and he was a straight up beast of a fighter. Most kids are raised on cookies and milk, he was raised on fighting. Pretty unbelievable that he is now in his 40's and still hasn't lost.

 

The lunatic would actually chug bags of Skittles during his workouts, even as he outpaced all his training partners and left men ten years his junior choking on his dust. Super weird and interesting.

 

Good post aside from one nit-pick. In what world is Maidana iron chinned?

 

I don’t care what decade the man goes in he would always be a p4p top ten guy. Literally used every trick in the book. May have had a different record in other decades as he would have fought a lot more. Can’t say enough good things about Mayweather boxing skills

 

Master at the pull counter as well !!