mayweather will benefit from being in a weak era. Alvarez, Trout and Guerrero are the top guys in his weight range according to The Ring. these guys are bums.
:deal Roy knew how to feint, how to control the center of the ring, which counters to throw, which way to slip to set up those counters, how to parry, etc. I think Roy could have aged more gracefully had his physical decline been gradual and not so abrupt. Floyd is very skilled, but he's always gotten cornered, and it's bound to happen more often. He's amazing on the inside and has a great guard as well, so it's not an apparent problem yet. But he seems to have to set himself to punch before he does so and would rather land and then shell up and repeat, than he would throw with an opponent the way someone like Toney would off the ropes. I think if he fights beyond 38 his timing will start to fail him significantly, and at close quarters that could spell trouble. I always thought Canelo was way too green for Floyd and would get easily intimidated by the way Floyd times him, but it only takes one mis-timed shoulder-roll to prevent a stiff right from getting through and rocking Floyd. Even if he were to survive and win, events like that might take their toll. But this is all conjecture, Floyd might be just as good as the last time we saw him despite the jail-time, and it's hard to see him losing anytime soon given the opponents on the table.
Most boxers Floyd's height tend to have 67" to 69" inch reach. Floyd combines his reach advantage with his evasive footwork to masterful effect.
Right-right, there's some intangible "something" which allowed Hopkins to grow old in the ring that Mayweather or RJJ doesn't have. Can't put my finger on that one. RJJ, Mayweather and Leonard all had/have really sick reflexes and timing and intuitive evasiveness. Pernell Whitaker had the same thing, too. These kinds of traits don't seem to follow a boxer so well into his 30's. Remember how Ali started getting caught more often? That there reminds me of what's in store for Mayweather.
floyd won't age like roy and have that fall from grace because he has those defensive skills to fall back on - it wont even be close
Mayweather has been slowly declining for a while now, it's very steady but noticeable. I have no doubt that the longer he continues the more likely it is that a younger, fresher but inferior fighter will simply outwork him and win a points decision. That fighter could be Guerrero, I don't know.