Mayweather is incredible.

That's two of my favorites in a row that he's dispatched (and more or less humiliated in so doing), so there's every reason to hate him.

My hat goes off, however.

Marquez was too little, too slow, and too used up. None of those are or were true of Shane.

Mosley didn't just suddenly age in the last year; it isn't even about that. He certainly didn't look his age against Margarito, and he hasn't become shot since then. The inactivity isn't an excuse either; he'd been up for a big event and training for months. He was in good shape, and motivated, and had one of the best corners you could ask for.

Mayweather just "beat the Dickens out of the happy warrior".

There is very little doubt in my mind that Mayweather beats Pacquiao. After that, his only challenges will be at 154 - and even there, nobody short of a Maravilla is going to even hang with him.

Great fighters respond to adversity with cool, professional calm and make whatever corrections they need to make. Floyd had been criticized for not having to do this enough (particularly at welterweight). After those first two rounds, and then what he did in the following ten - those criticisms are rendered obsolete.

Mayweather's offensive execution is sublime. The only shame is that he doesn't string more of it together to really become the kind of once-in-a-lifetime attraction he sells himself as (and has become to an extent, albeit largely more due to talk than action). Being economical is why and how he guarantees himself success in every situation, though - so don't look for it to change any time soon.

If he didn't get drawn into a brawl with Mosley, he's not getting drawn into one with Pacquiao. He just has too many lines of defense to get into serious trouble (the athleticism to quickly vanish from a given spot, the patently evident peerless effort that he puts into keeping himself in supreme condition to be able to hustle for whatever duration he needs to, the experience, instincts, and awareness to be able to pick off whatever he can't dodge or to effectively clinch when absolutely necessary). And then when he lets his hands go. Oh Lordy. Most of his punches are thrown 0% wrong (the way he follows through on his right cross, putting his shoulderblades into it and pushing from his knees, is poetry...and that isn't even his "money punch"!!). His selection is brilliant. As a result, his accuracy is just sickening to digest if you're any other welterweight.

Manny is going to get sliced up, and probably stopped.

After that? What is there? Cotto? Nah...same old story.

Next time Floyd retires, there shouldn't be any sputtering protests about "should have this" or "didn't do that". He's just that much better than everybody.

Future generations not privy to any of the bull**** that either inspired or serves as ammo for present haters will recognize only the incredible talent of one of the best of the filmed era.

 

I consider myself a hardcore boxing fan, and if it isn't already clear he has earned my respect.

Neither Forrest, nor Wright, nor Mayorga had Mosley rocked like that, round in and round out, snapping his head back like a car crash over the course of several rounds. Outboxing is one thing - beating up is another.

 

Oh, we're playing this game?

A Cotto with still-shaky confidence and a Clottey who was just happy to be there? Better than Mosley? You can harp all you want on his age and the layoff, but he's a better welterweight win than Pacquiao has at this point.

Not to mention - what's Pacquiao's best trophy, when we get down to it? Marquez. Yes, Floyd beat a too-bulky version of him, but even if JMM had weighed in at something comfortable like 135 he would have still been beaten soundly by the bigger, stronger, faster, and slicker man. That version of JMM was only sixteen months older than the version Pacquiao got what plenty consider a gift SD over. That isn't a very long time.