Mayweather - What makes him great

We've seen it with Pernell Whittaker and we've seen it with Roy Jones Jr, two guys with exceptionally superb reflexes and physical advantages over every single fighter who took life a bit too easy, potentially didn't train on the technique as much as they should have and took part in various activities that took away from their boxing (Pernell and his drug taking/night clubbin, Roy with his music/basketball before games)

Floyd Mayweather Jr possesses similar, if not identical physical advantages over people that Pernell and Roy Jones Jr had... the major difference? He doesn't rely on them.

He trains harder than these two ever trained, his training schedule ranks as possibly the hardest and most intense in boxing today. His technical mastery is constantly worked on, the way he trains is to improve himself, not look for potential holes in his opponent so his technique is rounded and he finds adapting easy due to it.

For anyone who wants to hate on the guy and protest at him ranking himself so highly, lets look at some objective facts, rather than subjective reasons.

41 and 0 across multiple weight classes, having fought some of the best in the sport.

His last six fights have come against...

- Former multiple weight world champion and undisputed WW champ.
- Undisputed WW champ
- HoF fighter with wins in multiple weight classes and SWW champ
- P4P Top 5 fighter, JWW champ and WW champ
- P4P Top 3 fighter, 135lb champ
- P4P Top 2 fighter, multi weight class champ, current WW champ

Yet instead of ever getting credit for these fights, he gets attacked because the fights are too easy for him.

You put ANY fighter between 135-154 against the fighters Floyd has faced in his last six fights and I guarantee you they don't come away with the 0, Pacquaio was highly lucky to escape Marquez without two losses in my view.

 

Pernell was a superb technician, but how often did he beat guys through technique alone? His ability to evade punches while throwing sharp combinations came down to physical traits as much as anything else.

I rate Pernell in my Top 10 ATG list, you don't need to convince me how good he was, but I'll continue to point out, he never worked as hard in the gym as Floyd does.

 

I don't see him losing anytime soon either unless he goes to 160 and gambles a bit too much on being able to shut someone out. Even then I'd rate his chances high to take that on.

It's amazing to think that this is a guy who came from 130, being accused of fighting smaller fighters when he's at 147. He's not a big man himself and has never really "imposed" himself physically on fighters, he dominates through technique and superb conditioning more than anything

If he doesn't fight past 36-38, I don't see him losing.

 

I personally don't see Ali and Duran in the same league as SRR, Armstrong, Whittaker, etc.

Ali is more nostalgia and hype, people forget that he was beaten in his "prime" by fighters that got dominated by other fighters in their prime.

Floyd dominates fighters who dominate fighters.

 

I think the "dimension" that guys like Roy Jones Jr and Pernell Whittaker had over Floyd was that they weren't as cautious in their approach.

Obama should have called Floyd up and had him in the financial sector ASAP because the guy is one of the best risk analysts I've ever seen. He weighs up the risk of his decisions in split seconds and takes the path of least damage in every fight.

Makes him "boring" by the standards of an Arturo Gatti who just took punishment to deliver punishment but when you can deliver your punches at a high percentage without taking hardly anything in return, especially once you've adapted to your opponent, that shows you how great this guy is.

He's not casual fan friendly because you'll never see him slipping punches while standing in the same spot for a minute, he'll slip punches and get out of there - the least risk.

This is also translated in his punching, you'll hardly ever see him throw five-six shot combos. He's more a two punch, bounce out fighter, delivering punishment without taking any.

That's why he's so hard to beat... he probably has 95% the physical gifts that Pernell Whitaker had but his mentality, calmness under pressure and ability to analyse the situation is lightyears ahead.

You can discredit his opponents all you want but when he's mastering guys who are master boxers and doing it without being a physically imposing wrecking ball, that's a gift not many have seen in boxing.

 

I'd appreciate it if you could make a point that wasn't subjective and act like it was fact.

Tell me, which style do you think is more technically correct, from a text book and allows itself to be taught to other fighters?

You can teach the shoulder roll technique to as many fighters as you want to teach it too, we've seen it be utilised in fighters for years and years and years.

How easily can you teach having both hands down at your waist, evading punches like you're in some version of the matrix to fighters?

Ergo, who is more technically proficient? Floyd, by far. This isn't even an argument in my view, Floyd is technically superior in almost every aspect.

Pernell is physically superior in almost every aspect (punching power, head movement, handspeed)

Mentally and strategically, they're both on another plain of existence compared to other fighters, it's hard to say who is better.