Maybe even into his early to mid 40's. Unlike RJJ, who has zero defensive skill save his insane speed (drug assisted) Floyd is a master at defence, he's like Toney except in fast forward, his cross defence and shoulder rolls are a thing of beauty. Even as he gets old and slows down he still has the technical know how to defeat his opponents. And I think with his natural talent and mental ability to adjust during a fight, he will be able to keep winning for a long time to come. I don't ever see him getting knocked out either.
You're disillusoned my brother. His body is hurting. Just recently after Hatton fight he said he does not want to fight Cotto but take some time off for his body can heal. The kid needs some rest. He is great but an athletes body breaks down. My stepfather was a professional baseball player in Mexico and I watched a strong man get the wear and tear of the sport, being bed-ridden sometimes. I can see the same thing in Mayweather. He is serious when he says he needs to step away.
From the point of view of taking a beating you are correct. He also has decent technical skill, unlike Roy, which would also stand him in good stead. But his hands are ****ed. So his span is limited, because I don't think he's the James J Braddock type.
He may not be the neigh on unbeatable juggernaught he is now, and if he comes across fighters faster than him he may well lose some decisions, but he is crafty and would be competitive in any fight and would still beat many many fighters out there.
'Decent' technical skill? Surely you jest, he possess the greatest technical skill the sport has rarely ever witnessed.
Do you really want to see Floyd, fat and a shell of himself winning sporadically in his mid thirties? Becaus that is what Toney has been for quite a while now..
I couldn't disagree with you more. Like Jones he gets away with lot of very sloppy technical work, hands low, square on, half turned onto his front foot whilst defending etc etc etc because of phenominal physical talent.
Well when he wants to be, he is one of the best technically, he just drops his hands like in the Hatton fight to bait Hatton to rush forward. If you want to see some of PBF's best work look at the Corrales fight or the N'Dou fight.
He was baiting Hatton to come forward? Hatton would have come forward regardless. Mayweather rarely has his hands above chest level for the entire Corrales fight, he crouches sometimes which makes this positioning technically sound, but otherwise it's less then perfect technically. Meahwhile he is leading with overhand rights and sometimes left hooks. Technical suicide for a less talented fighter. The jab to the gut was tactical genius and beautifully executed though. But Floyd's best punch/move in that fight was the left hook walkaway, executed beautifully, but if I remember rightly it was upsetting mad George Foreman because Floyd wasn't covering his walkaway with a jab or any other kind of punch, which technically speaking, should leave him vulnerable. In fact the punch is so fast (physical) and the walkaway so graceful (physical) he gets away with it free of toll. Interestingly, the only time Corrales has any real success is near the very end, when Mayweather is looking for the KO and Corrales is circling - he starts retreating in straight lines (Johnson, Ali, Sugar Ray, all phenominally talented fighters physically to have tried and got away with this strategy) and gets tagged once or twice. Another technical no-no. Floyd might actually have the fundamentals. Certainly in the Corrales fight he shows splendid footwork in keeping with strategy. But "greatest technical skills the sport has rarely witnessed"? No. JMM is technically better, for example.
He has all the technique he needs to get the job done right now. But notice the way Jones fights in a more technically sound way just now? As speed deserts you, technique becomes your fallback, and there's no telling jow much speed Floyd could lose as he hits his early forties. This is why a technically sound fighter like Hopkins is still competitive. Floyd may come to lean upon technique more if he fights to an advanced age but I just don't think he will bother - hands.
Well I like Floyds defence alot, I think that will help alot as he gets older and it will probably spare him the embarrasment of what RJJ had to suffer twice.
Why the hell would he do that? He's got money, he's not punchy. His hands are brittle, he doesn't have the desire... it's time to hang them up soon.
Another example is the Zab fight , Floyd didn't use his speed to beat Zab he used a high guard and excellent upper body movement to stand directly in front of Zab and make him miss not too many fighter are able to do this now days. Boxing fans and non boxing fans are so at aww of floyd hand and foot speed that they don't notice the small thing that he does in the ring. he sets traps and allows his opponent to walk into them , if he facing a counter puncher then he will move forward with a high guard and Faint the counter puncher out of position and make them punch when they don't want to .. Too say floyd's skill is based on athletic ability would be a big mistake , unlike Roy who used his feet to avoid punches , it just the opposite for floyd , he uses parries , he will roll with shot to take the sting of the punch , he uses excellent head movement , he will use a high guard and on occasion use his feet to avoid punishment, The fact that he is never out of shape would lead you to believe that his style is base on his physical attributes , even if floyd didn't have his speed he would still be an amazing skilled fighter , his ability to keep his eyes open during exchange and his are timing is amazing . Hatton , Corrales , Chavez all made the mistake of thinking that floyd is all flash and physical attribute , when he can fight on the out side, on the inside and fight and counter off the ropes all this with out taking any serious damage Roy on the other hand was not a inside fighter he needed room , where Floyd is just accurate with shot on the inside as he is whit his shot on the out side. Floyd is a complete fighter there not one skill in boxing that he shown that he can not do well and with year experience his corner he's hard to beat not impossible beat but hard to beat ..
Well, I think one of the reasons why he will be able to fight on as he gets older is because of his low work rate in his prime.