Sweat Pea vs Mayweather

Good analysis. I agree.

I've always said that the guy to beat Mayweather HAS to have (amongst other things) a good jab and a high workrate. Whitaker has both -- in fact, Whitaker may have had the best southpaw jab that I've seen in the ring. It was a thing of beauty, and would often snap heads back in the same way as a straight would normally do. It was fast, accurate, and thrown often, and I'm sure it would give Mayweather fits.

I think Mayweather's greatest strength isn't his speed (which is remarkable) or his technique (although it is often picture perfect). I think his greatest strength is his ability to adapt -- to shape himself like clay in the best way possible to take apart his opponent, all the while remaning technical. The problem is, however, how do you go about 'adapting' to a prime Pernell Whitaker? This guy (unlike Judah) eats pressure for breakfast, and was never technically outboxed until past his prime when his speed and reflexes had slowed a lot. Even when he WAS past his prime he made a young, powerful and very fast DLH look silly, missing, what was it, 6/7 punch combinations at point blank range? Mayweather has more power, but compensating for a gap in power is something that Whitaker has had to do in the majority of his best fights, and he still came out on top, just like Mayweather. I think they would frustrate each other, to be honest -- both of them are the masters of the 'hit and don't get hit' mentality, and so it would be a chess game from the start to the finish. One thing I think is interesting is the difference between their defensive styles -- Mayweather (although not completely orthodox) is far more 'by the book' with the way he often makes use of the tight high guard or the shoulder roll. Whitaker, on the other hand, is more fluid, and seems to almost improvise on the spot, such as the way he made DLH miss those flurries by twisting his body all over the place and moving at the same time, something you won't ever see in any boxing textbook. There's also those deep knee squats that very few people do, and even fewer people do well.

I made a thread a while ago with a list of traits that I thought a fighter would need if he wanted to beat Mayweather -- I mentioned a good jab, high workrate, good chin, stamina to fight all 12 rounds at a high pace and not tire or fade, courage/tenacity and intelligent pressure. It's only now that I'm typing this post that I realize that Whitaker has every single one of those traits. I think he'd take a points victory, but I'm not sure if it would be a UD or not.

At the end of the day, I wouldn't really mind who ends up winning. Just the chance to see two of the greatest defensive genius' of the sport in the same ring for a fight would be more than good enough for me.

 

What I will say about Whitaker, and I have seen him many times at welterweight to make a solid viewing on following. Against De La Hoya his defensive attributes, reflexes, ring generalship, and speed were all very close to his prime welterweight days. Chavez, McGirt II, etc.

Now, a prime Whitaker in my opinion was at lightweight, and that version was much slicker, quicker, and better across the board than the one who peaked as a welterweight.

To awnser your question as accurate as I can. A prime Whitaker was a lightweight, and an older De La Hoya is currently a light-middleweight. So to awnser with accuracy, your question is void. Im presuming you want to compare Mayweather's win over De La Hoya, and how Whitaker would have faired against that partiuclar version of De La Hoya.

Well, here is accuracy for you. The Whitaker who fought Vasquez as a light-middleweight would have beaten the same De La Hoya whom Mayweather beat.

 

Mayweather by UD. Mayweather could match Sweat Pea with speed quickness, but is the stronger of the 2 by a comfortable margin. Especially at the lower weghts which I think Floyd was the better boxer puncher.

 

But both examples you have pointed to here have been against pressure fighters. I think Floyd has most trouble against effective pressure, and it has been evident against both of these opponents.

You need to compare how they have competed against opponents that have BOXED with both of these guys, others whys the comparison has no relation to the match up.

Comparing the body attack and jab of Whitaker to Oscar and Castillo is not right, because Oscar is an orthadox fighter, who is bigger with a longer reach, and Castillo is an orthadox pressure fighter, who gets to the body entirely differently.

Both fighters have their strengths. Mayweather has more one punch speed, and more power. Pea better combinations punching, and more defensive angles. Both are superb all around though. And lessor fighters then Floyd have managed to trouble Pea even in his prime, it is silly IMO to point to a comfortable or wide UD against such a good opponent.

 

Floyd is not a 'defensive genius' guys, he doesn't get hit much because he fights in a very safety first style and does do his fair share of running and blocking.

Pernell stood in front of guys and made them miss all night, he'd have tko'd Hatton in 6 just from carving the little **** up and not allowing him to clinch him like that.

Staying away, running, using elbows and fighting in a very safety first style does not qualify you in the same category as a guy who literally makes people hit air all night while standing in the pocket with them.

Floyd is EXCELLENT with defence, but he's not a 'genius', that'd be Pernell however.

 

I can't believe people are picking Floyd, you ****ing tools don't know a goddamn thing.

This is not even competitive.

Great analysis Sues2nd by the way.:good

 

Thanks for proving to everyone that you are a moron. Running and blocking? Floyd stood toe to toe more in his career then Sweet Pea ever did. Pea would be characterized as more of a "runner" then Floyd. Floyd fights off the back foot look for angles to counter a fighters aggression. Sweet Pea was more of a circular fight that was better at using footwork keep his opponents off balance.

Both are excellent defensive strategies, but saying sweet pea stood toe to toe more then Floyd, especially the Floyd at 130-140 is moronic. Ndou, Corrales, Chavez, Hatton. Fighters with reach, fighters with pressure, and adapted too like he's been studying them for years. You cant compare it to any fighter today.

Floyd is a defensive genius. Not only does he not get hit, but he can adapt to any opponents style on a whim.

 

Kessler or Veit likely had the best defences, though Veit is a bit of a runner and Kessler employs a good guard and footwork to defend against attacks.

He has not yet faced any of the western slickster styles, but his boxer-swarmer style would match up well with that style because they can become overwhelmed. See Floyd against any pressure fighter and watch him adjusting in his tight defence.

Out of curiosity, why do you actually think that the version of Hopkins that struggled with Wright's workrate is going to do anything against Joe.

 

Oh shut the **** up, you ****ing idiot. I can't stand the blatant idiocy and disrespect that is being given to Whitaker here by jokes like you.

Floyd isn't a total runner, I said he did his fair share of it, he rarely stays in the pocket and throws combinations like Sweet Pea did. Sweet Pea made people miss and look amatuerish, which the competition he faced was 4-5x that of Floyd's, and he did inside and outside while keeping a respectible workrate.

You don't even know what you are talking about.

Because the little **** adapted to essentially a B level fighter in Hatton that means he's an adaptable as Pernell Whitaker?

Christ, you idiots make me sick, you know NOTHING about analysing fighters.

 

Based on the fact that Mayweather has more Ko's on his record. Sweet Pea only has 17.

 

Do you think that their competition is even comparable?

Mayweather has cherry picked opponents that suited him his entire career, has struggled with guys he should not have struggled with and Sweet Pea fought some of the best competition around and outclassed most of them!!!!

What is going on here?!atsch

 

If you think it will be a wide UD when other fighters not in the same class as Floyd have taken rounds of Pea, then you are simply exaggerating. You have never ever seen Pea in there against a fighter with the defensive or counter punching prowess of Mayweather, so really you have very little on which to base your assumption. Pea would probably end up out working Floyd, and if i had to make a bet it would be for Pea, but NO WAY would it be wide or remotely comfortable.