"Technique"

When FMJ fought Hatton, he was 30 years old and was fighting every 6-7 months. If FMJ had been in the ring with most of the better 47s, 54s, and 60s last night, he'd be 49-1 today. If current FMJ had been in the ring Friday (FOX Sports,I bring this up because I had just watched the fight) night with Sergiy Derevyanchenko, who does use text book technique, I'd fear for Floyd's health. FMJ is not what he was, even with diminished speed and reflexes and giving up a lot of size Saturday night he still won easily because his opponent was not a good boxer. It just shows how much technique means that a 40 year old, inactive, and diminished welterweight was able to dominate a light heavyweight who does not have good technique.

 

Yep. And not a surprising one who has always been about taking as little risk as possible.

He probably felt that Conor had good timing and was only dangerous with one-punch counters, so he decided to dog him for a couple of rounds until he started to tire and only let his own hands really go when it was safer to do so.

The things that surprised me slightly was 1 that Floyd took three feeling out rounds instead of one or two, 2 that Conor's timing was so good and 3 that Conor's offense and punching technique was so bad.

 

Ok, I counted to three in that clip (the uppercut counter was one punch, not a combo since he was unable to put any leverage into the attempt of a follow up hook) and one punch in total landed (a body shot) in them.

 

I actuality thought he probably would last the distance, so I can't say he did better than I expected.

 

No, they were mostly ineffectual arm punches. Helped him rack up good punch stats numbers (landing four slaps to the ribs or to the back of the head in a clinch is relatively easy, but also has little effect), but didn't help him mark Floyd's face in the slightest or even make him breathe hard.

 

Seriously, @reznick, did you see anything in Conor's performance to make you believe Golovkin wouldn't walk right through him?

 

Floyd's punches alway kept his opponent honest. Even Canelo, whom I've never seen hurt, showed respect for them. It might have happened, but I can't remember seeing anyone just walking through Floyd's punches. And that in turn helped Floyd avoiding to get hit himself.

 

So against the best boxer his own size, a man who has murderous leverage and technique in his punching, we agree he would be badly outmatched.