mayweather is brillant, but it's his inactivity which is making me change my mind in now picking pacquiao. he's just not active enough. it's the right time for pacquiao to fight mayweather, and it's the opposite for mayweather as pacquiao right now is in peak consistent form.
I'm still torn and need to go away and think about my picks. Funny thing about this match up is me and mate were talking about it at the weekend and he asked "Manny or Floyd, no thinking about it, just instinct". To my surprise, my answer was "Floyd". It's when I think about this fight that I end up tying myself in knots. I'll have more of a think about this and try to come up with a case for the defence, so to speak.
I know where you're going with this, but not "always". Duran v Leonard I springs to mind immediately though, I'm sure there are others if I sat down to think about it.
Really good post Rob. I disagree that Floyd has 'one of the best defences in history' and think you would if you were more well-versed with the defensive fighters from previous eras. I also think I already said that he has a good defence...against straight-on fighters. Judah is **** down the stretch in every fight he's in. Did Floyd really 'adapt' that much in that fight? Really good post which I'll come back to later :good
Also, Barrera at 126 eclipses Floyd. He was as good. Anywhere near resembling him? No. But Pac has someone greater on his resume than Floyd, which Rob also said he didn't. What famous through the era puncher Vs boxer fights are you referring to Rob. I don't think Pac is favoured due to his power either; he's a manic offensive force that has rarely been seen. Also, he doesn't have the chin/durability issues a lot of powerhouses have had. I notice there aren't that many peeps pro-Floyd guys yet. I'll wait :yep
After seeing Pac against Cotto/Clottey/Marg I think it's easier to pick this fight. It comes down to the fact that Mayweather almost certainly doesn't have the power to stop Pac from laying combos into him when he feels like it. Margo landed 200+ power shots and couldn't slow or stop Pac, so how the hell will Mayweather do it? A well timed counter or 2? Not enough. And unfortunately, as much as his fans like to think so, Mayweather isn't like Neo from the Matrix with his shoulder roll defence. It won't be much good at avoiding punchs from a lightning fast southpaw with awkward punch angles and foot/lateral movement to get into decent positions - he WILL get hit I just can't see anything other than a Pac KO or UD, unless Floyd does come up with something completely new
You could say Castillo, Hatton, Gatti were manic agrgresive. None as good as Manny but aggression doesn't seem to be an issue for Mayweather. I think its the speed that will cause Floyd problems and Mannys aggression will actually be his downfall. yeh Good point Barerra does take Floyd for resume but I still think Mayweather is more effective at what he does best and is harder to beat than Mayweather. Although I think most people are pro Manny in general, this post is coming after a dominant Manny win so everyone is pro Manny right now. Whitaker beating Nelson. Leonard beating Hearns. Pryor beating Arguello. I am not a boxing historian, my comment was quite flipant about the slickster counterpuncher always beating the agressive guys but i always favour those fighters in that type of fight. I am sure you can give me hundreds of examples the other way. Regarding one of the great defensive fighters comments. I stand by that, as do many boxing experts. And I don't think its them getting on Floyds nuts becuase they normally say "he is one of the greatest defensive fighters" and follow it with a but. I just think your overly harsh on Floyd Flea to make your point. You can put forward your arguement for Manny winning and being better without slagging Mayweather off. Do you think it effects Pacquiao resume as an all time great if he never beats a good defensive fighter? I am confident now that this, Klitskcko vs Haye and Gamboa vs Lopez, and Bute vs the Super Six winner (Ward) will take place in 2011. Feeling very optomistic about 2011
I was in the Floyd camp, but I'm starting to think Manny would beat him. Floyd's not getting any younger and it was eye opening how Mosley rocked him.
He is imo, infact I think he is extremely hard to beat on the backfoot, a lot more so that what he is on the front foot, which is why I think his most dangerous opponents, would potentially be (counter punching)left handers, or guys who have a considerable reach advantage that can make him more aggressive. There have, but I think that's what makes certain defensive fighters so hard to beat, is their discipline to implement their game plan on the opponent, and Hopkins & Mayweather have the kinda of discipline to the point where they actually dont care if they bore the pants of the fans, as long as they can impliment their game plan on the opponent, get them fighting their fight, leading to them where they can work their offense off their defense, which is the opponents offense. Whitaker fought more aggressively, but Whitaker also got hit more than Mayweather because of that, not that I think Mayweather was a better fighter, or better defensively. They just have a different ethos about the way they go about things. Mayweather would rather make someone look like a fool, display utter domination, than score a KO, particularly if it means taking a chance that he might get hit. You have to remember, its the pride he takes in the aforementioned, that makes him so good defensively, he enjoys being defensive minded more so than offensive minded. [php] Pac has fought better opposition, and beat them more impressively. Does anyone think Pac would not do as good/better against the Welterweight fighters that Floyd faced: Baldomir, Judah, Hatton, Shane? Against those versions? [/php]Probably, but thats as much about styles than levels. I disagree there, I think Manny does stop to think when he starts getting hit, I thought this happened in the Marquez fight, the rematch specifically, once he started getting countered, he was not as consistent with his offense. He can attack at all angles, but only when he hits you IMO, he has to pin you down before he can disorganize you, change angle on you and mount more offense, which is where his problems lie against Mayweather, he needs to pin Mayweather down to do that, only Floyd will be using his legs, asking Manny to close the distance, trying not to present a stationary target. Personally, I dont think anyone is going to beat the current Mayweather, without!!! a good defense, and Pac does not have a particularly good defense when on the offense imo. You can lose fight on purely on a poor defense, remember that. Pacquiao is greater cause he has a better resume, but I do think Mayweather will beat him.
Pac will get the wide UD with ease just by work rate, the Cotto fight convinced me that Pac will beat Mayweather as that was the test to see if he could take the punch at that weight & that Cotto fight totally de-fused the check-hook theory that Pac would be KO'd by Mayweather. Pac & more so Roach have made a stratergy for ever fight ever since the 1st Morales loss when pac said after the fight that he will in future listen to his trainer & that was when you started too see the new pac style evolve tailor made for each opponant. Floyd will just be swamped & regardless of how many miss some will detonate & floyd just does not have the required speed of foot or combo's to negate any such onslaught that will like a tsunami. Mayweather is all too well aware of this + the fact he always likes to play the bully mentally but in this case that will not have one ounce of effect on Pacquiao who really oozes menace & violence just beneath that smiling counternance & this is one thing that will spook floyd & in reality already has. Two factors of this fight are this...One man thinks he can win & wants to fight & one man is not so sure he can win & won't.........It's that simple:yep
i do think if they fight Floyd will need to win 9 clean rounds to get a decision, such is the love for Manny.