Over the years we have seen Floyd Mayweather moulding several young fighter in his image and excitedly proclaiming a few as, The next Floyd Mayweather. All of these young prospects definitely showed tremendous potential to follow in the Sensei's footsteps, creating their own new legacies. Here are a few of Mayweather anointed contenders and prospects. 1. Errol Spence Spence now trains out of Texas but not long ago he spent many months training at the Mayweather gym. At the Mayweather gym Spence sparred many rounds with Mayweather and other top fighters at the gym. Soon, Mayweather announced to the world on US National TV, Errol Spence as the "Next Floyd Mayweather". 2. Gervonta Davis Hot out of Baltimore, Maryland, anyone who has seen a Gervonta Davis fight recognizes the huge potential of this aggressive, hard hitting young prospect. He still has technical work to do defensively, but like Spence, his offensive arsonal if packed full. Davis is promoted by Mayweather Promotion/Al Haymon and of course it wasn't long following him proving himself in the Pro ring that Floyd Mayweather announced on national TV that Gervonta Davis, was the "Next Floyd Mayweather". 3. Shakur Stevenson Bantamweight Olympian Shakur Stevenson is on his way to securing a medal in RIO. Mayweather is there and announced his intention of signing Stevenson under Mayweather Promotions. No doubt, there will be a competitive bout of recruitment of Stevenson by the biggest boxing Promotional firms. I.E., Mayweather Promotions, Roc Nation, Top Rank, etc. I expect Mayweather Promotions will win out against competitors and sign Stevenson under MP, which is why Floyd Mayweather has just announced that Shakur Stevenson is, "The Next Floyd Mayweather, Jr." 4. Honourable Mention- Self Proclaimed "Next Floyd Mayweather": Lee Selby, The "Walsh, Floyd Mayweather, Jr." After spending time training in Vegas at the Mayweather Gym, Selby emerged with a refinement of his defensive skills and hyped, proclaimed himself as, The Next Walsh Floyd Mayweather, Jr. He has since distanced himself from his statement, saying he now prefers to have fans acknowledgement of his skills. Actually, all of these future Floyd Mayweather level contenders and prospects are very talented and do display the potential of honing their crafts and styles to become future HOF'ers or evern possible ATGs. We'll see.
spence looks to have the goods.. but i dont think anyone on the list will have as much dominance as floyd did
My guess is that when Mayweather proclaims a prospect as the "next", he isn't talking about his defensive style as much as talent/skill level coupled with tremendous network and boxing fan appeal to earn Mayweather-like revenues. IMHO, Spence, Davis, and Stevenson all have the tools and potential of developing into this level of commodity.
In order to be the "NEXT" Mayweather you need the entire package. Some of these kids might have the skill/tech & build... But do they have the "Chin" & "Persona"?
In all honesty, I think the first three all have the tools to do it. The thing that often gets overlooked in trying to predict who will be the next Mayweather in terms of PPV sales, big fights, masterful boxing and other aspects of FMJ's career is dedication to the sport. So many fighters get derailed for a multitude of reasons that aren't related to their skill sets: * They lose motivation and stop training seriously * They stick around one division too long instead of moving up in weight for bigger challenges. * They focus more on promotion and building a persona than mastering their craft. * They stay inactive for too long. * They lack the charisma to get people interesting in watching their fights * They become arrogant and believe they are invincible * They are unable to overcome their personal vices These types of threats to a fighter's career are the ones that are so difficult, if not impossible, to predict. From Kelly Pavlik to Ike Ibeabuchi, from Adrien Broner to Rid**** Bowe, from Edwin Valero to Chris Arreola, we've seen so many fighters that have the heart and skills to achieve far more than they've currently achieved due to the many out-of-the-ring obstacles they've been unable to overcome. I say this not to bag on any of these fighters, as I respect anyone that's willing to lace them up and step into the ring and I've enjoyed watching their fights, but these types of distractions are what Floyd (despite his domestic woes) was able to put behind him throughout his career to reach a level of dedication to the sport that was truly remarkable (regardless of what you think of him as a human being). This will be the most difficult part of becoming the next FMJ for any of these young fighters - they've got a lot of distractions awaiting them along the way and they've got to overcome every one of them with tunnel vision dedication.
Besides skill, dedication and support, a future HOF/ATG will need the other 50% of the equation; An equally talented and motivated opponent. A worthy opponent who is acknowledged by the mainstream. Conquering this competitive type of challenge, over and over again, is what makes an ATG. Which is why low calibre opposition fighters such as Golovkin will likely never be ATGs.
Neither I hope. Floyd did enough damage to boxing, we don't need more like him. A next Winky, Tyson or Sweet Pee would be so much better.
Very true. It's hard to imagine * Ali without Frazier, Foreman, or Liston * Leonard without Hagler, Hearns or Duran (and vice-versa) * Tyson without Holyfield * Lewis without Klitschko and Tyson * Mayweather without DLH and Pacquiao * etc... Here's hoping Golovkin and Canelo can finally agree to terms and make their fight happen - it's important for the legacy of both fighters.
