Why did Floyd never fight slick boxers?

Winky got in for having high profile fights more so than great wins.

 

Yep, because they're basically on the same level.

 

I’d put Winky ahead. He was top 5 in his division for something like 15 years. Peak v. peak, they’d be in the same ballpark.

 

I have always wondered about the Floyd's Jr and Sr calling Augustus his toughest fight. Hey, they probably genuinely mean it, but personally, it looks like he had much tougher times in Castillo 1 (second half of that fight, at least), Maidana 1, and opening rounds of the Hatton fight; guys who didn't try to implement even much rudimentary boxing in those specific matches, they just attacked and swung, kinda the way Emmanuel Steward always said guys should fight Floyd.
A lot of his opponents early round successes are often chalked up to Floyd's "entering the data" so he can then go about solving the puzzle in the necessary manner which was likely usually true, but I think Judah's early success in their fight (to most eyes, Zab was screwed out of a legit 2nd round KD) were as genuine as we'd call it if it were any other two fighters in there....but Floyd adapted. But Zab? Zab did what Zab was often accused of, and what I believe HBO's Merchant predicted would possibly happen: Meltdown when/if Floyd would begin having success, and boy did he melt down.
But, as someone said (maybe you) who was he supposed to fight, or who could he have fought that would've satisfied the opinion of those who think he purposely dodged slick boxer types? I see and remember hearing the same about Floyd and southpaws too.
And finally, never one to not take advantage of an opportunity to show off a fight I made/edited together when I comment on the classic board here, 13 months ago I took the best looking rip of Mayweather vs Judah most are likely to come across (720p HD), which was the international English feed, removed the very bad commentary provided by Bontempo (generally don't mind Dave Bontempo) and a man who I believe was the sports page reporter from Floyd's hometown (OBVIOUSLY no bias would come of that, and certainly wouldn't have caused his eyes to completely miss Zab's 2nd round KD, lol) and replaced it with the audio from HBO's broadcast. Not that HBO's commentary is great or anything, it's just better than the other by a ways, so says I. Enjoy if anyone chooses to do so...

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He avoided Paul Williams for sure. I guess The Punisher could be slick if needed. Not really, but May avoided him.

 

I remember Steward often saying that when Mosely looked to be boxing it was more that he was doing an imitation of someone boxing. Moving around and being evasive but not implementing any real offense while he'd be doing so, which Steward didn't consider to be real boxing (meaning the fighting style)

 

A tall guy with that kind of output would have gave Floyd kittens.

 

Not really. Williams closed that window by losing to Quintana before Floyd took a hiatus. Quintana also showed about 30% of what Mayweather could’ve done to him. The fight made sense for about one month in between Floyd’s win over Hatton and Williams’ loss to Quintana.

 

I think it’s more that Augustus knew he was there to lose and was the type of guy who the Mayweather’s would’ve enjoyed hanging around the gym with.

 

Quintana lasted less than 1 round in the rematch. I'm pretty sure something was up in their first fight. Still, Floyd avoided Paul Williams, and for good reason.

 

Usually the fluke is when the guy gets knocked out in the first round, not when the guy wins a decision over 12.

Williams rematched Quintana in summer of 2008 and permanently left 147 by his next fight a few months later.

Floyd went on hiatus for all of 2008 and returned to welter in 2009.

Williams needed to either never lose to Quintana or rule 147 in 2008 and 2009 for this fight to have made sense. Neither happened.

 

The fight made sense to every other person on this planet. Williams fought from 147-160 and back down again, looking for anyone to fight. He was calling May out at every turn, and not like Foreman calling out Tyson and balking at the contract.

Everyone wanted that fight dude.

 

Floyd avoided everyone he felt he could not beat ,even with all the added advantages he always had. He always had some excuse

 

Floyd fought basically every hof bound fighter from his era, with Tim Bradley as the lone exception (bc he was with Arum). Floyd looked for big draws. Floyd looked to take titles.

Williams never even made a successful title defense. He never won a title at 154. The one point where he was starting to build his profile again was after the first Martinez fight, but he got smoked in the rematch early.

Sure, boxing nerds would’ve liked this fight, but Williams never did his part to actually make it viable. And his no defense style would’ve led to a wide L.

 

What shoots this theory down in flames is that Floyd fought Baldomir after Baldy beat Judah but STILL fought Judah afterwards. We all know Floyd avoided his nemises Antonio Margarito like the plague & we all know why ROFL!! Paul Williams was another fighter Floyd wanted no part of. he was the ultimate cherry picker. Scared to take a chance