Young Mayweather vs Old Mayweather

Remember at 130, he was bigger or just as big as a lot of the guys there. Now he's smaller than all his competition except Marquez and Hatton (who probably still outweighed Floyd the day of the fight).

 

I actually like older Floyd, younger floyd of course had better reflexes...but I don't think he was quite the technician he is now

 

He was always highly technical. His only problem was going back and attacking in straight lines at times which technically isn't a "problem" because noboby exploited.

People forget Mayweather used to look for the KO much more in his young days and was a boxer-puncher. Becoming a WW, he became defensive because he was facing bigger guys such as Baldomir and in JMW DLH. There are exceptions as him bullying Hatton and beating up Judah but apart from that he stayed defensive at WW.

Against Marquez he danced and easily shut him out without much effort but TBF Marquez looked bloated and in the worse shape I've ever seen him. TBF to PBF or "Money", it wouldn't have changed the outcome had JMM been in better shape. He still was/is the better technician with the better timing.

Post-Marquez to now he's trying to please the crowd more which I don't back up 100% as Mosley clipping him and taking unecessary damage from Cotto demonstrates. Fortunately for him he has the best recovery skills or up there in boxing so he was able to fight back that rd and dominate the fight. He toyed with Ortiz a bit but timed the hell out of him with his famous right hand showing you can still dominate a southpaw with a straight over his jab. Cotto gave him hell and would have even if Mayweather danced as his jab, solid infighting, and regrown confidence were high.

Love both and I can't really decide which one I like better but I do love seeing him now as he has to use his smarts more opposed to athleticism and I love that transition for fighters. Some never had that athletic ability so they had to work harder and know the fundamentals inside out to be successful and become the legends we know of them(Duran, Hopkins). Others such as RJJ were smart but so reliant on their natural gifts that as they aged they became too vulnerable to be top fighters again.

I liked him at welter(in general so that includes 140) best as I felt he was less prone to overcommit and though defensive for the most part, still mixed athleticism and IQ the best in his career imo. At 140 he would trade with anybody that pushed him first so he still retains that excitement but its personl preference. I just prefer clinics over ko's.

Floyd is a hybrid in that sense as he used to move alot hence being called "Mayrunner" but with his footspeed declined he gets to sit on his punches more. Same scenario for Pea. Both fighters are/were so damn smart that they could get by with their speed declined as their Ring IQ's were/are through the roof. Look forward to possibly getting Mayweather's career set in Dec but if not youtube and a bit of fights I do have of him still allow me to study him.

 

I see Ndou to Marquez as his "prime". There began to be a recognizable decline starting in the Ortiz fight.

and Mosley caught Floyd because he was smart enough to do so. It didn't have nothing to do with primes. Open your eyes and recognize the feints.

My favorite fights are the Judah, Oscar, and Hatton ones. They were displays of Floyd's ability to tactically use his intelligence for adjust1ng during his prime.

 

Intelligence is the most under rated attribute in Boxing.

It's why I was on the Andre Ward hype train long before any of you shmucks...

 

Top quality post.:good

 

I liked very much 2005-2007 Mayweather. I think he was better than in 1998-2002, and also young and fresher than now.

I recommend his fight against prime Judah.

 

The younger one is more likely to knock you out & put a bit of hurt on you, he`s also more likely to take clean shots & lose the odd round.

I might be in the minority but I feel the older version was the better `boxer.`

 

Brilliant post. In my opinion, Floyd is the best fighter of the last 2 decades. Who would you like to see him fight next (besides Pacquiao)?

 

The Mayweather that fought Marquez was the best FMJ that I've seen since his 130 days.

He was amazing that night.

 

I have never watched a Floyd Mayweather fight in my life.

I don't like watching fights where the ref is taller then the fighters.

 

that's why you're not a fan of boxing :thumbsup

 

:rofl wtf
please be trolling

 

The shoulder roll is an efficient guard to counter out of using his favorite shot, the right hand. He invites people to come towards, counterpunching is usually better when opponents are coming forward, him with his conservative use of footwork

Most guys use movement to get themselves out of harm's way since it's a very natural form of defense. What do two people with no training fighting in the streets do to defend themselves? They move usually by backing up.

The more advanced people have multiple layers to their defense. Floyd is great at using his guard to smother opponents punches and putting in sand to jam their guns aka clinching. If his lead forearm is already cocked in a horizontal position due to the design of his guard, he can easily raise it in close quarters sticking it to necks to stop offenses from being mounted. Plus he also moves his head and parries using his right hand in his guard.