Move over Manny Pacquiao: The Two Real Threats to Floyd Mayweather, JR.
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By Joe Wilson
Professional boxing number one pound-for-pound king, Floyd Mayweather, JR., has said, time and time again that all major roads in the welterweight division lead to him. Professional boxing has suffered over the last few years with the likes of UFC (Ultimate Championship Fighting), MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and Wrestle Mania.
The return of Floyd Mayweather, JR., has brought back the sparks professional boxing has been in much need of. Arousing, thrilling, invigorating, stirring, exhilarating, electrifying, energizing, titillating, captivating, agitating and breath taking; all these words define one word, that word is; Exciting!
Mayweather, JR., has developed a formula that has placed him at the very top. Whether it be in the ring or out of the ring, his fans or his haters; they are all connected the same. You’re either for him or against him, either way, you are connected to him. That connection has made him The Box Office King of Boxing.
He knows all too well how to market a fight. The main ingredient to his formula is winning! Floyd knows that the combination of “trash talking” and “backing it up by winning” is the real hook. He knows they will all come back for more. What makes him special and different from the rest is counterparts is; his conditioning and undefeated record.
There are one or two fighters out there that will give him some problems. The biggest fight out there is Manny Pacquiao.
This fight will possibly bring in the highest gross of all times. Can Manny beat Floyd? I give him a 30% chance of winning that fight and I’m being very generous to Manny.
I just don’t believe Pacquiao skills are on the same level. This fight is definitely the fight everyone wants, but if this fight happens and I’m one that believe it will; Floyd will make Manny wish he never stepped in the ring with him. Floyd’s accurate punching and ring generalship will be too much.
The one thing that may give Floyd a little problem early in this fight will be his adjustment to fighting a southpaw. However, those adjustments will be made early by Floyd and he will become a major problem for Manny. Everyone knows that after the Shane Mosley fight, Floyd can take a punch.
I must admit, I always wondered how Floyd would react, if he was hit clean by a real welterweight and he proved to everyone who was watching, that he could. I like Manny Pacquiao and what he brings to the ring every single time he fights. Those same words I used for Floyd Mayweather JR., earlier in this article that defines exciting, could easily be used to describe Manny Pacquiao.
When Manny upset Miguel Cotto back in November 2009, he showed the world that he could step up in weight and beat up a caliber opponent. However, Mayweather is a totally different beast from Cotto. Floyd is in an entirely different league. He is the smartest fighter in the ring today.
I don’t mean to upset the folks reading this article, but when I mentioned one or two guys giving Floyd Mayweather JR. problems, Manny was not one of them. The two I had in mind, would first be; Sergio Martinez and what he brings to the ring. I believe his style and the way he fights would be a bigger challenge to Mayweather.
That fight would have to take place in the Junior Middleweight Division. Martinez has already made it known that he would meet Floyd anywhere between 154 to 160 pounds. Martinez size and speed along with his great conditioning will match up very well with Floyd. Styles makes fights and these two styles would clash.
I give Sergio Martinez a 40% chance of beating Mayweather. The reason for such good chances is his last performance against Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik. Sergio dominated and outclassed Kelly in the majority of the twelve rounds they fought. This fight looked like a total mismatch. Think Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez.
The other guy on my list would be Paul “The Punisher” Williams.
This fighter would give any fighter in those weight divisions, problems. Williams is a very busy fighter. “He bangs the entire three minutes and ten seconds of every round.” To be honest, I would really be surprised if Mayweather gave Paul the opportunity to fight him.
When it comes to Paul Williams, Some would say he is the most feared fighter in these smaller weight divisions. His tall lanky body and long skinny arms makes it tough for smaller fighters to compete and his work rate adds to that. In most cases, boxers avoid him at all cost. It not fair to Paul, but is what it is.
Some believe that Williams’s most recent fight with Kermit Cintron, was a fluke. During the third round Cintron went through the ropes and was not able to finish the fight. Some suggested that Cintron saw an opportunity to opt out of the fight and that’s what he did. Williams had started to pick up the pace in that round.
Floyd “Money” Mayweather JR., decision to fight the kind of fight he fought during his wipeout of Sugar Shane Mosley, elevated his name and has definitely given him negotiating advantages over all of his opponents. It’s true, that right now, “All roads in the welterweight division, leads to Mayweather.”
If some how the “stars and moon” line up just right. This coming fall we the fight fans will be making preparations to see who really is… pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.