Mayweather/Mosley May 1st
polycounter lvl 18
With the recent popularity of MMA, I am not sure how many boxing purists there are left in the younger generation.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sugar Shane Mosley are gonna clash heads in a big superfight this coming May.
HBO has already aired the first episode of their award winning show 24/7 following both fighters in and out of training camp.
Anyone excited ? Manny Pacquiao and the return of Floyd Mayweather seemed to have breathed new life into a sometimes forgotten sport. I am definitely looking forward to the fight.
Heart is with Mosley, but the mind says that Mayweather will probably take it. He's just a boxing savant.
http://www.hbo.com/boxing/index.html
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sugar Shane Mosley are gonna clash heads in a big superfight this coming May.
HBO has already aired the first episode of their award winning show 24/7 following both fighters in and out of training camp.
Anyone excited ? Manny Pacquiao and the return of Floyd Mayweather seemed to have breathed new life into a sometimes forgotten sport. I am definitely looking forward to the fight.
Heart is with Mosley, but the mind says that Mayweather will probably take it. He's just a boxing savant.
http://www.hbo.com/boxing/index.html
Replies
Since MMA was dominated by BJJ, MMA has developed and there is a nice trend of improved hand techniques, especially since the Chuck Lidell days of winning fights with dead weight retard punches. Annoyingly there has been another trend - lay and pray. So many fights turn into tedious lay and pray fests, that MMA has become frustrating to watch.
Even GSP - his takedowns are a thing of beauty - but he has basically become an elite lay and pray artist.
Anyway, I am a hardcore boxing fan, I also used to box as an amateur.
I'm looking forward to the fight as much as one can look forward to a Floyd fight. He's the second best fighter in the world, but he hasn't been fun to watch since 130.
You only need to look at Floyd's last fight to see what he is about. He won a boring, safety first, potshotting decision over a 36 year old FEATHERWEIGHT. He fights "not to lose" rather then fighting to win.
I love Mosley, but he is nearing 40, and has been inactive for a year and a half.
I also think the Plasterito fight made Mosley look a bit better than he really is at this point. Plasterito without his magic handwraps literally looked like a bum, and was made to order for Shane.
So I'm really really hoping Shane can pull out one last great performance and beat Floyd, perhaps with a good strategy from Richardson, but the logical pick is Floyd by boring safety first decision.
One thing about Shane - his worst performances have pretty much all been at 154. He is clearly much better suited to welterweight, but having said that, he did lose a close fight to Cotto at 147, who Pacman just destroyed.
By the way, if Floyd does nut up and sign to fight Pacquiao, I'm picking Manny. Have you seen his last couple of fights? He's been slapping welterweights around the ring like they were bums. Quite extraordinary for a guy who spent almost half his career at flyweight, and who is realistically a natural featherweight. He is a freak of nature.
Alas - of course I'm excited about the fight, I just hope it's at least somewhat exciting.
I'm not bias. :poly121:
Plus he's incredibly unpredictable to go with his speed, and his defense has improved a LOT since he was at featherweight. He's doing the Duran style trick of landing and slipping punches simultaneously.
I actually think Manny is the best fighter since Duran, and one of the best fighters in boxing history.
Are you kidding? I think boxing was a circus before either of us were born. It turned that way half a century ago.
Anyway i'm not a huge follower of boxing (more of an mma fan) but anyone who's interested in combat sports and not a bloodthirsty idiot has got to appreciate boxers of this caliber fighting.
I don't see the fight being particularly interesting or close, though. Mayweather is more than good enough to beat Mosley, and has shown he's only interested in boring, defensive victories against fighters he doesn't have a chance of losing against these days. Would be cool to see him fight pacman (because, despite the natural bias everyone has against mayweather these days, those fighters are close in skill) but with the way he's afraid of losing it's not gonna happen.
Putting Mayweather in the ring after a recent Anderson Silva fight will do some good to remind fans that boxing and mma arent that different after all, at least.
Floyd is probably one of the most gifted, most complete and dominating boxers of our generation. Unfortunately has hasnt gone out of his way to challenge himself, instead continuing in pursuit of the stupid "undefeated" status.
The greatest boxers arent remembered for their records, they are remembered by taking difficult fights. I think his legacy has been dangerously crawling into obscurity and his return can give him a chance to really cement his name in the history books.
Floyd knows he's great. The public knows he is great. He just needs to physically show it. It's like we are always on the brink of something great, but he just never seems to deliver.
On the topic of boring/defensive style... I seldom agree with that sentiment. There is no glory in taking punishment. It shows heart, but you have to be stupid to want to be beaten to a pulp. The real problem with Floyd is that his natural ability and technical skill are so superior that taking on good fighters just looks like a simple sparring session. What he needs to do is to take on great fighters in the weight class.. Like Mosley and Pacquiao.
As much as I like Manny he would definitely be an underdog in a fight against Mayweather. But at least it would be an exciting fight.
There are exciting defensive styles too, which dont involve getting beaten to a pulp but also dont involve avoiding your opponent for 10 rounds except for a few tippy tap punches to score points. There's being strategic, and then there's refusing to fight.
Nobody is asking him to fight like Gatti, wading in throwing haymakers and blocking punches with his face.
Even someone like Whitaker, a defensive fighter, possibly better and more legal defense than Floyd actually - took more risks and fought less safety first than Floyd does.
Floyd is content to do just enough to win the rounds. And the result of this, does make the fights look a bit like sparring sessions.
There was no excuse for Floyd not to step it up a gear and try and get a stoppage in his last fight. Floyd was fighting like HE was the smaller man, even though he was fighting an aging featherweight, completely out of his element at 147.
As fans, we are the ones who are paying Floyd too, and yet he doesn't seem to think he owes the fans anything, ie tough matchups or exciting fights.
As SupR said, there have been many fighters with great defense in history that were not boring in the slightest. Then you have guys like Duran, who were highly aggressive with incredible defense, Duran being the best at combining the two, he was able to come forward pretty much non stop, landing punches and slipping punches simultaneously.
Also Fuse - at this point I'm not sure the bookies would agree with you. It sort of depends on how he looks Vs Mosley, but if he wins a close-ish boring decision, I am fairly sure Manny would be the favourite.
In 5 years of campaigning as a welterweight, half a decade, Mosley is going to be the second legit welter Floyd has faced. The first one being Oscar of course, and Floyd won a split decision.
When was the last time Floyd was dominant over top opposition? 130 pounds. Since arguably losing to Castillo in the first fight at 135, he's taken the path of least resistance.
So I think although Floyd is probably the number 2 fighter in the world, he has become somewhat overrated. He's still undefeated, but that's because he hasn't taken any risks. If you challenge yourself over and over, you're going to lose.
And where as the best welter Floyd fought was only beaten by a close, boring, split decision, Manny has beaten two top welterweight in brutal, 1 sided fashion, making them look like they don't even belong in the same ring with him. Including Cotto of course, who beat a fresher Mosley than the one Floyd is fighting.
Although I wouldn't be THAT surprised at a boring decision win for Floyd, I think Manny should be the favourite, and unless Floyd looks spectacular against Mosley, I think the bookies are going to see it that way too.
SupRore - I agree that skillwise, they are neck and neck. The difference being most of Floyd's skill is geared towards defense, and most of Manny's skill is geared towards his incredible offense.
But Manny's speed, power, fury, workrate, stamina and sheer relentlessness/desire to win gets him the win over Floyd, if the fight comes off.
..STOP RIGHT THERE!!!!
Do you people honestly believe Manny Pacquiao can take Floyd Mayweather, I'm sorry people but I highly doubt that. If you look carefully at the fighters Manny has taken on in his last few "major" fights.
Marquez,De la Hoya,Hatton,Cotto, Diaz and Clottey - now all these fighters are great but you need to read between the lines Hatton, Cotto and De La Hoya are come at you fighters who Manny Pacquiao eats up for breakfast he likes getting into slugfests as it makes the boxing match easier for him.
The one fighter we all know that Manny has struggled to beat in his career so far has been Marquez who arguably beat him in both of his bouts, now the curious situation with Marquez is that he's a counter puncher that means he relies more on his boxing smarts, technical skill, intelligence and analytical abilities to overcome his opponents.
Now if you watched the first Pacquiao vs Marquez fight Pacquiao knocked Marquez down in the first round but then proceeded to get out boxed for the rest of the fight and just about limped to a draw. While in the second fight Manny still struggled with Marquez and just about managed to get the win on this occasion.
So what we are really saying here is that Manny has problems with counter punchers who rely more on tactical clout rather than any of their innate physical abilites. Manny doesn't like getting drawn into a Chess match as with all due respect to him it requires him to think fast on his feet.
Now......if you guys know anything about Mayweather he is just the same type of fighter as Marquez except he is on another level. What Mayweather doesn't get credit for is that he has the whole package. He has the boxing smarts and analytical abilities that have allowed him to become one of the best defensive fighters in a generation but he also has the physical skills to boot he's very fast, very agile and has quick reflexes.
If Manny had to fight Mayweather he would get out boxed and picked apart, which is why Manny didn't really want to go up against Mayweather and pulled out as he knows that Mayweather is the worst possible match up for him. Manny admitted it himself that he likes it when fighters come towards him (Hatton,Cotto) but hates going up against fighters who stand off him and run around(Mayweather).
I know this thread is old but I like boxing , Pacquiao is one of my favourite boxers but I'm also a realistic fan of the sweet science
I honestly believe it's possible and likely for a May KO by either Pac or SugarShane.
Carrying out a game plan is one thing but the strategy against May is simple in my 2 cent opinion.
- cut the ring space, so May can't run as much
- figure out how to hurt May when he goes into his shoulder roll D
- avoid his potshots and counters as much as possible
Once Pac solves May's usual tactics I see May going go for broke and actually fighting where he'll caught with a KO.
It's been especially evident over the last year in the UFC. We have people walking around in circles for 3 rounds without throwing more than 3 kicks. UFC like Boxing, is past its prime now and both need to find some fresh newly inspired fighters who can remember what they're their to do... Entertain.
I can't remember the last boxing or mma match I watched where I was truly on the edge of my seat, they've all been huge let downs in either the "bore and snore" category, or the "Really the match was 3 seconds?" category.
Agree. PPVed matches should postpone ground fighting or jujitsu takedowns in the first 2 rounds or 15-20 minutes. Or if you can't submit your opponent after dropping him under 10 minutes, ref resets with both fighters up (yeah, I know they have something like this now but it seems longer than 10 minutes).
His evasive, defensive style has given him longevity in the sport and he's so much better than everyone else he only does just enough to win. Unfortunately that's his biggest problem. He's a chronic underperformer and needs the best in the sport to bring out the best in him.
But make no mistake, he can fight. There's a slight chance that he will get hit in the mouth by Mosley and then we will probably see Floyd come out of his shell. To students of the game, there's not denying that boxers like Mayweather only come once in a few decades.
What he does is match his tempo and style to the opponent as opposed to giving 100% every time.
To those who think Manny will dominate.. Stop it.. just have some common sense. Everyone describes the strategy to beating Floyd to be simple, but few have even gotten close.
What you have to understand is that speed is nothing without timing. Floyd is a master of timing. It's very hard to avoid his counters. It's easy to get hit by his unorthodox lead right and lead hooks. It's nearly impossible to chase him down if he's moving and even harder to put the pressure on him if he stands his ground. A perfect gameplan always sounds easy on paper, but very hard to execute against a fighter of his caliber.
He one of the greatest defensive fighters of all time. You cant figure out his defense. He can stand in the pocket and not get hit. He can hit you with pot shots from the outside. He can put together combinations. He can dance around the ring or rope-a-dope. He can even put some mustard on a punch if need be. He can definitely hit, and hit hard. Not one-time knockout power but a sting that deteriorates the opponent over the course of the fight.
Look, I love Manny. He's a no-nonsense kind of a guy. He'll fight anyone, anytime and that's a display of true old-school character but fighting Floyd is just a little out of his depth. He's still very much a brawler.
Can't deny Manny's work rate vs Floyd. Can Floyd throw 100 punches per round? Floyd's power better than Cotto's? To beat Pac he'll have to outpoint him or go for KO. But once he tastes Pac's power by the middle rounds...bet he or his Uncle Roger (his Dad?) will throw in the towel.
I'm no Mayweather fan by no means I hope Sugar Shane wins, but I have to look at the reality of the situation and see things for what they are "art" taught me that. The reality of this situation is that if it was that easy someone would have stopped Mayweather by now. But alas it's easy for us to sit on the side lines and assess all this but we don't have to get in there with him and find out.
As Morpheus said there's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.
Hopefully Sugar Shane will beat him and I've put money on him doing so. At the moment I feel boxing is doing alright, there are some sweet matches coming up Froch vs Kessler is this weekend and it might end up being a hum dinger of a fight.
Kessler needs to reclaim his dignity from losing his World title belt and Froch always comes for a rumble so it should be interesting.
I admit MMA is kinda touch and go at the moment it's a more complete sport but there aren't many entertainers other than the obvious. Also MMA only really has one brand and that's UFC, Pride went bust and now strikeforce is there but that franchise is still kinda fresh.
Tbh If the MMA wants to reach a wider audience they need to tone it down and try and get into the Olympics. That could help it to become more accepted as a sport and might present a situation where it can be on an even keel with boxing.
@MagicSugar- I agree with you Pacquiao is truly one of the greats what he has achieved in the sport won't be replicated in a long time. Though what I would say to you is this, if you have time watch the Pacquiao vs Marquez fights, it really highlights the reality with Pacquiao he really does struggle with guys that are good at counter punching and Mayweather is great at it.
Personally I feel they will fight though not this year as I feel Shane Mosley will beat Floyd and go onto fight Pacquiao, I feel Pacquiao will then destroy Mosley and then call out Floyd. Though I might be wrong and it wouldn't be for the first time
Plenty of people can throw 100 punches per round. That cant be a solution. Against a defensively skilled fighter like floyd you will just tire yourself out. He handles pressure very well. Floyd is not widely known as a big puncher but those who have faced him have noted that he punches a lot harder than you think.
With punches it's much more about accuracy than power. That's the first thing you learn. Manny can throw punches in bunches but he will get countered and then what will he do?
Tasting Manny's power? That's a lot harder to execute in real life. Very very few hits land on Mayweather flush. Even if you feel like you hit him clean he rolls with the punch so well he doesnt really take as much damage as you think. Going to body ? Everyone has tried that to very little effect. He's very well conditioned.
Styles make fights and a Maywather/Mosley and a Mayweather/Pacquiao will be a fantastic fight to watch. But I just feel that with the recent success of Pacquaio every new or part-time fan of boxing have jumped on his bandwagon. He's a great figther but he'll need a lot more than his speed and power to beat Floyd.
I'm half/half here. I'd like Moseley to maul May for ducking Pac but if May loses and decides later on to fight Pac in which he also loses...people would keep on going with their reasons to discount Pac. "Yeah, May lost to Pac 'cuz Moseley broke him", etc...
And if Pac fights Moseley and wins..."he was fighting an old and slow guy", "A-side meth is stronger than roids"...etc.
hehehe...anyway I don't think Pac is on drugs or anything I think that was slander that got out of hand, I believe that there is a lot of jealousy in regards to Pacquiao's achievements and who could blame them I think Pacquiao is just that good to be honest.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are on the same tier but I just think it's a bad match up for Pacquiao. Personally a better match up for Pacquiao is Mosley as Mosley fits in with the usual fighters that Pac's gone up against quite recently "come at you fighters who like to get into a scrap".
Either way at the moment in my opinion I rank Pacquiao second behind Sugar Ray Robinson in my overall all time greats that's how highly I think of him.
If Pacquiao was to fight Mayweather I feel he would need to do something similar that he did to Marquez in his first fight. Knock Mayweather down maybe once or twice then hold on for the rest of the fight
I agree all you need to do is look at Ali vs. Holmes, what unnecessary punishment he took that fight. I know that's kind of an extreme, but still it's the first thing that came to mind.
In a perfect pro-Pacman scenario...yes. But if May decides to pay the penalty and comes in heavier again....k.o.s might be going the other way.
I could do 1,000 punches myself per round. FACT
But that's not including the adrenalin rush of me trying to destroy somebody and avoiding being destroyed myself with blows to the noggin (or below the belt).
I don't want to get into numbers as I'm not in full possession of all of those facts, but to be honest from my opinion I don't think MMA is doing that well. At one point I thought it was catching boxing, but UFC is the major brand and it's what most people watch. I've been to cage rage and seen some of Pride tbh the main events were ok but the undercards were almost always all garbage.
Put it this way if you took the biggest match up in boxing and the biggest match up in MMA what would do more money, what would capture the imagination of the people, which one would galvanise more interest and which one would live longer in the memories of the laymen man.
I mean we still remember fights between Sugar Ray and Jake Lamotta, ALi- Frazier, Ali - Foreman, Tyson- Holyfield and De La Hoya - Mayweather.
In 50 years from now who's going to remember or speak fondly of Gracie vs Shamrock or GSP vs Matt Serra
MMA needs to expand it's industry create an amateur game on a similar par with boxing, the amateur game in boxing is huge and really helps to solidify it's credibility.
I feel the Olympics would do that and would directly get a lot of countries involved in the sport not only that it might reach a higher level of exposure.
Brock Lesnar versus 6 midgets (kicks to the groin legal for 1 round only).
The MMA event of the century.
MMA has courted that "extreme fighting" image and a lot of people do have that impression that it can be quite ferocious and extremely violent which can pose to be a turn off for some.
Finally Ali was too old to be battling Holmes in that fight and it was a case where he should have retired long before that. Something which boxing has a propensity to do to it's great's let them continue on even at the serious expense to their health. Holyfield, Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones and dare I say it Vitali Klitschko are a few fighters who I feel should seriously hang up their gloves.
Did either of those boxing matches happen within the first 20 years the sport was legal in the west, though?
as for amatuer fights, dude, you are either in a state where it isnt legal or aren't paying attention. I know tons of ammy fighters, every bjj gym and mma gym and boxing gym puts out amatuer mma fighters en masse. There are also badass pro fighters up and coming in KOTC and HDnet fights and bellator all over. The sport, as in the unified rules, is incredibly young, and still developing basic strategic concepts, (how do you deal with submissions -> how do you deal with dominant, defensive wrestlers?) dont rush it.'
I agree, and that's unfortunate, but it's not really surprising for a testosterone fueled sport in its infancy. It's already growing out of it.
hmm ok....but that point is mute as I feel boxing has reached a wider audience and is more accepted than MMA is. I used those notable events as clear examples which actually transcended the sport. I will go further characters like Joe Louis, Ali, Marciano have all transcended the sport they are known by people who didn't like or know anything about boxing.
Joe Louis in a time of serious racial unrest in American was able to transcend his sport and racial barriers and become a sporting hero to black and white folk alike. This is what MMA has to contend with tradition, history, culture the sporting icons and legends of the game ,boxing has been quite pivotal in our modern history at certain points for example Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling a fight between two great champions who were black and white but had an appreciation for one another and showed on an international stage black and white people could get along.
Just like when Jesse Owen showed up Hitler at the Olympics it's those iconic moments which have won people over. In my opinion MMA is shallow it's just about the sport and how well you implement a takedown and tbh no one cares. You got to understand it's about the people who participate as well as the fans who are right there when it happens.
here read this:
Louis v. Schmeling II
Main article: Joe Louis versus Max Schmeling
The rematch between Louis and Schmeling is one of the most famous boxing matches of all time, and is remembered as one of the major sports events of the 20th century. Following his defeat of Louis in 1936, Schmeling became a national hero in Germany. Schmeling's victory over an African American was touted by Nazi officials as proof of their doctrine of Aryan superiority. When the rematch was scheduled, Louis retreated to his boxing camp in New Jersey and trained incessantly for the fight. A few weeks before the bout, Louis visited the White House, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt told him, "Joe, we need muscles like yours to beat Germany."Louis later admitted: "I knew I had to get Schmeling good. I had my own personal reasons and the whole damned country was depending on me."
When Schmeling arrived in New York in June, 1938 for the rematch, he was accompanied by a Nazi party publicist who issued statements that a black man could not defeat Schmeling, and that when Schmeling won, his prize money would be used to build tanks in Germany. Schmeling's hotel was picketed by anti-Nazi protesters in the days before the fight.
On the night of June 22, 1938, Louis and Schmeling met for the second time in the boxing ring. The fight was held in Yankee Stadium before a crowd of 70,043. It was broadcast by radio to millions of listeners throughout the world, with radio announcers reporting on the fight in English, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. Before the bout, Schmeling weighed in at 193 pounds; Louis weighed in at 198¾ pounds.
The fight lasted two minutes and four seconds.Louis battered Schmeling with a series of swift attacks, forcing Schmeling against the ropes and giving him a paralyzing body blow (Schmeling later claimed it was an illegal kidney punch). Schmeling was knocked down three times, and only managed to throw two punches in the entire bout. On the third knockdown, Schmeling's trainer threw in the towel and referee Arthur Donovan stopped the fight.
Even back then Millions were tuned into the notion of a great boxing match and nothing has changed to this day. But do you see the bout had transcended boxing itself the fight became something which was soo much more....
Anyway you are right there are loads of amateur MMA guys and boxing guys but boxing's amateur game is more structured, that's why I said MMA needs to get to that level of competition and just increase it's exposure but in a more professional and clean cut manner.
Floyd definitely put his money where his mouth is and has silenced most of his critics.
For those who have missed it, Mosley landed a big right hand in the second round that seemed to have hurt Floyd. Floyd clinched and eventually recovered. Mosley was outboxed for the 10 remaining rounds with Mayweather actually pressing the attack and landing his punches at will.
Mayweather definitely started strong and aggressive (which is unlike his usual style), weathered the power punches from Mosley and as usual made the necessary adjustments to win a lopsided decision. Mosley was never in danger of getting knocked down or really hurt but he was getting peppered for the remainder of the rounds.
This was exactly the fight I wanted. I wanted to see how Floyd would deal with a clean punch from Mosley and he handled it better than anyone. After that the relaxed Mayweather went to work as he usually does. It wasnt an unexpected result but I wanted Floyd to get tested and he passed with flying colors.
It's easy for fans to jump onto the Pacquaio bandwagon and I really like the guy. But boxing purists know what's going to happen. He's a great fighter but he doesnt have very good chances against Mayweather. It's a good fighter meeting a great boxer.
Refusing to face opponent of his caliber ? Quite frankly, I don't think there are opponents of his caliber in this weight class. But that's the result of his boxing ability, not his avoidance.
If Mayweather/Pacquiao fight would happen the frenzy will turn to Pacquiao again. But in reality there is nothing Manny has that can really penetrate Mayweather's defense. He's fast but Floyd has better timing.
Mayweather would probably come on top with a decision. Then the fans would jump ship and complain about size difference, drug testing, etc, blaming it on a mismatch.
Ever since moving up to welterweight Mayweather hasnt really fought a legitimate welterweight, who would give him a good fight. Mosley would have been that man and he did test Floyd. Floyd took it in stride. I am not a fan of his antics but he definitely got a whole lot more respect and more credibility as a one of the greatest boxers after this fight.
Even though I did call it wrong as I suspected ¬_¬ I give my props to Floyd personally Pacquiao is the only one left.
I still feel my other comments were valid and that Pacquiao could potentially be in over his head if he went up against Mayweather. Anyway...... as to the comment about Mosley getting stomped by Cotto and Floyd not fighting tough opponents. Cotto did indeed outbox Mosley but I would disagree Floyd has beaten and might I say quite easily one of the toughest welterweights in the division.
There isn't much more to say as Floyd has done all the talking and people can see for themselves he's a cut above most of the competition in the sport let alone the division. As I originally said he has the full package if you had a list of things you would want in a great boxer Floyd has them.
the issue is Suprore that many believed that Mosley was of Mayweather's caliber but seeing how much of a cake walk it was for Floyd strongly indicates that there may not be many fighters currently active that are of Mayweather's level at least not in close weight classes. The only names that come to mind are Paul Williams, Sergio Martinez and........ Manny Pacquiao.
For sure, he's definitely one of the very best there is right now. But usually boxers in contention for being among the greatest of all time fight the other guys who are as impressive as they are. Pacquiao isnt more popular because fans are fickle or stupid, he's more popular because he consistently has taken tough fights, weightclass after weightclass.
My issue, as a fan, with mayweather is not whatsoever about his level of skill. It's about the fact that he seems reluctant if not unwilling to fight any of the guys who will definitely test him -- not just one solid punch, but a gameplan that will actually threaten him. If there really are no other fighters within mayweather's league, he needs to fight Pacquiao instead of letting his camp pull a bogus blood test stunt to duck the bout.
Just because pacquiao believes in whatever voodoo he believes and is reluctant to do Olympic tests is a lousy excuse. People love pacquiao because he puts on a good brawl but not a good boxing clinic. Many people love that excitiment but most people also don't know boxing. I seldom gave him a chance against floyd and after this fight he's got none. He's not a jabbing methodical boxer but a volume puncher. He's going to be undersized and outboxed. He's quick, but quickness is a relative term. Mosley is plenty fast but floyd has the nearly perfect timing. He makes quick adjustment an doesn't make the same mistake twice. Pacquiao is also a southpaw, which Floyd can take apart masterfully.
Paul Williams? He'll have a hard time making the weight.. dehydrated and tired he'll have a hard time catching floyd. He's really got reach, but I see nothing special about him. Floyd will adjust and pepper him with lead right and lead lefts.
There are plenty of legitimate welterweights who will give him a hard fight, but he always comes out making it look easy. If I was to point out one thing that makes him better than everyone else is his intelligence. He's a very very very smart fighter. He disarms his opponents best weapons and uses his defense perfectly.
Insisting a fighter take a test on your exact schedule a few days before the fight is unheard of. And having health issues involving getting blood drawn is quite common, especially on a level that could impact your training. Pacquiao doesn't like needles, and slly as it sounds the physiological part of a phobia of needles can seriously fuck you up if you have a boxing match in three days. Blood sugar goes up (or down? honestly i don't know the science) and you miss potentially days of training.
The fight was ducked, there's no other logical reason for the mayweather camp to have insisted on that test and reject all compromises offered. Especially with mayweather being the bigger fighter. Is he really afraid pacuiao will be roiding to make his size advantage a little less significant?
Nobody brawls at that level of boxing. It's merely a different playbook. Mayweather definitely has a technical, classical, defensive style, but that doesnt mean pac is some kind of bar room thug. Mayweather is a fantastic boxer. Pacman is at least very close to his level. It would be a good fight, and that raises the question of why Mayweather's camp ducked it the first time.
It would be a fantastic fight to be sure, and my heart goes to Manny. My brain however has to admit that Floyd has all the advantages. Everyone's got a punchers chance though.
As far as being afraid of needles. That's just a load of bull. You suck it up and step it up like a man. The whole psychological side of is a romantic side of boxing that people love to believe in. They dont pump you dry a week before the fight. Floyd and Shane both did it and neither has complained about it being uncomfortable. At the end of the day your boxing skills will do the talking.
I think Adam Carolla said it pretty well. Just because he prays to some chicken bones doesnt mean he can be excused from something as simple as taking blood. No matter how he feels about needles. It's a little crude and exaggarated for comedic purposes but it gets the point across. You train, and follow a strict diet, you dehydrate yourself, you cut weight. That's something they deal with everytime. Giving some blood and pissing in a cup shouldnt be a problem, no matter where you are from.
Pacquiao is catholic.
The needle concern is probably a physiological one. Phobic response to needles involves a blood pressure plunge, oftentimes passing out, and generally fucking up your body for a day or two -- nothing the average person cant deal with, but something that you do not want to impact your training a few days before a boxing match against floyd mayweather. It wasn't even Pacquiao who made the call, it was Roach. Finally, if we're going to look at this from a 'step up and let your boxing do the talking' approach, why the hell did the mayweather camp insist on this? Pacquiao has never come up wrong on a blood test, and mayweather doesn't insist on this with every opponent.
I dont personally know any boxers, but mma fighters i've met have had this problem. It's not extremely common, but it's not unheard of at all.
You keep talking about tough fights for Floyd..at the moment I'm struggling to really pick names other than the one's I've mentioned in previous posts. The light welterweight division is deep in talent but there is nothing in that division that would worry Mayweather.
The only guys I know that could "potentially" give Mayweather a challenge are Martinez,Pacquiao and Williams.
Mayweather would need to go up to Super Middleweight to seriously find a challenge such as Andre Ward, Kessler or Bute (mind you all these guys are much bigger and stronger men than Mayweather).