OnThEGRiND BoXiNG

Tuesday September 22nd, 2009
by K.M. Stansen - OnThEGRiND BoXiNG

Nobody of sound mind would question that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is probably the most skilled boxer of his generation. His skills go so deep that he even turns the heads of fellow Hall of Fame elites, as well as other all time greats. Over the years Floyd has indeed displayed a measure of versatility that few boxers possess. Not only does this man have the skill set of dreams for most fighters, but Mayweather is so gifted that his combination of physical gifts and boxing mastery have seen him virtually embarrass elite level opponents like they were mere sparring partners.

I have to say however that while I can go on and on about how great he is as a boxer, I can just as quickly follow up by going on about how he’s bad for boxing and how he truthfully hasn’t been a ‘fighter’ for the last 4th of his career or so. For a good while, I was championing Floyd as being quite underrated for his more shameless run in recent years. I was seeking to discuss how people forgot that he was a truly great ‘fighter’ through and through during his 130 to 140 pound days. However, I no longer can attest that his recent run isn’t negatively affecting his legacy due to the observable fact that the man will not take a single risk. Regrettably, all indications lead to this being the de facto route for him until the final bell of his in ring career has sounded.

Now before the Floyd Mayweather fan base whips out a line such as, ‘He doesn’t have to go to war, he’s a skilled boxe,r’ when I or anyone states that he’s too cautious, I’d like to point out that they have it very contorted and mixed up. Nobody is asking Mayweather to ‘go to war,’ to change up his style. or anything of the like, but we would like to see some of those combinations and flashy maneuvers that only seem to appear on 24/7 these days. He certainly has the skill to pull them off against any opponent available. We would like to see more of his fantastic arsenal than the 1 shot counters he is content to employ. We want to see the best of Floyd, not just an example of the Floyd Mayweather Jr. that does the bare minimum that he has to do in order to cleanly secure a winning round for 12 rounds straight. The depth of his skills are great, but his application of those skills is highly questionable. He won’t stretch himself out even a half of an inch against an opponent like Juan Manuel Marquez, who truthfully had hardly any chance at all to do anything to Floyd inside the ring that would result in a challenge.

Mayweather surely provides his fans and spectators with great sparring sessions these days, and is seemingly intent on playing the role of the high reward/low risk operator from here on out

If this continues to be the case, I may have to pass on Mayweather fights for the foreseeable future unless he either fights somebody that the public wants to see, or an opponent that is relevant to the top of the welterweight division… OR simply gives us something more to talk about, such as a performance that shows a willingness to mix it up or steal the show in the ring, like he has been so willing and eager to do with a microphone.

Regards,
KM Stansen