This is a long psychoanalysis of what's going on with Floyd, but I'd bet $ on it being 95% true...
Luis "Cuba" Arias believes Floyd's move towards Alexander is just him showing he is the boss and isn't going to fight someone just because that's who everyone wants. I can believe this. It's almost like the media and boxing community has assigned Guerrero and Canelo as his opponents for 2013 without Mayweather ever acknowledging it. He very well may feel if that if he fights both of these guys as laid out, he is relinquishing some power.
All of this seems very silly and trivial to most people, but if you understand how much of a mental game boxing is, you understand how major this may be. Go back to when Broner fought DeMarco and Lampley/Merchant/Jones Jr were talking about DeMarco wearing the pink gloves and what did Jones Jr say?
"How do they force the Champion to wear them gloves? DeMarco really lost the fight when he agreed to wear those gloves"
On the surface, it's just gloves. But it is a back down and that mentality can carry into the ring. The mental game is that real, especially for Floyd with all that he has to lose.
And here is my point...Regardless of this mental dynamic, I honestly think this is amplified because I think Floyd has lost a step and I think he knows it. Floyd is obviously TERRIFIED of losing and both Guerrero and Canelo pose styles that may be difficult for him. I would not be surprised if he is legitimately concerned and that is influencing this stuff.
I think after Floyd beat Hatton, he was mentally VERY confident in his ability to beat damn near anyone. But even though he won, I think the Cotto fight changed Mayweather. Cotto is shot yet he gave Mayweather a tough fight. Cotto caught Mayweather with jabs repeatedly due to what looked like slowed reflexes from Mayweather. I am not sure that today's Floyd Mayweather would have taken the Mosley or Ortiz fight. We also don't know what the 3 month jail sentence did to Mayweather's skills. You also have the fact that Roger Mayweather is sick and may or may not be able to train at the appropriate level. I think all of these factors may be in place.
Floyd is a great champion and a master at the MENTAL aspect of this game. But I honestly think if he DOES fight two times this year and gets W's in both of those fights damn near no matter WHO he fights, it will speak tremendously about him and his place as an ATG.
Floyd is 43-0 but I think he is in uncharted territory because he's faced with the realization that his skills have diminished a bit. That changes EVERYTHING!
Luis "Cuba" Arias believes Floyd's move towards Alexander is just him showing he is the boss and isn't going to fight someone just because that's who everyone wants. I can believe this. It's almost like the media and boxing community has assigned Guerrero and Canelo as his opponents for 2013 without Mayweather ever acknowledging it. He very well may feel if that if he fights both of these guys as laid out, he is relinquishing some power.
All of this seems very silly and trivial to most people, but if you understand how much of a mental game boxing is, you understand how major this may be. Go back to when Broner fought DeMarco and Lampley/Merchant/Jones Jr were talking about DeMarco wearing the pink gloves and what did Jones Jr say?
"How do they force the Champion to wear them gloves? DeMarco really lost the fight when he agreed to wear those gloves"
On the surface, it's just gloves. But it is a back down and that mentality can carry into the ring. The mental game is that real, especially for Floyd with all that he has to lose.
And here is my point...Regardless of this mental dynamic, I honestly think this is amplified because I think Floyd has lost a step and I think he knows it. Floyd is obviously TERRIFIED of losing and both Guerrero and Canelo pose styles that may be difficult for him. I would not be surprised if he is legitimately concerned and that is influencing this stuff.
I think after Floyd beat Hatton, he was mentally VERY confident in his ability to beat damn near anyone. But even though he won, I think the Cotto fight changed Mayweather. Cotto is shot yet he gave Mayweather a tough fight. Cotto caught Mayweather with jabs repeatedly due to what looked like slowed reflexes from Mayweather. I am not sure that today's Floyd Mayweather would have taken the Mosley or Ortiz fight. We also don't know what the 3 month jail sentence did to Mayweather's skills. You also have the fact that Roger Mayweather is sick and may or may not be able to train at the appropriate level. I think all of these factors may be in place.
Floyd is a great champion and a master at the MENTAL aspect of this game. But I honestly think if he DOES fight two times this year and gets W's in both of those fights damn near no matter WHO he fights, it will speak tremendously about him and his place as an ATG.
Floyd is 43-0 but I think he is in uncharted territory because he's faced with the realization that his skills have diminished a bit. That changes EVERYTHING!
Comment