I have the blueprint on how to beat Floyd Mayweather

[mconstantine]

I am pretty sure I have the blueprint on how to beat Floyd. It's a relatively simple strategy, but it's not easy to execute.

The tools you need?

- Quick jab (doesn't have to be too powerful, just quick)
- Willingness and commitment to punch WITH Floyd as he pot shots
- Feints
- Commitment to stick to strategy (focus)

Disclaimer: I am talking about the highly mobile version of Floyd that showed up against Guerrero. In his new found focus on defense, this will likely be the Floyd we see for the foreseeable future unless he loses his legs. However, many of these principles would work against the less mobile Floyd as well.

I am thinking about breaking this down via video. Not sure yet.

[SlySlickSmooth]

The amount of ring IQ you would need to use this tactic to decisively beat Floyd is something rarely seen.

Punching WITH Floyd's potshot, as if Floyd wouldn't recognize that within the same round. We just need to find a quick and speedy southpaw to do this, because the "philly shell" defense isn't technically made to deal with southpaws.

The angle at which the left hand is with a southpaw is a much MUCH more direct target than any orthodox fighter will have trying to land it on Floyd.

I don't know the key to beating Floyd, but if you don't master DISTANCE, you will never beat him. He has damn long arms for his size and his footwork is incredible and those are the two things you have to neutralize.
Distance is key with Floyd which a lot of the times (or all the time) is why he can calculate his hits and his defense. Floyd ALWAYS knows where in the ring he is.

If you can neutralize the distance you have already given yourself a much better chance at beating Floyd.

[mconstantine]

The key is breaking his rhythm. Floyd says he doesn't fight in a rhythm, but he does. Every fighter does, his is just harder to anticipate. You break his rhythm by punching when he punches.

Look at the Guerrero fight. Floyd moves, Guerrero follows him, the SECOND Guerrero gets in punching range, Floyd pot shots him, the second the punch ends, Guerrero tries to counter but Floyd is already gone. Floyd did this all night.

The chances of beating Floyd fighting this fight are slim to none. BUT...if the second you get in punching range, you just JAB straight at Floyd's chest as he tries to pot shot you, step then, then open up, that will break his rhythm. Do this for a while, then start mixing in feints to disguise WHEN you are about to come in range. Then mix in PROBING jabs, just sticking your jab hand in his face...these are all tactics that make things very difficult for rhythm fighters and counter punchers. You CAN'T be predictable when you fight Floyd. If you look at most of his fighters, they were predictable. "Straight up, with no special effects" is how he described Guerrero. That was a clue.

Even the great Floyd Mayweather can be beat if you can successfully break his rhythm. If you condition Floyd to expect to eat a jab as he tries to pot shot you because you INSTINCTIVELY force yourself to punch WITH Floyd's pot shots, he's going to be off balance. He may adjust by feinting his attack, then trying to counter OVER your jab. That's when you start feinting. When that stops working, then you start sticking out that pawing or probing jab. Then you mix all 3 up.

No this is not an easy thing to pull off, but with the proper training and drills designed to execute the strategy SPECIFICALLY, it can be pulled off assuming the fighter has the tools I stated above.

[dc3383]

Honestly I would throw looping shots against Floyd; most punches that is n his straight line sight he will make you miss unless you have Tommy Hearns reach with the job he will eventually pull counter it. The punches that have visibly hurt Floyd the most is looping hooks.

[mconstantine]

Beating Floyd isn't just about any one particular punch. We've seen Floyd fight guys who throw all types of punches at him. Punches in bunches, pressure etc. But Floyd is a control freak in the ring and he HAS to be in his rhythm. You have to break his rhythm and you have to do that by consciously focusing on keeping him off balance with feints, double and triple jabs and punching WITH him. The key is punching WITH him.

If you've ever fought, then you know when a guy is able to punch WITH you, you are vulnerable. You can't really do this against punchers because the chances of you getting hit go up drastically and you'll get laid out. But with a boxer like Floyd who rarely commits to punches, you can do this.

Look at the times Mayweather has been hurt most. Mosley and Chop Chop. BOTH times, Floyd got caught AS he was punching. EVERYONE is vulnerable when they are in the act of punching. I would feint Floyd all night, put a jab in his face all night, and punch WITH him ALL NIGHT! If I caught him, I wouldn't try and finish him unless I knew he was VERY hurt because he will bang with you to reestablish control of the fight. I'd catch him then just keep doing what I was doing to KEEP him out of his rhythm.

I would ONLY adjust away from this strategy if I saw him start to "dig in"...but that shifts the fight more away from Floyd's advantages. Any fighter who stands and digs in, is more open to getting hit. That's what you want to do against Mayweather.

[kiDynamite92]

One thing i've never seen someone try and do is to kill his shoulder when he's in the shell. sure you'll get a few sharp right hands in return, but after you've killed it off it he'll be a sitting duck.

[purecyse]

I think that, at this point, outside of a puncher's chance, no right-handed fighter is going to beat Floyd Mayweather.

Miguel Cotto ended up having the best chance due to his strategy of going jab/ left hand happy and we know, if Mayweather had to throw caution to the wind, he could have stopped Cotto.

Cotto has that solid jab, good timing, took away much of Mayweather's potshotting while staying focused on engaging along the ropes and still attacking the body. All of this with a power and size advantage.

Canelo may actually have the tools that you say are needed but, mentally, he can't play high-level chess AND, something that I haven't seen pointed out, he isn't cold-blooded. He dropped Trout with a single shot in the seventh round...it should have been all downhill for Trout until he was stopped a couple of rounds later.

Mayweather gets hurt and comes forward but, if you let him survive, it's a completely different fight from then on out.

I would say the best strategy is to be the larger man, expect to take some punches and try to outwork him for a decision.

[kiDynamite92]

Canelo may actually have the tools that you say are needed but, mentally, he can't play high-level chess AND, something that I haven't seen pointed out, he isn't cold-blooded. He dropped Trout with a single shot in the seventh round...it should have been all downhill for Trout until he was stopped a couple of rounds later.

Mayweather gets hurt and comes forward but, if you let him survive, it's a completely different fight from then on out.

I would say the best strategy is to be the larger man, expect to take some punches and try to outwork him for a decision.

it went to decision

[johnm is...]

it went to decision

That's what he's saying. It should have never seen a decision, as Trout should have been beaten, and stopped a couple of rounds later.

[DIB42]

I think Ricky Hatton had the right idea, swarm him and make the fight ugly... But remember to keep your hands up and your chin down . . . Although I will say that Cotto and Oscar did well with their jab against Floyd, both are left handed orthodox fighters, I don't know if that had much to do with anything, but it seemed to work.