This is a great thread, TS. I saw it earlier and didn't get a chance to write but it gave me some time to give it some thought and man, this is one hell of a matchup. I keep thinking back to two fights specifically, which I feel give good insight on what the strategies the fighters would utilize. One is Whitaker-Nelson, the other is Mayweather-Castillo I. Azumah Nelson was an excellent boxer who also had dynamite in both fists, and iron chin, a high ring IQ and was also a great in-fighter, as he proved in the Fenech rematch. Like Mayweather, he employed lots of different looks and was equally comfortable going forward or backward. He had a very good jab (see: Wilfredo Gomez). But Azumah struggled with Whitaker (BTW, I still think Nelson scored at least one knockdown on some of those "slips" Whitaker had) specifically Pea's jab and constant movement. Azumah fared much, much better in the second half of the bout, however, coming forward behind a crab-shell defense and scoring. It was too little, too late.
I expect Mayweather to fight him the same and win, as PED User said, a "competitive decision." Floyd struggled with Castillo's in-fighting and steady pressure and a true great like Nelson would be able to do that and then some. But we'd see the Floyd of Castillo II, not Castillo I, the one who moved even more. And that would be the difference, with Mayweather 7-8 rounds in a hotly contested affair.
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