Meldrick Taylor vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

[ßringer]

This is a tough on to call. Taylor seemed to leave himself open a bit, and Floyd could counter him, but Taylor handspeed, footwork, and boxing skills could be a good style to offset Floyd. I really don't know who to pick.

That's why I think it's so interesting. Most people think the style to beat Floyd is a pressure fighter but Floyd loves to fight guys like that, he always excells against come-forward guys. Meldrick was a bit of a come forward guy in his own right, but he had the boxing ability, ring smarts, and natural athletic ability to make it an amazing fight.

[slicksouthpaw16]

[FONT=Arial]Taylor had terrific hand speed and a great workrate, but he was one dimensional FONT]

Example of fighters that are one dimensional. Foreman, Kessler, Pavlik, Miranda, Tarver, Barkely, Trinidad, Pacquiao Hatton and a few others. All fighters that are known for doing one thing. Meldrick Taylor is not one dimensional at all. He not only box brilliantly but he can also bring the fight to his opponent and speed brawl. He was very elusive.

[pbftxrs316]

He was actually a lot faster to be honest. Look at his combination punching, handpeed, footspeed and better choice of punches. You are one of the few that would say that Mayweather is faster.

i have watched that fight many times before and i can tell you that at 140, mayweather was much faster overall, offensively and defensively than taylor. i don't know how to upload videos on here, but put the fight with floyd vs gatti on here and taylor vs chavez seeing how they were both called thudner vs lightning, that's a good comparison. you'll see just how faster floyd was than taylor was at 140. no contest, overall, floyd was much faster. i mean, he countered much faster and sharper, he looked as if he threw harder punches and went to the body much faster. but the thing that got me with floyd, and made me respect him that much more is how fast he could counter to the body, which many fighter can't do that well. you see, i watch every round like an expert and pinpoint out every little thing i see, which is why i make such long posts with a lot of description, which is what i did with both floyd and taylor's fights with gatti and chavez. floyd was just overall much faster than taylor, especially in the later rounds. his speed was just tempered, meaning he didn't throw as much as taylor did, minus the gatti fight, but taylor threw more punches than floyd at 140, so i could see why you would day his handspeed was faster, but floyd's overall speed was faster than meldrick's. trust me, i wouldn't make this **** up. i hve watched them both extensively and comparing their fights, seeing how taylor lost and floyd won, you have to take into account, why. i feel taylor was robbed to the core, and he would have beaten chavez had it not been for the infamous stoppage, but floyd's defense was good fast, including his head and lateral movement something taylor lacked to a degree, which is why gatti said himself, he was much faster with his upperbody movement than he thought. he offset gatti's arsenal by being so ****ing fast and moving so fluently, that gatti didn't know what to do, and i guarantee you this, floyd would have dominated chavez, i guarantee you, especially at 140. taylor was fast no doubt, great handspeed, amazing combinations, great footwork, decent defense, but floyd mayweather was overall more skilled and faster than taylor was at 140, no doubt about it.

[slicksouthpaw16]

i have watched that fight many times before and i can tell you that at 140, mayweather was much faster overall, offensively and defensively than taylor. .

You also choose Mayweather to beat Hearns when you even admitted that it wasn't a fair fight. That almost guarentes that you are biased. You have to be open minded when having a debate. You can not look at both of their fights and honestly say that Mayweather was faster than Taylor.

[Scott9945]

I don't agree with the versatility comment. In my estimation (and a lot of other's) Taylor was about as well rounded as a fighter can be. He had a high workrate, the fastest hands I think anyone has ever seen, great reflexes, and great boxing ability (though it never got displayed for too long at a time, with the Philadelphia fight mentality). I think he could adapt well and respond quickly.

What he lacked I think was consistent head movement and lateral movement. He had it, he just, opted not to use it that often and that could cost him.

His punching power was something that was accumulative. Due to his amazing speed, quick snap and high output of flurries, he just broke you down. He certainly didn't have one punch KO power. But the majority of his KO wins are TKOs that were stopped because of accumulated damage.

Boxers whose KO wins are from accumulated punches generally aren't considered hard punchers. Other than a late TKO win over McGirt from an accumulation of punches, Taylor didn't have one notable KO win.

[Scott9945]

Example of fighters that are one dimensional. Foreman, Kessler, Pavlik, Miranda, Tarver, Barkely, Trinidad, Pacquiao Hatton and a few others. All fighters that are known for doing one thing. Meldrick Taylor is not one dimensional at all. He not only box brilliantly but he can also bring the fight to his opponent and speed brawl. He was very elusive.

I don't agree at all that Taylor was a brilliant boxer. Great hand speed will sometimes create that illusion. He also got hit plenty, so I don't buy him being very elusive.

[ßringer]

Boxers whose KO wins are from accumulated punches generally aren't considered hard punchers. Other than a late TKO win over McGirt from an accumulation of punches, Taylor didn't have one notable KO win.

I would agree with this, but I think an accumulation of punches had a lot to do with other Taylor TKO's as well. Regardless, I wouldn't pick him to KO/TKO Mayweather so that's not really an issue. I think he would get a decision.

[Scott9945]

Example of fighters that are one dimensional. Foreman, Kessler, Pavlik, Miranda, Tarver, Barkely, Trinidad, Pacquiao Hatton and a few others. All fighters that are known for doing one thing. Meldrick Taylor is not one dimensional at all. He not only box brilliantly but he can also bring the fight to his opponent and speed brawl. He was very elusive.

Everyone of those fighters you listed as one dimensional punched considerably harder than Meldrick Taylor did. That makes all the difference.

[wpink1]

Depends on the type of fight. If mayweather elected at jr welterwieght to go to war with Taylor then it would be great fight, on which I favor Taylor. If mayweather used his (what has become typical) defensive strategyand used his boxing skills, he could beat Taylor. I say this because mayweather has the reach advantage and no he is not a fast in throwing combinations, but he is fast with counter punches, and he holds when in close thus eliminating (or trying too) Taylors brilliant combinations. I always am involved with debate Mayweather vs Leonard, and the reason I pick leonard to beat Mayweather and Mayweather vs Taylor as a pickem or even mayweather if he boxes, is size, reach, power, jab.... Leonard has he reach advantage to make Mayweather have to sacrifice his great defense and come inside of leoanrds reach to fight...With Taylor, he could use a great jab, and counter and try to stay outside and pot shot, then hold when he lands and prevent Taylor from countering......Classic Mayweather..

[SkillspayBills]

What is with all these people thinking Floyd would be KO'd. You have NO INKLING of believing any of these fighters would KO him.