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Move Over Manny, Floyd Is Back
by Ricardo Lois
Sep 12, 2009 -
When the final bell tolled Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Floyd Mayweather had thoroughly frustrated Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez and scored a clear unanimous decision victory.
Marquez, one of the best fighters in the world moving up from lightweight to welterweight, was unable to mount any sort of significant attack against Mayweather. Though Floyd had not competed in a sanctioned boxing bout during a time period of twenty-one months, it did not show as he used his amazing speed, defense, and ring intelligence to stifle the Mexican and knock him down in the second round en route to a easy win.
Before his short retirement, Mayweather was at the top of boxing's pound for pound pecking order, but in his absence Manny Pacquiao secured the number one position by beating Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton - men much bigger than the Filipino - in impressive fashion.
Pacquiao's style is punctuated by speed, power, driven by a warrior's heart and the hopes of a nation. Unfortunately all of the wins against the aforementioned fighters and Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, and Marco Antonio Barrera do not make Pacquiao the best fighter in the world. As displayed Saturday night, Floyd Mayweather is once again the pound for pound best fighter in the word.
At its fundamental core boxing is not about selling tickets, pay per views, generating excitement, or having the biggest and loudest fan base, it is about hitting your opponent and not being hit. Using those simple parameters, Floyd is better than any active fighter and arguably better than any boxer to have stepped in the ring during the last twenty years.
Not Roy Jones. Not Bernard Hopkins. And definitely not Manny Pacquiao.
Could you imagine Manny lunging off balance in a ball of fury trying to attack Mayweather? I can and I visualize Manny missing his mark and getting tattooed by a counter right all night long. If Juan Manuel Marquez, slower of fist and foot than Mayweather, could counter Pacquiao at will in their bout, Floyd would have a field day against the Pinoy.
In all reality, Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach would be smart to keep their fighter away from Mayweather. Make any excuse necessary, lie, discredit Mayweather, but Freddie and Bob should preserve their fighter's legacy and value.
And for the record, Pacquiao has a difficult fight on November 14 against Miguel Cotto. A slip up there extinguishes the anticipation for a bout between Mayweather and Pacquiao.
So while Manny was the mythical pound for pound king, he must step aside and relinquish the crown to its rightful owner - Floyd Mayweather Junior.
by Ricardo Lois
Sep 12, 2009 -
When the final bell tolled Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Floyd Mayweather had thoroughly frustrated Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez and scored a clear unanimous decision victory.
Marquez, one of the best fighters in the world moving up from lightweight to welterweight, was unable to mount any sort of significant attack against Mayweather. Though Floyd had not competed in a sanctioned boxing bout during a time period of twenty-one months, it did not show as he used his amazing speed, defense, and ring intelligence to stifle the Mexican and knock him down in the second round en route to a easy win.
Before his short retirement, Mayweather was at the top of boxing's pound for pound pecking order, but in his absence Manny Pacquiao secured the number one position by beating Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton - men much bigger than the Filipino - in impressive fashion.
Pacquiao's style is punctuated by speed, power, driven by a warrior's heart and the hopes of a nation. Unfortunately all of the wins against the aforementioned fighters and Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, and Marco Antonio Barrera do not make Pacquiao the best fighter in the world. As displayed Saturday night, Floyd Mayweather is once again the pound for pound best fighter in the word.
At its fundamental core boxing is not about selling tickets, pay per views, generating excitement, or having the biggest and loudest fan base, it is about hitting your opponent and not being hit. Using those simple parameters, Floyd is better than any active fighter and arguably better than any boxer to have stepped in the ring during the last twenty years.
Not Roy Jones. Not Bernard Hopkins. And definitely not Manny Pacquiao.
Could you imagine Manny lunging off balance in a ball of fury trying to attack Mayweather? I can and I visualize Manny missing his mark and getting tattooed by a counter right all night long. If Juan Manuel Marquez, slower of fist and foot than Mayweather, could counter Pacquiao at will in their bout, Floyd would have a field day against the Pinoy.
In all reality, Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach would be smart to keep their fighter away from Mayweather. Make any excuse necessary, lie, discredit Mayweather, but Freddie and Bob should preserve their fighter's legacy and value.
And for the record, Pacquiao has a difficult fight on November 14 against Miguel Cotto. A slip up there extinguishes the anticipation for a bout between Mayweather and Pacquiao.
So while Manny was the mythical pound for pound king, he must step aside and relinquish the crown to its rightful owner - Floyd Mayweather Junior.
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