Tweet
Boxing Historian Mike Silver on Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley and Much More
By David TylerMay 17, 2010)
Let's welcome the author of the definitive book about boxing: "The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science”. Boxing historian Mike Silver has agreed to share his views about the recent Mayweather/ Mosley fight. Mike also gives us his unique insight into a possible Mayweather/ Pacquiao match. Enjoy!
David Tyler - Mike, your thoughts about the recent Mayweather/ Mosley bout?
Mike Silver - The fight went according to how I and others figured it would go. Mayweather is at the top of his game. Mosley had not fought in 16 months. It’s hard enough to be sharp against a fast opponent if you are active, but a 16 month layoff for a fighter past his prime is a big handicap to overcome. It was the superior speed, youth, and reflexes of Floyd, not his superior boxing ability, that won him the match. Mosley couldn't do what he wanted to do because of his age.
DT - The second round of the fight will be remembered for a long time. Your thoughts about round two of the bout?
MS - I was thinking that here is a savvy old pro who was looking for an opening. To beat superior speed you really have to rely on strategy and proper timing. Mosley timed that right hand because he was still fresh....that was the key….it was only the second round so he was still fresh. He caught Mayweather with a beautiful punch and twice more with right hands. If that had been the Mosley of ten years earlier, he could have possibly landed additional punches in that round. The fight would have taken on a different tone because it would not have been a rusty 38 year old but a young vigorous 28 year old landing those shots. We would have had a totally different fight on our hands if it had involved a much younger Mosley.
DT - Rather than take a round off to recover, Mayweather came out the third round and took command of the fight. Did that surprise you?
MS - I must say that I was impressed with the way Mayweather handled himself at that point of the fight. He was stunned not just physically but emotionally by the punches and the fact that his knees buckled and he nearly went down. Even though he recovered completely between rounds we saw heart and tremendous pride by the way he came back wanting to take charge again and show who's boss. That's a commendable aspect of his fighting persona that I wasn’t sure existed. No one was sure how he would come back after the second round because we have never seen him hurt. That's the mark of a good fighter; he has got to have that in him or everything else won't matter.
DT - Between rounds, Mosley's trainer, ****m Richardson, was constantly prompting Shane to box and give up the idea slugging his way to a Kayo. Why do you think Mosley wasn't able to throw several punches and box?
MS - For the same reasons that some people thought this would be a close fight or that Mosley would win. They were thrown off by the Margarito fight. That was a totally different type of fight because Mosley was facing a totally different fighter and one much inferior to Mayweather. Margarito came directly into Shane, which played right into the old pro’s hands. Shane didn't have to use his legs, he didn't have to chase the man....reflexes and speed were not an issue in that fight. Even an old Shane could always outbox an ordinary club fighter like Margarito. People remembered Mosley landing right hand after right hand. Shane looked so much like he used to in that fight, but they didn’t realize why he looked so good. The fans had forgotten that he had some recent tough losses to fighters with different styles.
DT - Was there any kind of strategy that would have resulted in a Mosley victory?
MS – Certainly, but he would have to be in his prime to execute the strategy. Mosley was facing the most athletic fighter in the world today, a fighter with the best reflexes, certainly at Welterweight. At 38 years old and with a 16 month layoff, you knew that if Shane could not knock him out early he was going to tire. After the fourth round Shane was sucking air trying to keep up with a speed demon. He knew that he had to pace himself. Mosley was continuing to aim for the same punch that caught Mayweather in the second round. That might have worked if he was about ten years younger. In his prime Shane threw better combinations than Floyd and was more aggressive. Now his best chance was to take the fight inside, **** him to the body, rough him up and try to upset Floyd’s rhythm. In other words, try to slow the pace of the fight and forget about knocking him out. But in all probability, at 38 there is nothing Mosley could have done that would have resulted in a victory. Youth must be served.
DT - Did Mayweather answer all the critics about his abilities in this fight?
MS – No, because he didn't have much in front of him. It only answered one question; can Mayweather take a good punch? I’m not sure how hard the Mosley right hand was in the second round. It looked like a good shot, so it appears that Mayweather can take some punishment and recover. I did gain respect for Mayweather's "fighting heart" which is an important intangible, but the big question about what Mayweather would do if he was truly pressed was not answered because he did not have the opponent who could fight that style. The fight confirmed that Mayweather is a very good fighter for today—but we already knew that. In the 1950s, 60s and 70s Mayweather would have to face the likes of Kid Gavilan, Jose Napoles, Emile Griffith, Luis Rodriguez, Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, or Roberto Duran. He would not defeat those fighters. Mayweather is a very good fighter who stands out because he is surrounded by ordinary talent.
CONTINUING........
By David TylerMay 17, 2010)
Let's welcome the author of the definitive book about boxing: "The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science”. Boxing historian Mike Silver has agreed to share his views about the recent Mayweather/ Mosley fight. Mike also gives us his unique insight into a possible Mayweather/ Pacquiao match. Enjoy!
David Tyler - Mike, your thoughts about the recent Mayweather/ Mosley bout?
Mike Silver - The fight went according to how I and others figured it would go. Mayweather is at the top of his game. Mosley had not fought in 16 months. It’s hard enough to be sharp against a fast opponent if you are active, but a 16 month layoff for a fighter past his prime is a big handicap to overcome. It was the superior speed, youth, and reflexes of Floyd, not his superior boxing ability, that won him the match. Mosley couldn't do what he wanted to do because of his age.
DT - The second round of the fight will be remembered for a long time. Your thoughts about round two of the bout?
MS - I was thinking that here is a savvy old pro who was looking for an opening. To beat superior speed you really have to rely on strategy and proper timing. Mosley timed that right hand because he was still fresh....that was the key….it was only the second round so he was still fresh. He caught Mayweather with a beautiful punch and twice more with right hands. If that had been the Mosley of ten years earlier, he could have possibly landed additional punches in that round. The fight would have taken on a different tone because it would not have been a rusty 38 year old but a young vigorous 28 year old landing those shots. We would have had a totally different fight on our hands if it had involved a much younger Mosley.
DT - Rather than take a round off to recover, Mayweather came out the third round and took command of the fight. Did that surprise you?
MS - I must say that I was impressed with the way Mayweather handled himself at that point of the fight. He was stunned not just physically but emotionally by the punches and the fact that his knees buckled and he nearly went down. Even though he recovered completely between rounds we saw heart and tremendous pride by the way he came back wanting to take charge again and show who's boss. That's a commendable aspect of his fighting persona that I wasn’t sure existed. No one was sure how he would come back after the second round because we have never seen him hurt. That's the mark of a good fighter; he has got to have that in him or everything else won't matter.
DT - Between rounds, Mosley's trainer, ****m Richardson, was constantly prompting Shane to box and give up the idea slugging his way to a Kayo. Why do you think Mosley wasn't able to throw several punches and box?
MS - For the same reasons that some people thought this would be a close fight or that Mosley would win. They were thrown off by the Margarito fight. That was a totally different type of fight because Mosley was facing a totally different fighter and one much inferior to Mayweather. Margarito came directly into Shane, which played right into the old pro’s hands. Shane didn't have to use his legs, he didn't have to chase the man....reflexes and speed were not an issue in that fight. Even an old Shane could always outbox an ordinary club fighter like Margarito. People remembered Mosley landing right hand after right hand. Shane looked so much like he used to in that fight, but they didn’t realize why he looked so good. The fans had forgotten that he had some recent tough losses to fighters with different styles.
DT - Was there any kind of strategy that would have resulted in a Mosley victory?
MS – Certainly, but he would have to be in his prime to execute the strategy. Mosley was facing the most athletic fighter in the world today, a fighter with the best reflexes, certainly at Welterweight. At 38 years old and with a 16 month layoff, you knew that if Shane could not knock him out early he was going to tire. After the fourth round Shane was sucking air trying to keep up with a speed demon. He knew that he had to pace himself. Mosley was continuing to aim for the same punch that caught Mayweather in the second round. That might have worked if he was about ten years younger. In his prime Shane threw better combinations than Floyd and was more aggressive. Now his best chance was to take the fight inside, **** him to the body, rough him up and try to upset Floyd’s rhythm. In other words, try to slow the pace of the fight and forget about knocking him out. But in all probability, at 38 there is nothing Mosley could have done that would have resulted in a victory. Youth must be served.
DT - Did Mayweather answer all the critics about his abilities in this fight?
MS – No, because he didn't have much in front of him. It only answered one question; can Mayweather take a good punch? I’m not sure how hard the Mosley right hand was in the second round. It looked like a good shot, so it appears that Mayweather can take some punishment and recover. I did gain respect for Mayweather's "fighting heart" which is an important intangible, but the big question about what Mayweather would do if he was truly pressed was not answered because he did not have the opponent who could fight that style. The fight confirmed that Mayweather is a very good fighter for today—but we already knew that. In the 1950s, 60s and 70s Mayweather would have to face the likes of Kid Gavilan, Jose Napoles, Emile Griffith, Luis Rodriguez, Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, or Roberto Duran. He would not defeat those fighters. Mayweather is a very good fighter who stands out because he is surrounded by ordinary talent.
CONTINUING........
Comment