What Is Experience? . . . Really?

[neiman]

I think a lot of it as well has to deal with perspective. You have to think.... "What is Floyd focusing on. What is he looking at that his opponent is not?

I know this may sound weird, but look at Daigo (one of the greatest Street Fighter players of all time). Doesn't necessarily matter which character he uses.... He is still able to dominate his opponents in a way that's so controlled it's almost as if he can see the future. Most people simply write this off as Daigo having "UME" or being able to see the future, when in reality we know that not only does he have complete understanding of the matchup, but he also has the proper perspective to approach the matchup...

I think this is a universal idea that stems to all things, not just boxing. Once one understands this concept, they can apply it to whatever they want be it boxing, chess, tennis... Any kind of 1v1 engagement.

The question I'd like to know is... What event or experience did Floyd have as a young boy that made him see or realize this?

[Soda_Popinski]

frankly...Mayweather was being very humble with the "experience" stuff...Mayweather is a once in a generation (lifetime?) fighter not because he possesses skills that are above and beyond what others have, but because he combines them with a boxing intelligence that is absolutely second to none...

nothing surprises him...nothing rattles him...if something doesnt work he calmly tries something else, if for even a second you think you've figured him out he switches up the game...

the perfect example is him getting caught with those bombs by SSM and going on to dominate the fight...its not that Shane stopped trying...Floyd shut down what was working...

[Ratchet]

I'd consider it to be developing a certain familiarity, or reaction, to situations and knowing how to handle them. I don't mean in the sense that "Mayweather has had more big fights than Canelo so he's more experienced." I mean more like Floyd can tell the difference between a weak jab and a strong jab. This enables him to know whether he should go for the pull counter or simply parry/evade the punch. It's knowing what to do in the moment.

Fighters spend their careers testing out different techniques, movements and counters. Sometimes, it's wise to throw a straight right hand instead of a left hook, or slowly pacing yourself instead of getting baited into gassing yourself too early. You could see in the fight when Canelo willingly went over to the ropes to try and lull Floyd into getting careless and walking right into a counter and that shiz didn't work. It's a combination of things but it can kind of be summed up as "Been there, done that." Some fighters develop one reaction to a situation and never abandon it, even if it stops working, i.e Paul Williams routinely doing the same motions even though he was getting countered all day by Lara.