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It seems popular opinion on this board is that in order to defeat Floyd Mayweather, you have to make into a brawl. Cut off the ring, apply as much pressure as possible, and throw a lot of punches. The problem with this gameplan is several things:
1. You're trying to cut off the ring and apply pressure against Floyd Mayweather Jr - one of the most slippery and slickest fighters boxing has ever seen. This will have your fighter whiffing at air all night long, leaving him to get tired.
2. Floyd is one of the best counter punchers of all-time. Floyd WANTS you to throw a lot of punches and exposing yourself to his counters.
This gameplan is exactly want Floyd wants you to do. It plays into his strengths. You're walking forward as Floyd uses his legs to dance around you as you walk into his pot shots all night long.
You have to ask yourself, what does Floyd NOT want you to do? What does Floyd least expect? Floyd doesn't want to be the agressor - he doesn't want to be the one to have to make the first move. Floyd also doesn't expect anyone to try and outthink him - so this is exactly what you must try to do. You have to be able to think quickly, be patient, and set traps for Floyd. God-given hand speed doesn't hurt either...
Here's an example:
Above, you don't see Mosley applying pressure and throwing 500 punches He's posied and he's thinking and he's effectively lulled Mayweather into a passive state... Suddenly you see him take a half a step into his range and setting a trap. He occupies Mayweather with a jab to the body (the trap), while Mayweather is occupied with the jab, Shane puts a right hand right over the top catching Floyd off guard. Once again, an example of out-thinking Floyd.
Example #2:
Zab pretty much does the same thing that Mosley did in the above GIF. Zab, standing his ground, occupies Mayweather with a couple half-hearted jabs (the jab) then rips a straight left hand down the pipe.
Here we go again, Zab lets Mayweather act first, and counters the jab to the body. Zab was poised and he didn't fall for the feinted jab, instead he waited for the REAL punch, the jab to the body, and caught Mayweather coming in....
A final example:
Corley setting a trap for Floyd with a jab and landing a nice follow shot.
The above are all examples of fighters being poised, standing their ground, and thinking WITH Floyd. Using a jab to set up their offense. Now of course, both Zab and Mosley and Corley went on to lose their fights because of Mayweather's adaptability but also because they simple don't have the mental fortitude to stay sharp for a full 12 rounds.
Let's be honest, the idea that it takes pressure + punches to defeat Floyd stems from the Castillo fight - a fight that took place 11 YEARS AGO. We can all agree that Floyd is better than he was 11 friggin' years ago and he's solved this puzzle a long time ago. We've seen boxer after boxer try this same gameplan and they all ended taking an L home for their troubles. Corrales, Castillo II, Baldomir, DLH, Cotto...
Only man to have reasonable success since Castillo was Hatton. But Hatton had great foot speed and was capable of closing the distance quicker than Floyd could react. Hatton didn't have the conditioning to keep it up. Nor did he have the boxing IQ to know what to do once he caught Floyd. It's the dog chasing the car analogy - the dog chases the car but once it catches up to it, it has no idea what to do with itself.
The old 'apply pressure + punches' gameplan needs to be discarded. Thinking with Floyd sounds like a fool's task, but this is the avenue to victory. You have make Floyd come to you and set up your offense with a jab, and get Floyd to fall for your traps.
1. You're trying to cut off the ring and apply pressure against Floyd Mayweather Jr - one of the most slippery and slickest fighters boxing has ever seen. This will have your fighter whiffing at air all night long, leaving him to get tired.
2. Floyd is one of the best counter punchers of all-time. Floyd WANTS you to throw a lot of punches and exposing yourself to his counters.
This gameplan is exactly want Floyd wants you to do. It plays into his strengths. You're walking forward as Floyd uses his legs to dance around you as you walk into his pot shots all night long.
You have to ask yourself, what does Floyd NOT want you to do? What does Floyd least expect? Floyd doesn't want to be the agressor - he doesn't want to be the one to have to make the first move. Floyd also doesn't expect anyone to try and outthink him - so this is exactly what you must try to do. You have to be able to think quickly, be patient, and set traps for Floyd. God-given hand speed doesn't hurt either...
Here's an example:
Above, you don't see Mosley applying pressure and throwing 500 punches He's posied and he's thinking and he's effectively lulled Mayweather into a passive state... Suddenly you see him take a half a step into his range and setting a trap. He occupies Mayweather with a jab to the body (the trap), while Mayweather is occupied with the jab, Shane puts a right hand right over the top catching Floyd off guard. Once again, an example of out-thinking Floyd.
Example #2:
Zab pretty much does the same thing that Mosley did in the above GIF. Zab, standing his ground, occupies Mayweather with a couple half-hearted jabs (the jab) then rips a straight left hand down the pipe.
Here we go again, Zab lets Mayweather act first, and counters the jab to the body. Zab was poised and he didn't fall for the feinted jab, instead he waited for the REAL punch, the jab to the body, and caught Mayweather coming in....
A final example:
Corley setting a trap for Floyd with a jab and landing a nice follow shot.
The above are all examples of fighters being poised, standing their ground, and thinking WITH Floyd. Using a jab to set up their offense. Now of course, both Zab and Mosley and Corley went on to lose their fights because of Mayweather's adaptability but also because they simple don't have the mental fortitude to stay sharp for a full 12 rounds.
Let's be honest, the idea that it takes pressure + punches to defeat Floyd stems from the Castillo fight - a fight that took place 11 YEARS AGO. We can all agree that Floyd is better than he was 11 friggin' years ago and he's solved this puzzle a long time ago. We've seen boxer after boxer try this same gameplan and they all ended taking an L home for their troubles. Corrales, Castillo II, Baldomir, DLH, Cotto...
Only man to have reasonable success since Castillo was Hatton. But Hatton had great foot speed and was capable of closing the distance quicker than Floyd could react. Hatton didn't have the conditioning to keep it up. Nor did he have the boxing IQ to know what to do once he caught Floyd. It's the dog chasing the car analogy - the dog chases the car but once it catches up to it, it has no idea what to do with itself.
The old 'apply pressure + punches' gameplan needs to be discarded. Thinking with Floyd sounds like a fool's task, but this is the avenue to victory. You have make Floyd come to you and set up your offense with a jab, and get Floyd to fall for your traps.
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