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by David P. Greisman - Floyd Mayweather has long been confident that there was no blueprint for beating him, that his undefeated record and longevity were all the proof that anyone needed.
He’d won his first championship as a 21-year-old in his 18th fight, just two years into his pro career, and he had been at the top of the sport ever since, for more than 15 years. Going into this past weekend, his 45-0 record included 20 victories over 19 fighters who held, had once held or would go on later to hold a world title; and 23 wins in bouts with a lineal championship or sanctioning body belt on the line. Mayweather had earned recognition as the true world champion of the 130-, 135, 147- and 154- pound divisions, and he’d also been a titleholder at 140.
He is the best boxer in the world. But a perfect record doesn’t mean perfection in the ring. That is an impossibility in a sport in which other world-class fighters are also seeking to force handfuls of leather onto your head and body.
No one has triumphed over Mayweather, but some have troubled him.
Mayweather has long said that Emanuel Augustus, the skilled journeyman, gave him his toughest fight back in 2000. Jose Luis Castillo outworked and outlanded Mayweather in their first meeting in 2002, though Mayweather left with the controversial decision win. Zab Judah had some success in the first four rounds of their bout in 2006. [Click Here To Read More]
He’d won his first championship as a 21-year-old in his 18th fight, just two years into his pro career, and he had been at the top of the sport ever since, for more than 15 years. Going into this past weekend, his 45-0 record included 20 victories over 19 fighters who held, had once held or would go on later to hold a world title; and 23 wins in bouts with a lineal championship or sanctioning body belt on the line. Mayweather had earned recognition as the true world champion of the 130-, 135, 147- and 154- pound divisions, and he’d also been a titleholder at 140.
He is the best boxer in the world. But a perfect record doesn’t mean perfection in the ring. That is an impossibility in a sport in which other world-class fighters are also seeking to force handfuls of leather onto your head and body.
No one has triumphed over Mayweather, but some have troubled him.
Mayweather has long said that Emanuel Augustus, the skilled journeyman, gave him his toughest fight back in 2000. Jose Luis Castillo outworked and outlanded Mayweather in their first meeting in 2002, though Mayweather left with the controversial decision win. Zab Judah had some success in the first four rounds of their bout in 2006. [Click Here To Read More]
Those gloves doe...
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