What Canelo has to do to beat Mayweather

[mconstantine]

I'm hype about this fight...decided to give some analysis on what I think Canelo has to do to have a shot at winning.

[CokeCider]

Canelo will put up a great fight !

[Dinamita 03]

Sounds like a good game plan. It's easier said than done, but i think Canelo is talented and smart enough to make things interesting.

[QQQQQQQ]

Good breakdown. I agree 1000% with your 3rd point. He's gotta try and get Floyd to trade. Canelos a lot stronger, if mosley can hurt him, I think canelo can do serious damage if he can time that right hand.



I think the key is to make Floyd FIGHT. Put smart pressure on him and check his chin. Jab, cut off the ring, go to the body, etc. You cant let Floyd fight his fight, cause then he'll have fun with you. That's why I understand why Ortiz tried to get dirty.

[dmoney7141998]

In my opinion even though the topic is old lol, Canelo will have to use really good head movement and put alot of pressure on Mayweather while being elusive.

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

I'm hype about this fight...decided to give some analysis on what I think Canelo has to do to have a shot at winning.

#1 - Off rhythm shots

- Ok well, I get what you are saying but that's just another way of saying feints, and catching Mayweather by surprise. I agree but I think Mayweathers strength is his ability to adapt to any fighter, any style in a matter of a few rounds.

#2 - Establish the jab

- This is common knowledge for anyone fighting Mayweather. DLH used the jab well, as did Augustus, Zab and even Castillo at times. I don't know if Canelo's jab is on the level of Cotto, simply because we haven't seen him really use it as a weapon in most of his fights. I'm sure they are working hard on that.

Also, Mayweather doesn't pull counter off the opponents jab, well at least not the vast majority of the time. He pull counters off the right hand, that's why fighters are so hesitant to throw the right hand after they have eaten enough counters. The jab needs to be thrown at and angle, I don't want to get too technical into it but there's a specific jab Canelo can use vs the philly shell that can really be effective and it's an off angle jab with proper footwork after the jab for a good angle set up.

#3 - Punch with Mayweather

- Uh...well yes and no. I think obviously he's going to try and trade with Mayweather, but I think distance is the key to this one. Mayweather has great speed and more importantly timing. So Canelo needs to trade with him when he has Mayweather on the ropes, and at closer distance. He can't try and time him in the middle of the ring because he will lose that battle most of the time.


For me, I think most over complicate this fight to be honest. Canelo needs to pressure, but do so intelligently. He needs to come forward, catching and parrying, and then angle jab, step off and fire off his combos. He needs to maul Mayweather, make him uncomfortable, bully him. Can he do it? That's the million dollar question.

Can he do it for 12 rounds? We don't know, I would bet no but I am pulling for Canelo to win.

[mconstantine]

#1 - Off rhythm shots

- Ok well, I get what you are saying but that's just another way of saying feints, and catching Mayweather by surprise. I agree but I think Mayweathers strength is his ability to adapt to any fighter, any style in a matter of a few rounds.

#2 - Establish the jab

- This is common knowledge for anyone fighting Mayweather. DLH used the jab well, as did Augustus, Zab and even Castillo at times. I don't know if Canelo's jab is on the level of Cotto, simply because we haven't seen him really use it as a weapon in most of his fights. I'm sure they are working hard on that.

Also, Mayweather doesn't pull counter off the opponents jab, well at least not the vast majority of the time. He pull counters off the right hand, that's why fighters are so hesitant to throw the right hand after they have eaten enough counters. The jab needs to be thrown at and angle, I don't want to get too technical into it but there's a specific jab Canelo can use vs the philly shell that can really be effective and it's an off angle jab with proper footwork after the jab for a good angle set up.

#3 - Punch with Mayweather

- Uh...well yes and no. I think obviously he's going to try and trade with Mayweather, but I think distance is the key to this one. Mayweather has great speed and more importantly timing. So Canelo needs to trade with him when he has Mayweather on the ropes, and at closer distance. He can't try and time him in the middle of the ring because he will lose that battle most of the time.


For me, I think most over complicate this fight to be honest. Canelo needs to pressure, but do so intelligently. He needs to come forward, catching and parrying, and then angle jab, step off and fire off his combos. He needs to maul Mayweather, make him uncomfortable, bully him. Can he do it? That's the million dollar question.

Can he do it for 12 rounds? We don't know, I would bet no but I am pulling for Canelo to win.

#1. It's not just about feints though although that's a part of it. It really boils down to being unpredictable and some what awkward. If a fighter is truly doing this, making an adjustment would be a hell of a lot easier said than done.

#2. Mayweather doesn't pull counter against the jab? What dude? lol. Anyways, the jab in some ways dove tails into the first strategy. The DLH, Cotto and Castillo 1 fights Mayweather found a way to win, but in those fights he struggled to really find a rhythm because of the pressure they created off the jab. Mayweather essentially brawled with Augustus and beat the shiet out of him. Mayweather caught his rhythm with Judah later in the fight.

#3 It's not just about trading punches with Mayweather. I'm talking simply about punching in rhythm with Mayweather's pot shots when Mayweather is in pot shot mode in the middle of the ring. He CAN win this battle because it relies on timing. Timing can beat speed especially if it has power behind it. This is one of the few reasons why Garcia is so dangerous. It's also the reason why both Corley and Mayweather hurt Mayweather in their fights.

I agree that the obvious and tried and true approach to beating a guy like Mayweather is intelligent pressure. But that takes amazing conditioning and it demands that Canelo manages to be the ring general. Those seem to be long shots at this point. More than likely, the fight will be fight at a Mayweather pace predominantly in the middle of the ring...so Canelo will need to be able to adjust to that. Punching WITH him is probably one of his best tactics to do.

There are so may variables with this fight which makes it so intriguing. One big variable in this fight though is if Canelo respects Mayweather's power. I could see this fight looking like Mayweather vs. Ortiz had it continued. Mayweather was finding Ortiz, but it wasn't slowing Ortiz down. Had that fight continued, Mayweather may have broken Ortiz down, or Ortiz may have caught him. But even Ortiz has shown to be better conditioned to fight that fight than Canelo.

Another variable is Mayweather's strategy. If I was Mayweather, I'd run some gas out of Canelo boxing him in the first 4 rounds, than I would force him backwards the way Mayweather was doing Ortiz from the beginning in that fight. Another weakness no one talks much about with Canelo is the fact that he is WAY more effective fighting moving forward than back. I can see Mayweather taking this away once he's let some steam out and gauged Canelo's power.

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

[QUOTE]

#1. It's not just about feints though although that's a part of it. It really boils down to being unpredictable and some what awkward. If a fighter is truly doing this, making an adjustment would be a hell of a lot easier said than done.

I get what you are saying, I just don't think Canelo has that in his bag of tricks and I don't know how effective that will really be. Mayweathers biggest strength is his ability to adapt almost immediately.

#2. Mayweather doesn't pull counter against the jab? What dude? lol. Anyways, the jab in some ways dove tails into the first strategy. The DLH, Cotto and Castillo 1 fights Mayweather found a way to win, but in those fights he struggled to really find a rhythm because of the pressure they created off the jab. Mayweather essentially brawled with Augustus and beat the shiet out of him. Mayweather caught his rhythm with Judah later in the fight.

I said Mayweather doesn't pull counter off the jab most of the time. He does it time to time, but the pull counter is traditionally done off a right hand. I should know, I work with Chuck Icen who is a North Philly guy who trained under Georgie Benton and it's taught and drilled that way over and over. It's the reason the right hand becomes almost insignificant vs Mayweather and the jab is much more important.

#3 It's not just about trading punches with Mayweather. I'm talking simply about punching in rhythm with Mayweather's pot shots when Mayweather is in pot shot mode in the middle of the ring. He CAN win this battle because it relies on timing. Timing can beat speed especially if it has power behind it. This is one of the few reasons why Garcia is so dangerous. It's also the reason why both Corley and Mayweather hurt Mayweather in their fights.

Timing does beat speed and who has better timing? Mayweather or Canelo? There's the answer to your question...hahaha You are asking Canelo to play Mayweathers game, not a smart idea.

I agree that the obvious and tried and true approach to beating a guy like Mayweather is intelligent pressure. But that takes amazing conditioning and it demands that Canelo manages to be the ring general. Those seem to be long shots at this point. More than likely, the fight will be fight at a Mayweather pace predominantly in the middle of the ring...so Canelo will need to be able to adjust to that. Punching WITH him is probably one of his best tactics to do.

Well if you are right and Canelo can't do this, the fight is over. Canelo cannot do what Mayweather does, not in a million years. I love Canelo, am rooting for him but you do not go into this trying to beat Mayweather in his own game, that would be suicide. You try and take away the strengths of your opponent, not beat him at his game.

There are so may variables with this fight which makes it so intriguing. One big variable in this fight though is if Canelo respects Mayweather's power. I could see this fight looking like Mayweather vs. Ortiz had it continued. Mayweather was finding Ortiz, but it wasn't slowing Ortiz down. Had that fight continued, Mayweather may have broken Ortiz down, or Ortiz may have caught him. But even Ortiz has shown to be better conditioned to fight that fight than Canelo.

Ortiz would disagree with you. After the fight Ortiz admitted that Mayweather hit HARD. Look at his left eye from those right hand counters, it was almost closed shut. I think Mayweather hits very hard, and hits you when you don't expect it. I think Canelo will find out that Mayweathers punches just don't sting, but they hurt.

Another variable is Mayweather's strategy. If I was Mayweather, I'd run some gas out of Canelo boxing him in the first 4 rounds, than I would force him backwards the way Mayweather was doing Ortiz from the beginning in that fight. Another weakness no one talks much about with Canelo is the fact that he is WAY more effective fighting moving forward than back. I can see Mayweather taking this away once he's let some steam out and gauged Canelo's power.

Coming forward in a fight takes a hell of a lot more stamina than going backwards. Ask anyone who has ever fought and they will tell you the same. I was a pressure fighter, and I needed to be in tip top shape.

Mayweather doesn't have to do anything special to wear Canelo down, he WANTS Canelo to come forward, that's what counter puncher do.

I also don't think he will press forward unless Canelo is hurt, just like he did vs Guerrero. For most of the fight he was going backwards until he hurt Guerrero in the 10th I believe it was. Coming forward against a bigger stronger fighter puts you in more harms way, Mayweather doesn't take chances.

I like your opinion, and think you make some good points but I think like most fans that are not involved with boxing as trainers or fighters, you are over complicating things. Mayweather is going to do what he does, Canelo needs to take him out of that rhythm like you said, but it's going to happen not with off rhythm punches, but by pressuring him, bullying him and mauling him inside as the bigger stronger man.

I don't think this one is too complicated to be honest. I have talked to a lot of pro trainers are bout this, and we are all basically on the same page. DLH even hinted the same thing about "Intelligent pressure" and that's what Canelo needs to do. If he decides to box, play the timing game, or stand in the middle of the ring for too long....we are looking at a Mayweather UD.

[djinferno]

If Canelo is to win, he cant get tired, this will be his biggest obstacle...

[New England]

get close enough to land one on floyd's chin, ideally on the ropes. if he can't he'll lose on points. it's really that simple. canelo is going to have to walk through a ton of punishment to do it. i don't think he's that type of mexican fighter. he's more of a technician. he tries to box, and mix in power shots and combinations. he'll be lost when he's reduced to having to fight in a purely mexican style. he doesn't have the skills to beat floyd mayweather in a thinking man's fight. his feet aren't fast enough to be able to be doing anything other than chasing floyd around the ring at all of the wrong distances and angles. if he wants to win he'll have to impose his size by walking through floyd's stuff and landing his own. the only way he wins is if he's simply "too big."

alvarez is by nature a very patient fighter. if you're patient with floyd mayweather you'll be listening to the scorecards being read before you're ready to make your move.

unless mayweather gets old overnight i expect him to weather a couple of rocky spots early in the fight, adjust, slow canelo's pace even further than normal (all floyd opponents throw markedly fewer punches they normally would,) and land the cleaner shots down the stretch.

i don't even think floyd is going to try and pot shot / tie canelo up. alvarez is way too strong for that. mayweather will have long enough arms and the handspeed to score enough from the outside, and all the tools and footspeed he needs to keep canelo there.