Published: Sunday, August 28, 2011, 2:30 PM
By David Mayo | The Grand Rapids Press
Floyd Mayweather coyly refuses to disclose the few things he knows he doesn't do as well as he used to.
The sight of Joe Louis’ head dangling off the ring apron, right leg draped over the bottom rope, after his career-ending confrontation with Rocky Marciano, still ranks among the great cautionary tales for fighters who cling too long to the rapture of money and fame, against the greater will of their physical limitations.
Roy Jones found out, crumbled by a single punch from Antonio Tarver.
Oscar De La Hoya found out, left to quit on his stool in his last fight, against Manny Pacquiao.
Floyd Mayweather, the 34-year-old boxing sensation from Grand Rapids, has reached the point in his career at which he, too, could be playing fast and loose with his 41-0 record, leaving the biggest question of Sept. 17 -- Is this the night Mayweather gets old before our eyes? -- for him and 24-year-old Victor Ortiz to resolve.
Age remains boxing’s one ageless question, and Mayweather-Ortiz are merely the latest to test it.
Fighters train their bodies and minds to overcome people who intend them harm. Some become so convinced in their continuing aptitude that they do the harm themselves.
At that point, the opponent virtually is incidental, though destined to become defined by that single moment. Frankie Randall practically would be forgotten by now, if not for becoming the first man to beat Julio Cesar Chavez. Gene Fullmer, a solid middleweight champion, always gets a disproportionate status boost from being the only man to twice defeat a past-his-prime Sugar Ray Robinson.
The pursuit of big fights demands that the most famous figures risk themselves against the best challengers around, deep into their careers. They usually reap their biggest paydays only after a career forged through years in the sport, when the wear and tear take their greatest toll. The body is at its most deteriorated state when the paychecks reach their most inflated size.
So they fight the big fights, over and over again.
And all too often, they hang around too long, if only one fight too long.
With which opponent do you most identify Marvin Hagler? How about Michael Spinks?
If you answered Sugar Ray Leonard and/or Mike Tyson, it’s a most unfortunate reflection on two great careers.
Mayweather, after fighting Ortiz, almost certainly will not be able to cram in another fight before turning 35 on Feb. 24, 2012. Historically, most fighters who hang on too long start to show deterioration before that age. Today’s fighters are somewhat better preserved because they don’t compete as often, although 35 is still a very advanced age for someone to be undefeated, rarely challenged and showing few signs of decline.
Mayweather has promised to stand mid-ring and fight Ortiz. In truth, his appearance on "Dancing With the Stars" was the last anyone has seen of the twinkle-toed Mayweather. He has transformed from perimeter dancer to a stand-down fighter.
Such a tactical change often is viewed as a fighter with diminished mobility. In ring-speak, such a fighter has lost his legs.
"It’s not that," Mayweather said. "I’m just versatile. Versatile fighter. If I have to move on a guy, of course, that’s what I’m going to do. Of course, I’m not in the sport to take no abuse."
The willingness to engage has made Mayweather fights somewhat more interesting in recent years, although it also resulted in Shane Mosley landing a shot that wobbled him last year. The inability to avoid punches also can be a sign of age.
"Am I upset about that still?" Mayweather said. "You know, it’s over with now, but was I upset, dealing with the shot? I wasn’t tripping. I just said, ‘It comes with the territory.’ "
Roger Mayweather said his nephew could fight another "three or four years" on skills alone, even if he did begin to deteriorate physically. Then again, Roger Mayweather, who trains his nephew, lost 13 times as a pro.
Floyd Mayweather, who coyly refuses to disclose the few things he knows he doesn’t do as well as he used to, is loathe to take a loss. His harshest critics say he’s too cautious, and that’s why he hasn’t fought Pacquiao. Mayweather steadfastly says he wants the fight.
Some fighters never slip. Marciano was 49-0 and, if anything, retired too early, at 32. Carlos Monzon was on a multi-year win streak when he retired with the middleweight title at 34. Archie Moore never really had a losing streak in a brilliant light heavyweight reign before retiring at 46, the same age at which Bernard Hopkins bounced back from some late-career losses to become the current light heavyweight champion.
Those fighters who did slip often were in unpreventable positions. Would anyone have advised Alexis Arguello not to fight Aaron Pryor, or Willie Pep not to fight Sandy Saddler, or Joe Frazier not to fight again after his win over Muhammad Ali in their first meeting, thereby depriving boxing of some of its most historic events?
Would anyone advise Mayweather not to risk fighting Pacquiao, even if the end result could be a similar analysis, years from now, that he hung on one fight too long?
The best any fighter can hope for is to maximize his earnings potential, win his biggest fights, get out healthy and hope he doesn’t overstay his welcome too much.
On Sept. 17, and each time he steps into the ring thereafter, part of the intrigue will be discovering whether Mayweather has overstayed his.
By David Mayo | The Grand Rapids Press
Floyd Mayweather coyly refuses to disclose the few things he knows he doesn't do as well as he used to.
The sight of Joe Louis’ head dangling off the ring apron, right leg draped over the bottom rope, after his career-ending confrontation with Rocky Marciano, still ranks among the great cautionary tales for fighters who cling too long to the rapture of money and fame, against the greater will of their physical limitations.
Roy Jones found out, crumbled by a single punch from Antonio Tarver.
Oscar De La Hoya found out, left to quit on his stool in his last fight, against Manny Pacquiao.
Floyd Mayweather, the 34-year-old boxing sensation from Grand Rapids, has reached the point in his career at which he, too, could be playing fast and loose with his 41-0 record, leaving the biggest question of Sept. 17 -- Is this the night Mayweather gets old before our eyes? -- for him and 24-year-old Victor Ortiz to resolve.
Age remains boxing’s one ageless question, and Mayweather-Ortiz are merely the latest to test it.
Fighters train their bodies and minds to overcome people who intend them harm. Some become so convinced in their continuing aptitude that they do the harm themselves.
At that point, the opponent virtually is incidental, though destined to become defined by that single moment. Frankie Randall practically would be forgotten by now, if not for becoming the first man to beat Julio Cesar Chavez. Gene Fullmer, a solid middleweight champion, always gets a disproportionate status boost from being the only man to twice defeat a past-his-prime Sugar Ray Robinson.
The pursuit of big fights demands that the most famous figures risk themselves against the best challengers around, deep into their careers. They usually reap their biggest paydays only after a career forged through years in the sport, when the wear and tear take their greatest toll. The body is at its most deteriorated state when the paychecks reach their most inflated size.
So they fight the big fights, over and over again.
And all too often, they hang around too long, if only one fight too long.
With which opponent do you most identify Marvin Hagler? How about Michael Spinks?
If you answered Sugar Ray Leonard and/or Mike Tyson, it’s a most unfortunate reflection on two great careers.
Mayweather, after fighting Ortiz, almost certainly will not be able to cram in another fight before turning 35 on Feb. 24, 2012. Historically, most fighters who hang on too long start to show deterioration before that age. Today’s fighters are somewhat better preserved because they don’t compete as often, although 35 is still a very advanced age for someone to be undefeated, rarely challenged and showing few signs of decline.
Mayweather has promised to stand mid-ring and fight Ortiz. In truth, his appearance on "Dancing With the Stars" was the last anyone has seen of the twinkle-toed Mayweather. He has transformed from perimeter dancer to a stand-down fighter.
Such a tactical change often is viewed as a fighter with diminished mobility. In ring-speak, such a fighter has lost his legs.
"It’s not that," Mayweather said. "I’m just versatile. Versatile fighter. If I have to move on a guy, of course, that’s what I’m going to do. Of course, I’m not in the sport to take no abuse."
The willingness to engage has made Mayweather fights somewhat more interesting in recent years, although it also resulted in Shane Mosley landing a shot that wobbled him last year. The inability to avoid punches also can be a sign of age.
"Am I upset about that still?" Mayweather said. "You know, it’s over with now, but was I upset, dealing with the shot? I wasn’t tripping. I just said, ‘It comes with the territory.’ "
Roger Mayweather said his nephew could fight another "three or four years" on skills alone, even if he did begin to deteriorate physically. Then again, Roger Mayweather, who trains his nephew, lost 13 times as a pro.
Floyd Mayweather, who coyly refuses to disclose the few things he knows he doesn’t do as well as he used to, is loathe to take a loss. His harshest critics say he’s too cautious, and that’s why he hasn’t fought Pacquiao. Mayweather steadfastly says he wants the fight.
Some fighters never slip. Marciano was 49-0 and, if anything, retired too early, at 32. Carlos Monzon was on a multi-year win streak when he retired with the middleweight title at 34. Archie Moore never really had a losing streak in a brilliant light heavyweight reign before retiring at 46, the same age at which Bernard Hopkins bounced back from some late-career losses to become the current light heavyweight champion.
Those fighters who did slip often were in unpreventable positions. Would anyone have advised Alexis Arguello not to fight Aaron Pryor, or Willie Pep not to fight Sandy Saddler, or Joe Frazier not to fight again after his win over Muhammad Ali in their first meeting, thereby depriving boxing of some of its most historic events?
Would anyone advise Mayweather not to risk fighting Pacquiao, even if the end result could be a similar analysis, years from now, that he hung on one fight too long?
The best any fighter can hope for is to maximize his earnings potential, win his biggest fights, get out healthy and hope he doesn’t overstay his welcome too much.
On Sept. 17, and each time he steps into the ring thereafter, part of the intrigue will be discovering whether Mayweather has overstayed his.
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