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After seeing last night's performance there is no doubt in my mind that "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather Jr. is hands down the greatest fighter of his generation. That debate is now officially over with. However that said, I also think his lackluster performance last night also puts to rest the debate if Floyd is truly the greatest ever, or even one of them.
There were times in the fight where when Oscar used his jab to lead his combinations that the "Pretty Boy" had nothing to offer in return. He was backpeddling and just trying to get away, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. See rounds 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 for examples. In the first half of the fight I found myself amazed that not only was Oscar able to land his shots accurately (see the 9 consecutive left hooks to the body, of which 5 landed) but that Floyd had nothing in return.
Had Oscar stuck to his jab there's no doubt it would have been 116-112 for De La Hoya. That said, I'm not making excuses because I believe Mayweather did indeed win the fight and he won me over as a fan in some respects. However I do think his performance last night casts a lot of doubt on his (and his blatant fanboys) claim that he is the greatest ever. At times in the fight last night Floyd looked afraid to be there (rounds 2, 3, and 4).
The bottom line is this: Floyd Mayweather Jr. is unquestionably the greatest fighter of his generation. But a greatest of all time he is not, if he were, the fight would have been a "****ing massacre" as he predicted. And he would not have struggled so much early on with a fighter who is 5 years past his prime performance level.
As for De La Hoya, I think he is in far better condition and able to compete at a much higher level than we had all given him credit for. Oscar is far from washed up and his performance last night was amazing until he decided to abandon the jab. He should've went with Sr. as his coach, because Floyd Sr. would've yelled at him in the corner to "use your ****ing jab!".
There were times in the fight where when Oscar used his jab to lead his combinations that the "Pretty Boy" had nothing to offer in return. He was backpeddling and just trying to get away, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. See rounds 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 for examples. In the first half of the fight I found myself amazed that not only was Oscar able to land his shots accurately (see the 9 consecutive left hooks to the body, of which 5 landed) but that Floyd had nothing in return.
Had Oscar stuck to his jab there's no doubt it would have been 116-112 for De La Hoya. That said, I'm not making excuses because I believe Mayweather did indeed win the fight and he won me over as a fan in some respects. However I do think his performance last night casts a lot of doubt on his (and his blatant fanboys) claim that he is the greatest ever. At times in the fight last night Floyd looked afraid to be there (rounds 2, 3, and 4).
The bottom line is this: Floyd Mayweather Jr. is unquestionably the greatest fighter of his generation. But a greatest of all time he is not, if he were, the fight would have been a "****ing massacre" as he predicted. And he would not have struggled so much early on with a fighter who is 5 years past his prime performance level.
As for De La Hoya, I think he is in far better condition and able to compete at a much higher level than we had all given him credit for. Oscar is far from washed up and his performance last night was amazing until he decided to abandon the jab. He should've went with Sr. as his coach, because Floyd Sr. would've yelled at him in the corner to "use your ****ing jab!".
I was highly impressed with Oscar.
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