The art of Boxing has come a long way and i do not want to prove to be an expert, but i had wanted to write a boxing piece for sometime now, however the motivation to do so was not existent, until now. Realistically, Boxing is in a comatose position, especially the heavyweight class which in my humble opinion is as good as dead until something dramatic happens. Dramatic in the sense that the Heavyweight class needs some kind of regeneration, a jolt of some sort to take it back to where it use to be; its become so boring especially due to the unhealthy dominance of the Klitschkos, due to no fault of theirs; but due to the lack of quality that has come through the Heavyweight class over the last 10 years, especially since the Tyson era no heavyweight has taken the weight class by storm unlike in the lesser weights where every corner you look there's some young prodigy climbing up the ladder ready to upset the so called status quo; hence it is safe to say that interest in boxing is limited to the Middleweight and Welterweights currently.
The off/on Mayweather v Pacquio debacle has
also gone a long way in ensuring that interest in Boxing remains high
especially in the lower weight class. Whether this fight will ever happen
remains to be seen especially with Manny Pacquio been knocked out by Juan
Manuel Marquez in the fourth installment of their epic battles. Mayweather may
see the loss by Pacquio as a reason to avoid the fight as he remains
undefeated, the main attraction in the weight class as well as the best pound
for pound boxer in the world. He will feel that there’s absolutely no
motivation for him to face a fighter who has lost his last two fights; even
though one was in rather controversial circumstances. However, the loss to
Marquez especially with the manner he lost will be a major dent on the
illustrious career of the Pacman.
As we look forward to the progress being
made by the likes of Andre “The Problem”
Broner, Danny Garcia, Ricky Alvarez as well as the other lads coming up the
weight class; it mainly shows that the excitement that the heavyweights used to
be renowned for has been stolen by the lower weight classes and we have a lot
of potentially great match ups to look forward to.
Mayweather v Guerrero
Finally the money man gets into the ring,
finally some excitement at last in boxing. Floyd “Money” Mayweather is at his prime; he’s even taken time out to go
to jail and he cannot only take greater motivation from his personal issues,
but he remains the pound for pound king. Forget his refusal not to fight
Pacquio; he is the ultimate show man; he is a proven student of history
especially with his decision to hand pick his opponents and eagerness to
maintain his unbeaten record. Mayweather has signed a six fights contract with
Showtime, meaning this will be the first time in a long time that a Mayweather
fight would not be on HBO; a change for the better perhaps.
Robert “The
Ghost” Guerrero is a fighter that has built quite a healthy reputation for
himself and really needs a fight like this; he is a pretty good challenge for Mayweather.
He fights quite hard, doesn’t guard that much, a lot depends on his movement.
His chin always seems exposed to the extent that his chin has being tagged the chin from hell. Guerrero cannot go into
this fight with Mayweather without a clear cut plan, he has to be meticulous
and beat Floyd at his own game. He mustn’t approach the fight with the stance
of smothering Mayweather; it would mean playing into his hands. Guerrero’s camp
have one of the best trainers in the sport currently and I am sure they would
have watched tapes of Floyd; advising him not to think that Floyd’s absence or
advancement in age would have slowed him down; he’d be wrong. It’s a great
opportunity for Guerrero to climb up the ladder, but it is going to be a very
tough fight.
For Mayweather, a lot has been made about
his advancement in age and his absence from the ring, a number of pundits claim
he has slowed down somewhat, pointing particularly to his last fight with Miguel Cotto as indications that he’s not
as quick as he used to be. Also his
absence from the ring (due to his incarceration) for over a year is expected to
be a strong hindrance in his return to the square circle. Floyd Mayweather
always fights with style and his defensive style otherwise known as the
shoulder roll has being very successful; his hand speed remains his greatest
weapon. He always fights a tactical fight and cannot be brawled with or
smothered; because of his tactical awareness, it’s easy for him to counter
punch and get himself out of trouble. Mayweather has shown a weakness of some
sorts to straight punches and jabs and a preoccupation of his left hand will
also be vital in this fight, as his favorite combination is the left hook and a
right upper cut. If Robert Guerrero is able to get Mayweather to the ropes, he
has to be methodical in his combinations and accuracy. Taking advantage of
whatever little weaknesses Floyd Mayweather has is easier said than done; but
it is doable.
Mayweather’s anticipation and adjustments
he makes depending on whoever he is fighting are his major strong points;
although he’s had some problems with southpaws; but his speed, agility and
flamboyant style sets him apart from the rest in his weight class.
Verdict:
It’s going to be a very tough fight for Guerrero, who must avoid going gung ho
and smothering his opponent. He needs to be tactical and have multiple well
spelt out plans, so he can change them if any is not working and ensure he
tries to have Floyd on the defensive and most defend himself well too. I think this fight will end in the 7th
round with Mayweather winning the fight.
@yemimanutd
