Is the fine art of Boxing dead or in a coma? Can Mayweather excite us again?

To some people Boxing is merely a sport, to me it is an art, a fine art. Boxers (especially those of the smaller weight class) are light artist with a paint brush doing justice to their respective canvases; when they strut their stuff around the squared circle otherwise known as the ring.

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 7^th round with Mayweather winning the fight.

Adeyemi Adesanya
@yemimanutd