Who Can Beat Mayweather? We May Have the Answer

Published

12 years ago

August 22, 2013

The closest Floyd Mayweather Jr. came to losing a fight was against Jose Luis Castillo on April 20 of 2002.

Castillo was at the peak of his game and gave him more trouble than any other fighter “Lil’ Floyd” has faced so far. The native of Sonora, Mexico timed Mayweather Jr. beautifully, providing him with a taste of leather on more than one occasion.

Mayweather Jr. won on the judge’s cards with scores of 116-111 and 115-111 (twice). More than a few fans argued that the Grand Rapids, Michigan native got some favorable scoring. The promoters of the event, Top Rank Promotions, quickly responded by making Mayweather-Castillo II. The re-match took place almost eight months later on December 7th of the same year. Castillo gave Mayweather Jr. a good fight but was less effective this time. Interestingly, the judges scored the second fight closer with cards of 116-113 and 115-113 (twice).

“I haven’t had a hard fight yet,” 36 year old Mayweather Jr. boasted during a recent pre-fight Showtime special. He may not be known for his humility but apart from the Castillo fight, he’s made most of his title defenses look easy. He’s been nothing short of masterful against top rate opponents like the late Diego Corrales, Miguel Cotto and Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero.

Some fans see it differently. There are those who see Mayweather Jr.’s latest opponents as having been brilliantly selected by a team of handlers. More specifically, Al Haymon and Leonard Ellerbee.

Whether you agree or disagree with this notion, you have to admit, they‘ve done a magnificent job of running Mayweather’s career. They found a way to match him up against aged champions Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley, an emotionally immature Victor Ortiz and most importantly, they helped him dodge a Filipino bullet by the name of Manny Pacquaio. Long enough for the Filipino legend to get starched by Juan Manuel Marquez during their fourth encounter. But let‘s not forget, this is a business and finding their fighters minimal risks for maximum dollars is their job.

Mayweather has indicated on more than one occasion that retirement is lurking around the corner. Will he retire undefeated? Who’ll get the chance to topple the number one “pound for pound” fighter in the world? Beating him means the possibility of world wide stardom and riches. For more established fighters like Pacquiao and Marquez, it means enriching their legacy even further by defeating the only fighter left with an aura of invincibility.

Mayweather Jr. has a target on his back and here’s a list of those aiming at him. They all have a realistic chance of getting a fight with Mayweather Jr. But what are their chances of beating him?

1. Juan Manuel Marquez (55-6-1, 40 KO’s)

Marquez lost to Mayweather Jr. in 2009 by a wide margin on the scorecards. Marquez has changed quite a bit since then. Not only as a fighter, but physically as well. The Mexico City native has been transformed into a bigger and stronger specimen due to newly acquired training regiment. Although there are whispers regarding his increase in size and strength, Marquez and camp deny anything fishy is going on. He will in fact, be submitting to testing for performance enhancing drugs prior to his fight against up-coming opponent Tim Bradley.

How would a rematch between Marquez and Mayweather Jr. play out at this point? Marquez would do a little better but the outcome would likely be similar. On the other hand, there’s always the chance Marquez lands the same monster punch he did against Pacquaio.

2. Danny “Swift” Garcia (26-0, 16 KO’s)

Zab Judah proved to the world that Garcia, the current WBC and WBA 140 pound champion, gets hit way too much in order to deal with someone like Mayweather Jr. Garcia, 25, is still young and may evolve into a more formidable force. Right now, his focus is set on Lucas Matthysse, his opponent on the undercard of the highly awaited clash between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Mayweather Jr. on September 14th.

3. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-0, 30 KO’s)

Alvarez is scheduled to fight Mayweather Jr. September 14 in Las Vegas in what’s expected be the biggest boxing event of the year. Boxing pundits are saying that Alvarez is young, too young. That he’s fast, but not fast enough. That he’s talented but lacks experience against high level opponents. How will the red headed, freckled faced Mexican fare against Mayweather Jr.?

Alvarez should do well due to his youth, level of skill and superiority in size. The difference will be Mayweather’s athletic superiority. While Alvarez tends to fade at the end of his fights, Mayweather usually finishes strong and will likely take the championship rounds.

But keep in mind that September 14 could be the night that “Canelo” Alvarez reaches his peak just as Mayweather Jr. starts to decline. It could very well happen. It‘s happened before. With just one punch, Alvarez can score the upset of the decade.

4. Lucas Matthysse (34-2, 32 KO’s)

This Argentinean has power and incredible timing. His third round stoppage of Lamont Peterson was an impressive performance which led to a date against WBC and WBA 140 pound champion Danny “Swift” Garcia. It should be a war which could produce a viable candidate for Mayweather Jr.

As far as Matthysse’s chances against Mayweather Jr. are concerned, we’ll take a “wait and see” attitude. He’s got Danny Garcia as his next opponent and beating him should be no easy feat. A couple more fights under his belt should tell us everything we need to know about his chances against Floyd.

5. Timothy Bradley (30-0, 12 KO’s)

Despite beating Manny Pacquiao via controversial decision, Bradley has yet to cash in on his victory. Perhaps it’s due to the perception that Bradley was gifted the decision. Since then, he was involved in a brutal fight of the year candidate vs. Ruslan Provodnikov. The Palm Springs native will next take on Juan Manuel Marquez in what should be an intriguing fight.

Bradley is a great warrior and one of the toughest men in the world but that’s not enough to beat Mayweather Jr. If you can’t match Floyd’s speed, power and athleticism then your chances are limited. While Bradley fits the athletic requirements, the speed factor and Mayweather Jr.’s overall experience would be too much to overcome. Bradley has other pending problems since defeating Marquez will be an incredibly difficult task. If he beats Marquez and looks good doing it, then a fight against Mayweather Jr. is a real possibility…if he weren’t with Top Rank.

6. Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s)

The Filipino boxing icon was knocked out and had his invincibility shield yanked from him by Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012 with the left hand heard around the world. But let’s put the knockout it in its proper context. Pacquiao was having a hell of a fight until that fateful punch which was timed perfectly. It was boxing’s version of divine justice for Marquez who had been robbed of a win at least once in three previous encounters with Pac-Man.

Pacquaio will be making his return to the ring against Brandon Rios which will be a very difficult fight. Not only is this a great fight for the public but it will give us the proper insight as to Pacquiao’s state of mind.

If the old Manny resurfaces and defeats a formidable opponent like Rios, a fight vs. Mayweather will eventually have to be a subject for discussion.

Conclusion:

Pacquaio is the one.

That’s right. Out of all the people on the list, Manny Pacquaio is the one with the best chance at defeating Mayweather Jr. Many at this point are thinking “excuse me? This is the same man that got knocked out by Marquez who lost to Floyd easy.” But this kind of boxing math doesn’t always work out in real life.

If we stick to the premise that in order to beat Mayweather Jr. you must match his speed, athleticism and power, then Pacquiao would be his most dangerous foe. Not only is he just as fast and athletic as Mayweather, I would argue that he’s a harder puncher.

Yes, he was stopped by Marquez with the punch that shook up the Philippines and its people, but what happened before the stoppage? Pacquaio dropped Marquez and did plenty of damage. He went for the knockout, left himself vulnerable, Marquez capitalized, end of story. Pacquiao was knocked out but it’s not necessarily the end.

Pacquiao will be fighting Brandon Rios next in what has to be the hardest comeback fight they could’ve scheduled for him. Rios is a beast and will give Pac-Man problems. He gives everyone problems. This fight will tell the world if Manny is truly back.

If Pacquiao defeats Rios in spectacular fashion, then there’s no doubt a fight with Mayweather Jr. will absolutely be entertained again.

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Ralph Gonzalez

Jorge Garcia is the TSS Fighter of the Month for April

Published

21 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Jorge-Garcia-is-the-TSS-Fighter-of-the-Month-for-April

Jorge Garcia has a lot in common with Mexican countrymen Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza. In common with those two, both reigning world title-holders, Garcia is big for his weight class and bubbled out of obscurity with a triumph forged as a heavy underdog in a match contested on American soil.

Garcia had his “coming of age party” on April 19 in the first boxing event at the new Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California (roughly 35 miles north of San Diego), a 7,500-seat facility whose primary tenant is an indoor soccer team. It was a Golden Boy Promotions event and in the opposite corner was a Golden Boy fighter, Charles Conwell.

A former U.S. Olympian, Conwell was undefeated (21-0, 16 KOs) and had won three straight inside the distance since hooking up with Golden Boy whose PR department ballyhooed him as the most avoided fighter in the super welterweight division. At prominent betting sites, Conwell was as high as a 12/1 favorite.

The lanky Garcia was 32-4 (26 KOs) heading in, but it was easy to underestimate him as he had fought extensively in Tijuana where the boxing commission is notoriously docile and in his home state of Sinaloa. This would be only his second fight in the U.S. However, it was noteworthy in hindsight that three of his four losses were by split decision.

Garcia vs. Conwell was a robust affair. He and Conwell were credited with throwing 1451 punches combined. In terms of punches landed, there was little to choose between them but the CompuBox operator saw Garcia landing more power punches in eight of the 12 rounds. At the end, the verdict was split but there was no controversy.

An interested observer was Sebastian Fundora who was there to see his sister Gabriela defend her world flyweight titles. Sebastian owns two pieces of the 154-pound world title where the #1 contender per the WBO is Xander Zayas who keeps winning, but not with the verve of his earlier triumphs.

With his upset of Charles Conwell, Jorge Garcia has been bumped into the WBO’s #2 slot. Regardless of who he fights next, Garcia will earn the biggest payday of his career.

Honorable mention: Aaron McKenna

McKenna was favored to beat veteran campaigner Liam Smith in the co-feature to the Eubank-Benn battle this past Saturday in London, but he was stepping up in class against a former world title-holder who had competed against some of the top dogs in the middleweight division and who had famously stopped Chris Eubank Jr in the first of their two encounters. Moreover, the venue, Tottenham Hotspur, the third-largest soccer stadium in England, favored the 36-year-old Liverpudlian who was accustomed to a big fight atmosphere having fought Canelo Alvarez before 50,000-plus at Arlington Stadium in Texas.

McKenna, from the small town of Monaghan, Ireland, wasn’t overwhelmed by the occasion. With his dad Feargal in his corner and his fighting brother Stephen McKenna cheering him on from ringside, Aaron won a wide decision in his first 12-round fight, punctuating his victory by knocking Smith to his knees with a body punch in the 12^th round. In fact, if he hadn’t had a point deducted for using his elbow, the Irishman would have pitched a shutout on one of the scorecards.

“There might not be a more impressive example of a fighter moving up in class,” wrote Tris Dixon of the 25-year-old “Silencer” who improved his ledger to 20-0 (10).

Photo credits: Garcia/Conwell photo compliments of Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy; McKenna-Smith provided by Mark Robinson/Matchroom

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Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Published

2 days ago

April 27, 2025

David A. Avila

Chris-Eubank-Jr-Outlasts-Conor-Benn-at-Tottenham-Hotsour-Stadium

Feudal bragging rights belong to Chris Eubank Jr. who out-lasted Conor Benn to
emerge victorious by unanimous decision in a non-title middleweight match held in
London on Saturday.

Fighting for their family heritage Eubank (35-3, 26 KOs) and Benn (23-1, 14 KOs)
continued the battle between families started 35 years ago by their fathers at Tottenham
Hotspur Stadium.

More than 65,000 fans attended.

Though Eubank Jr. had a weight and height advantage and a record of smashing his
way to victory via knockout, he had problems hurting the quicker and more agile Benn.
And though Benn had the advantage of moving up two weight divisions and forcing
Eubank to fight under a catch weight, the move did not weaken him much.

Instead, British fans and boxing fans across the world saw the two family rivals pummel
each other for all 12 rounds. Neither was able to gain separation.

Eubank looked physically bigger and used a ramming left jab to connect early in the
fight. Benn immediately showed off his speed advantage and surprised many with his
ability to absorb a big blow.Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Benn scrambled around with his quickness and agility and scored often with bigcounters.

It took him a few rounds to stop overextending himself while delivering power shots.

In the third round Benn staggered Eubank with a left hook but was unable to follow up
against the dangerous middleweight who roared back with flurries of blows.

Eubank was methodic in his approach always moving forward, always using his weight
advantage via the shoulder to force Benn backward. The smaller Benn rocketed
overhand rights and was partly successful but not enough to force Eubank to retreat.
In the seventh round a right uppercut snapped Benn’s head violently but he was
undeterred from firing back. Benn’s chin stood firm despite Eubank’s vaunted power and
size advantage.

“I didn’t know he had that in him,” Eubank said.

Benn opened strong in the eighth round with furious blows. And though he connected
he was unable to seriously hurt Eubank. And despite being drained by the weight loss,
the middleweight fighter remained strong all 12 rounds.

There were surprises from both fighters.

Benn was effective targeting the body. Perhaps if he had worked the body earlier he
would have found a better result.

With only two rounds remaining Eubank snapped off a right uppercut again and followed
up with body shots. In the final stanza Eubank pressed forward and exchanged with the
smaller Benn until the final bell. He simply out-landed the fighter and impressed all three
judges who scored it 116-112 for Eubank.

Eubank admitted he expected a knockout win but was satisfied with the victory.
“I under-estimated him,” Eubank said.

Benn was upset by the loss but recognized the reasons.

“He worked harder toward the end,” said Benn.

McKenna Wins

In his first test in the elite level Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) showed his ability to fight
inside or out in soundly defeating former world champion Liam Smith (33-5-1, 20 KOs)
by unanimous decision to win a regional WBA middleweight title.

Smith has made a career out of upsetting young upstarts but discovered the Irish fighter
more than capable of mixing it up with the veteran. It was a rough fight throughout the
12 rounds but McKenna showed off his abilities to fight as a southpaw or right-hander
with nary a hiccup.

McKenna had trained in Southern California early in his career and since that time he’s
accrued a variety of ways to fight. He was smooth and relentless in using his longer
arms and agility against Smith on the outside or in close.

In the 12 th round, McKenna landed a perfectly timed left hook to the ribs and down went
Smith. The former champion got up and attempted to knock out the tall
Irish fighter but could not.

All three judges scored in favor of McKenna 119-108, 117-109, 118-108.

Other Bouts
Anthony Yarde (27-3) defeated Lyndon Arthur (24-3) by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. in a light heavyweight match. It was the third time they met. Yarde won the last two fights.

Chris Billam-Smith (21-2) defeated Brandon Glanton (20-3) by decision. It was his first
fight since losing the WBO cruiserweight world title to Gilberto Ramirez last November.

Viddal Riley (13-0) out-worked Cheavon Clarke (10-2) in a 12-round back-and-forth-contest to win a unanimous decision.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 323: Benn vs Eubank Family Feud and More

Published

5 days ago

April 24, 2025

David A. Avila

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Next generation rivals Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. carry on the family legacy of feudal warring in the prize ring on Saturday.

This is huge in British boxing.

Eubank (34-3, 25 KOs) holds the fringe IBO middleweight title but won’t be defending it against the smaller welterweight Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) on Saturday, April 26, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing card.

This is about family pride.

The parents of Eubank and Benn actually began the feud in the 1990s.

Papa Nigel Benn fought Papa Chris Eubank twice. Losing as a middleweight in November 1990 at Birmingham, England, then fighting to a draw as a super middleweight in October 1993 in Manchester. Both were world title fights.

Eubank was undefeated and won the WBO middleweight world title in 1990 against Nigel Benn by knockout. He defended it three times before moving up and winning the vacant WBO super middleweight title in September 1991. He defended the super middleweight title 14 times before suffering his first pro defeat in March 1995 against Steve Collins.

Benn won the WBO middleweight title in April 1990 against Doug DeWitt and defended it once before losing to Eubank in November 1990. He moved up in weight and took the WBC super middleweight title from Mauro Galvano in Italy by technical knockout in October 1992. He defended the title nine times until losing in March 1996. His last fight was in November 1996, a loss to Steve Collins.

Animosity between the two families continues this weekend in the boxing ring.

Conor Benn, the son of Nigel, has fought mostly as a welterweight but lately has participated in the super welterweight division. He is several inches shorter in height than Eubank but has power and speed. Kind of a British version of Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

“It’s always personal, every opponent I fight is personal. People want to say it’s strictly business, but it’s never business. If someone is trying to put their hands on me, trying to render me unconscious, it’s never business,” said Benn.

This fight was scheduled twice before and cut short twice due to failed PED tests by Benn. The weight limit agreed upon is 160 pounds.

Eubank, a natural middleweight, has exchanged taunts with Benn for years. He recently avenged a loss to Liam Smith with a knockout victory in September 2023.

“This fight isn’t about size or weight. It’s about skill. It’s about dedication. It’s about expertise and all those areas in which I excel in,” said Eubank. “I have many, many more years of experience over Conor Benn, and that will be the deciding factor of the night.”

Because this fight was postponed twice, the animosity between the two feuding fighters has increased the attention of their fans. Both fighters are anxious to flatten each other.

“He’s another opponent in my way trying to crush my dreams. trying to take food off my plate and trying to render me unconscious. That’s how I look at him,” said Benn.

Eubank smiles.

“Whether it’s boxing, whether it’s a gun fight. Defense, offense, foot movement, speed, power. I am the superior boxer in each of those departments and so many more – which is why I’m so confident,” he said.

Supporting Bout

Former world champion Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs) tangles with Ireland’s Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KOs) in a middleweight fight set for 12 rounds on the Benn-Eubank undercard in London.

“Beefy” Smith has long been known as one of the fighting Smith brothers and recently lost to Eubank a year and a half ago. It was only the second time in 38 bouts he had been stopped. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez did it several years ago.

McKenna is a familiar name in Southern California. The Irish fighter fought numerous times on Golden Boy Promotion cards between 2017 and 2019 before returning to the United Kingdom and his assault on continuing the middleweight division. This is a big step for the tall Irish fighter.

It’s youth versus experience.

“I’ve been calling for big fights like this for the last two or three years, and it’s a fight I’m really excited for. I plan to make the most of it and make a statement win on Saturday night,” said McKenna, one of two fighting brothers.

Monster in L.A.

Japan’s super star Naoya “Monster” Inoue arrived in Los Angeles for last day workouts before his Las Vegas showdown against Ramon Cardenas on Sunday May 4, at T-Mobile Arena. ESPN will televise and stream the Top Rank card.

It’s been four years since the super bantamweight world champion performed in the US and during that time Naoya (29-0, 26 KOs) gathered world titles in different weight divisions. The Japanese slugger has also gained fame as perhaps the best fighter on the planet. Cardenas is 26-1 with 14 KOs.

Pomona Fights

Super featherweights Mathias Radcliffe (9-0-1) and Ezequiel Flores (6-4) lead a boxing card called “DMG Night of Champions” on Saturday April 26, at the historic Fox Theater in downtown Pomona, Calif.

Michaela Bracamontes (11-2-1) and Jesus Torres Beltran (8-4-1) will be fighting for a regional WBC super featherweight title. More than eight bouts are scheduled.

Doors open at 6 p.m. For ticket information go to: www.tix.com/dmgnightofchampions

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 9 a.m. Conor Benn (23-0) vs Chris Eubank Jr. (34-3); Liam Smith (33-4-1) vs Aaron McKenna (19-0).

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