Countdown To Mayweather-Pacquiao: Mayweather’s Most Virtuoso Performance

Published

10 years ago

March 23, 2015

Love him or loathe him, Floyd Mayweather has been the most complete boxer in the sport for the past decade. I think you could make a cogent argument that as of May 2015, neither he nor is his upcoming opponent Manny Pacquiao occupy the top two p4p spots in boxing today, but it wasn’t long ago that they did.

In the ring throughout his career, Mayweather has been so resourceful and confident. You can see during the course of his bouts that he just knows down to his core that he has the needed physical tools, and the aptitude to direct them so he can overcome whatever he’s confronted with physically or stylistically by his opponent. He’s also physically stronger and punches better than he’s usually given credit for. He’s never really been man- handled or punched around by the bigger and stronger fighters he has faced and Floyd is also durable. I don’t think anyone has ever seen him really gassed or tired during any of his 47 career fights.

Since turning pro after winning a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, he’s never officially lost. And during the course of the past 19 years, Floyd has turned in some virtuoso performances. Early in his career he looked terrific in taking apart legitimate guys the likes of Genaro Hernandez and Angel Manfredy. His breakout win came on the night he stopped the late Diego Corrales who was undefeated at the time. He tripped against Jose Luis Castillo (I had Castillo winning 115-111) the first time they met despite winning the decision. He looked scary good against the late Arturo Gatti, and showed a year later that he was a class above the ultra-skilled Zab Judah. In the highest profile bout of his career, at the time, he wasn’t impressive against a washed up Oscar De La Hoya winning via split decision. After beating De La Hoya he looked really sharp in his next three fights, beating Ricky Hatton, the undersized Juan Manuel Marquez, and the declining Shane Mosley. Since beating Mosley, Mayweather holds wins over Victor Ortiz, Robert Guerrero, Saul Alvarez and Marcos Maidana twice.

Did I miss anybody? Oh, he beat Miguel Cotto after he stopped Victor Ortiz. How’d I miss that? I didn’t. That’s the fight I want to examine. If you’re one of those guys and think Floyd Mayweather is a once in a generation fighter, all you have to do is watch his fight against Cotto. No, Cotto certainly isn’t Roberto Duran, not even close. However, Cotto is without a doubt one of the best fighters of Mayweather’s era. When Miguel defended his junior middleweight title against Floyd he entered the bout with a record of 37-2 (30). One loss was controversial because it’s widely believed, (but never proven) that his opponent Antonio Margarito entered the fight with loaded gloves. His other loss was at the buzz-saw hands of Mayweather’s next opponent, Manny Pacquiao, who fought the best fight of his life that night.

Throughout Mayweather’s career, Floyd has been accused of picking his opponents and waiting for the right time to fight certain guys, such as Oscar De La Hoya (2007) and Shane Mosley (2010). Or totally avoiding others when the fights should’ve been made, such as anticipated bouts with Paul Williams and Antonio Margarito. However, Cotto doesn’t belong on either list. He may not have been at his brilliant best when he fought Mayweather, but he was still one of the most formidable opponents around at the time. Cotto cannot be thought of as being a soft touch because he never is.

It really was a thing of beauty to watch Mayweather befuddle Cotto for 10 of the 12 scheduled rounds they fought. For the first five rounds Miguel never could get his footing. At times he wanted to jab and box, but Floyd beat him to the punch and bordered on the verge of embarrassing him a few times. Flustered by that, Cotto tried to do his best impression of “Smokin” Joe Frazier and forced the fight. And when Floyd sensed that, he did what Muhammad Ali often tried to do against Joe – and that was go back to the ropes on his own as if to say, “Oh, this is where you want me and feel you’re at your best, okay, how about I go there on my own because I can beat you there just as thoroughly as I can at center ring.” And then Mayweather proceeded to win the exchanges with his back against the ropes, again emulating Ali by doing it on his terms and not Cotto’s. With the difference being Frazier had more success than Miguel did because Joe didn’t need his feet or hips set in order to punch with authority, the way Miguel does. And that aided Mayweather when it came to standing in Cotto’s kitchen and beating him there as well.

If Mayweather ever boxed more intelligently than he did during the first five rounds against Miguel Cotto, I’ve never seen when. There were times Mayweather purposely allowed Cotto to pin him in a corner or against the ropes. Then he went into his shell and drew Miguel to start unloading big hooks and body shots, leaving the impression he was vulnerable to the head. Which lead to Cotto abandoning the body attack and start throwing to the head exclusively. After missing with 90% of what he threw and still leaning in, Mayweather showed him the double right uppercut. Cotto welcomed that and tried to further engage Mayweather into punching it out with him, however, Floyd turned and abandoned his uppercut and caught Cotto with a double left hook counter and Cotto halted his assault and broke off the exchange. That gave Mayweather time and room to pivot out; exchange goes to Mayweather.

Mayweather also did his feint, take a half step in to draw Cotto in, then countered with the one-two. After Cotto became cognizant of that, he didn’t go for the feint, to which Floyd responded by taking the lead with body jabs and single hooks to the head that usually scored. Then when Cotto tried to pressure him, Mayweather tapped him with lead left hooks as he was turning to get out of the way. Oh yes, Floyd was definitely feeling it on this night.

During the last half of the sixth round it was masterful in how Mayweather was able to walk Cotto down and back him up with jabs, feints and a right lead sprinkled in once or twice. And it was interesting to watch Cotto try and shuffle back as if he had an answer and was only going back because he chose to. However, the reality was, he had no answer and was trying to figure something out to do. And there were a lot of patches during the second half of the fight in which Floyd at times stood in the middle of the ring and traded with Miguel, and won many of the exchanges. Cotto never fought a fight where for so much of it he couldn’t find his identity. He didn’t know if he was better attacking, countering or drawing Floyd to him. And whatever he tried, Mayweather showed him he had an answer for it. Even when he had Mayweather against the ropes, because of Floyd always getting the better leverage along with his quicker hands, he bettered Miguel in his own wheel house. Aside from sporadic flurries and runs by Cotto, Mayweather jogged to an overwhelming decision victory in this fight.

Without question if you ever want to point out one fight in which Mayweather makes his case for being a great boxer, watch his 2012 bout against the very formidable and dangerous Miguel Cotto. The first five rounds are one of the best boxing clinics in history. And Floyd’s exhibition of pristine boxing came against one of the best fighters of his era to boot.

How many fighters can you think of who voluntarily let a top tier professional like Miguel Cotto fight their fight, never doubting for a second that they’ll know what to do to shut it down? That’s exactly what Floyd Mayweather did the night he fought Miguel Cotto.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted @GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Frank Lotierzo

Jorge Garcia is the TSS Fighter of the Month for April

Published

11 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

4 days ago

April 24, 2025

David A. Avila

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

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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