The question raised in a previous piece on the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) was whether or not boxing is in trouble. Is it truly under threat from the growing force of mixed martial arts? Was the Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Oscar De La Hoya fight really that important for the future of the sport? The only things of importance attached to that fight in the end were the names of those taking part. In itself it was interesting, but by no means a classic. Mayweather added another important scalp to his belt and the Golden Boy proved he could still cut it with the best in the world. Boxing has trundled on despite failing to offer the sacrifice of a historic bout to the gods of sporting popularity, as it will continue to do during times of drought. The reservoir of history that boxing carries in its hump would take some drying out.
When Problems Arise
The greatest problem with boxing today is not that there is a lack of quality, it's simply in the wrong places. Mayweather Jr. is an unbelievably talented fighter, not just in this generation but in any, and is rightly regarded as the number-one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Mayweather is 5-foot-8, and the heaviest he has ever been in the ring, which was in his last fight at light middleweight, is 11 stone.
Compare that to the top heavyweight in the world, Wladimir Klitschko, who stands 6-foot-6 and weighed more than 16 stone when he last entered the ring. Measure their individual talent and you'll find only one winner, but put them in a ring together and see how it plays out. Say what you like about pound-for-pound rankings, the truth is that the public wants to know who could beat up every other fighter in the world.
Throw Mayweather in the ring with Joe Calzaghe and he'll struggle. That's just a 19-pound difference. When you think about the 90 or so he'd give away to Klitschko, you know you wouldn't be able to place a winning bet with any bookie looking to make some easy money. Is there any other kind? The very thought of the giant Russian lumbering around as his tiny opponent backpedals for his life is comical. The first time Mayweather was cornered, Klitschko would swat him out of the ring. Therein lies the problem.
Anyone who has watched even a smattering of boxing over the years knows that Klitschko isn't a great fighter. He's all right, but little more. Yet, on the presumption that he's better than all the other heavyweights and perhaps cruiserweights, Klitschko, by sheer size if nothing else, is capable of beating up every other professional fighter in the world. That technically makes him the best, which is a scary thought. When your best isn't all that good, it's inevitable that you're going to lose the fair-weather support of the masses. Look at how the popularity of individual sports within a country ebbs and flows depending on how well its club and national teams perform on a world level. Bandwagons are ever attached only to winning causes, and the heavyweight champion can haul the biggest bandwagon of all. There just isn't one good enough around at the moment to convince people to jump on board. The last truly popular heavyweight was Mike Tyson, arguably the last truly great one, too, and the sport has been on the slide since his fall from grace. The fact that even now he could enter the ring and be a big draw is a sign of how desperate the public is for a star heavyweight, even if it is one faded beyond recognition.
I am the Greatest
When talk turns to the greatest of all time, there's one defining characteristic that all of the leading contenders - Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Rocky Marciano, Mike Tyson - share. In more learned circles, you'll often hear compelling arguments for the smaller men, like Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Robinson, but to the public, Ali is the greatest, followed closely by an entourage of fellow heavyweights. Big is best in this world, and until another great big 'un comes along, boxing will play but a supporting role on the world sporting stage.
Don't confuse a lack of good heavyweights with a lack of good fighters, though. Drop down the divisions and the standard rises rapidly. From Bernard Hopkins at light heavyweight to Manny Pacquaio at super featherweight, there's class in every division. What makes things even more exciting down here is that the small differences in weight between divisions enables fighters to move up or down with relative ease. Mayweather has reigned as champion in no fewer than five weight divisions, a remarkable achievement but one not entirely unheard of. Sugar Ray Leonard accomplished the same feat in 1988.
As far back as Stanley Ketchel in the early 20th century and beyond, fighters have been winning titles at more than one weight. Mayweather is up there with the best of them. Nobody can deny his ability, and although De La Hoya and Castillo came close, he remains unbeaten after 38 fights with a string of impressive names on his record. Wins over Gatti, Castillo, Judah, Corrales, and De La Hoya, amongst others, means the accusation that he has taken the easy route to success is one that cannot be levelled at Mayweather Jr.
He once said of himself, "I think I'm the best fighter ever. I respect Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson. But as of now, I feel I'm the best." Looking at his record, this should pose a more compelling argument, and yet for some reason it doesn't. When he fights Ricky Hatton in his hometown of Las Vegas on Dec. 8, there is a very real possibility that the Englishman will have more supporters cheering him on inside the MGM Grand.
The brash, cocky, and outspoken Mayweather isn't as popular as his success inside the ring warrants. He doesn't have that magical element that even to this day makes the world love Ali; he doesn't endear himself to the fans and he all too often comes across as little more than a spoilt child. Ricky Hatton described him as a "fucking 6-year-old" when the two travelled together to promote their fight.
Not being liked is no barrier to being great, though. Some, if not many, may disagree with this statement, but Mayweather is not one of the all-time great fighters. It's not down to a lack of talent or success or even popularity. What Mayweather lacks is the career-defining performances that show you're more than just a talented boxer. He showed heart and durability against De La Hoya and Castillo. He proved he can bang against Judah and Gatti. Yet, he's never been in a truly exciting fight. Enthralling? Nearly always, but not exciting.
Seconds Out
One record that loosely supports this is that he has never been in a Ring Fight of the Year. Muhammad Ali was involved in no fewer than six. Mayweather was voted the highly respected magazine's Fighter of the Year, but even that was back in 1998 when he won his first world title. Since then he has failed to win over the judges in either category, despite titles at four more weights. Some blame his ultra-defensive style, taught to him by his father and uncle, both former title-winning boxers.
Mayweather's speed and reactions enable him to lean on the ropes slipping punches with an almost telepathic rhythm. He's nicknamed "Pretty Boy" because he has a reputation for not getting cut or bruised easily, but he doesn't get hit often enough to truly test this reputation out. Difficult to hit with blurring hand speed has meant many of his fights have been one-way traffic. A couple of fighters have come close but not as close, as some in the media would have you believe. Even though there were claims that De La Hoya should have won their fight, the statistics show that Mayweather landed a greater number of punches despite throwing fewer. De La Hoya was beyond his peak, and in the later rounds it showed. Five years ago, it could have been a different story. That's not how boxing works. Instead, the fight engaged the viewer but never really sparked into life.
Despite some close and disputed decisions, Mayweather has never been in real trouble. We're yet to see him battle back from the brink of defeat. He doesn't stand toe-to-toe very often and isn't fond of taking risks. He does have one knockdown against his name, but that was caused when he hurt his hand against Carlos Hernandez. He let his hand drop to the canvas and the referee ruled it a knockdown. Safety first is not what the fans want to see. Unless he gets himself in at least one right old tear up before he really retires, are we going to remember Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the greatest fighter never to be in a great fight?
(May)Weather the Storm?
He may be about to get exactly what he needs. Castillo and De La Hoya caused Mayweather problems and pushed him closer than in any of his 38 wins. Both would be described as pressure fighters. They come forward, cutting off the ring, trying to close down the space between them and their opponent, getting in close to control the other fighter. Both enjoyed a great deal of success with this style, but neither could really hurt Mayweather when they did get near him. There were signs of vulnerability, which make his matchup with Ricky Hatton a very dangerous one. Hatton is exactly the kind of fighter who will trouble Mayweather. He's aggressive and unrelenting, a little crude at times, but a more skilled boxer than he's given credit for.
Against Castillo in June, the man who pushed Mayweather close on points twice, Hatton displayed his most potent weapon. A left-hook to the body broke four of the Mexican's ribs to end the fight. It's a difficult shot to absorb when you get caught right on the floating rib, and Hatton can be deadly accurate. Landing a few of these will slow Mayweather down and make him easier to catch. Even though Hatton is moving up in weight and Mayweather is moving down, don't be surprised if Hatton looks the bigger of the two come the bell. His weight has seemed a problem lately, appearing to contribute to some subpar performances, particularly when he moved up to welterweight to take on Luis Callazo. The Mancunian scraped an unimpressive victory, looking slow and tired, particularly in the late rounds.
Hatton's weight has often been a bone of contention between him and his critics. Mayweather dubbed him "Ricky Fatton" because of the way he balloons up between fights. He and his trainer, Billy Graham, blame a poor weight-loss strategy for the performance against Callazo, and insist that this time they'll get it right.
Hatton is likely to weigh in closer to his more natural light-welterweight size, but will put on up to a stone by the time he gets in the ring. Mayweather is unlikely to gain more than the official scales read, and this is what could swing things in Hatton's favour. If he can outmuscle and bully Mayweather, he can land the body shots. This tactic looks crude and has drawn a lot of criticism, but Hatton has admitted that Mayweather is a more talented fighter. He's just going to do whatever it takes no matter how it looks to the purists.
If he is in perfect condition and can stay on top of Mayweather without tiring, like he's done so many times throughout his career, then a win is very much on the cards. If Hatton does win, the sure-fire bet is a points victory. A knockout is difficult to predict against a man who's never hit the canvas as the result of being hit by a punch. The chance is there for him to cement his name in history, to prove that he's the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, to beat a champion at his peak. It's going to be no easy task, though, for all the criticism, Mayweather is undeniably the best around, and to beat him, Ricky Hatton is going to have to do something special.
The thousands who'll travel from England to support him believe he can, he believes he can, and the rest will have to wait and see. This is a fight that offers both fighters what they seek more than anything else. Hatton wants to beat the best to win the recognition of the American public. Mayweather wants to capture the hearts of the world to win the recognition of the ages.
"I respect Ricky Hatton as a man but not as a fighter," Mayweather Jr. has pronounced. Half of that statement will change in the Nevada desert, but which one?
