Boxing Baddest: The Fans Speak! V2 Issue 7

Mike Samuels

24.04 - This week the Eastside maniacs, or fans, whatever you perfer, speak strictly on Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his performance this past Saturday against Victoriano Sosa. Some of these guys dropped some of the craziest mails I've ever read, giving Mayweather no credit for anything, and a few modest people decided to give him some props for his boxing style. No matter how you slice it, this week's Fan's edition should rightfully be looked at as a buncha' "Pretty" HUGE opinions on the "Pretty Boy!"

Nice piece Mike but I think I prefer the old Floyd also. Barrera has become more boxer than brawler but he still fights with an authority that Mayweather now lacks. Floyd is still skilful with good movement and defence but he does run scared a bit. I preferred Cotto last night. He looks like quite a prospect. Floyd V Oscar? I don't think so............

I'm sure you're not the only person who prefers the "Old" Floyd. And I'm still convinced that when Mayweather truly feels he has to show how good he is, he will. His hands are a big problem though, so don't expect to see him give dazzling performances like his battering of Corrales in 01' all too often.

Boring fight... Why ? Mayweather is a boring fighter... Imagine Mayweather VS Spadafora... zzz zzz zzz. -PatBass

See, the Mayweather-Spaddy clash -- if he gets by Dorin, who is definitley no joke -- is going to be exciting if it happens. I promise everyone that. Mayweather and Spaddy both have a lot to prove going into that fight. Mayweather will get up for the fight and could possibly give another Corrales type performance. As for Paul, he'll be ready to show the world that his sparring session over Mayweather was the real deal. I hope the fight happens and you should too.

I got up at 4:00 am, Central African Time, to watch this fight. I wish I had stayed in bed. Floyd Mayweather must be the most boring boxer to watch. He has a totally negative style and I won't be getting up to watch him again.  Ginge Ecob Zimbabwe

C'mon Ginge. Mayweather may be boring, but I can name about ten fights off the top of my head that were way more of a snoozer than last Saturday. Are you a true boxing fan? I have to ask, because Mayweather is a BOXER, not a Stone Hand Duran. You need to quite with the negativity with your views, and understand that boxing isn't one dimensional. Mayweather's style isn't negative, it's just something he's good at. Much like Pernell Whitaker, Willy Pepp and Sandy Saddler. Were they negative for boxing?

I think Floyd is Gun-shy: gun-shy that his hands might give in, gun-shy of the extra power at 135, gun-shy that he can't hurt up the weights. Unless Floyd gets over this and starts applying his abiltiy properly, not only will he loose the fans and his HBO contract but he will wind up being the next Naseem Hamed: a talented big mouth who winds up beaten badly and unable to find the ego that made him great.

You make some good points and I agree that Mayweather has lost most of his fans, but that had nothing to do with his boxing, but with his attitude towards HBO and the crazy dissin' of his Pappa. On a personal level Mayweather is crazy, or so it seems, but on a boxing level the guy is pound for pound in the top ten. Saying Mayweather and Hamed in the same sentance is a bit far bro. I'd give Floyd a little credit, afterall he has a solid resume to work from, unlike the Prince.

I don't think he's gun shy. I actually think his chin is underated, but lil Floyd is a defensive fighter, not a brawler. Those types of fighters usually don't appeal to the band wagoners of boxing, but more so the pure boxing fans who know talent when they see it. Let's hope his hands stay in shape, but like I said above, Mayweather isn't going to go balls to the wall unless he feels he has too.

If FM had been a limited fighter and had put on the performance of his life, or even a very good fighter who had stepped up a notch to comprehensively outbox a top contender, nobody would have jeered. The fact remaines though, he is not. FM is so much more than just a very good fighter. He has the sort of latent talent and ability that we usually see only three or four times in a generation, yet he seems reluctant to make the most of it, happy just to do enough in the confort zone, rather than apply himself fully. This is why so many people booed on Saturday. It is not, as Samuels would no doubt have us believe because people felt it was a bad performence, thereby proving their lack of boxing knowledge and inherent bias against Floyd. It is simply because despite his 'full to the brim' boxing attributes the one thing FM seems to lack is, heart and the attitude of a true champion. Everyone who watched on Saturday knew that FM could have taken Sosa apart if he had applied himself from the first round to the last, not easily, but it could have been done.

Mayweather could have done more to get a more exciting victory but he's much like Roy jones in the sense that he works off of defense and isn't in it for blood. He did all he felt he needed to do and as he's said before, he fights for himself and not the fans. Thus the reason he isn't a very marketable fighter. Where's this bias though bro? Mayweather gave a good performance, but it was FAR from the sh_t he spat about being able to take out Sosa whenever he pleased. It wasn't the fight he wanted to give people, therefore it was a loss for him and the fans. But you are wrong with the booing being strictly based on his performance or my "bias" (LOL), actually most of the boos were coming from the Pro-Sosa crowd feeling that there man, who was more aggresive was robbed.

I think that FM is an awsome fighter, blessed with sublime skills and rare ring craft. Which is, I think, why so many people were so frustrated on Saturday. I, like many others stayed up untill the early hours of the morning, hoping to see a return to the old FM only to be sorely disappointed. The article by Mike Samuels seems to have missed the point completely. I agree that Floyd won just about every round and I also agree that he lavished us with a series of faultlessley executed boxing clinics: "hit and move", "defensive elusivity", "the jab and how to deploy it effectively". Unfortunately we also got another chapter of the boxing handbook demonstrated by FM, one that is becoming all to familiar with FM: "how to do the bare minimum to win a fight".

Ya'll need to put down the crack pipes. All you whiners have filled my mailbox with nothing but crying and b_tching. My article missed the point, yet where's the evidence? I pointed out that Mayweather boxed a brillant fight tactically, that he used defense as his mastery, but the fans (and even himself, although he is too brash to admit it) were dissapointed with the fight. I agree that he didn't do everything to blow the guy out, but as far as missing the point,  I think some of you have grown crazy!

Mayweather needs to fight some top fighters and stop playing with these B fighters. He didn't even look so great against Sosa. He must think were stupid if he thinks we buy that shit about him wanting to fight Oscar, Mayroga or Kosta! Those guys would kill him, he's too small and too weak. Bobby

I said put the crack pipe down, instead ya'll pass it over to my boy Bobby here. B level fighters? Jose Castillo is a B level fighter? Jesus Chavez is a B level fighter at 130lbs? Bro, how high are you? Honestly. I can't even answer this anymore because it just makes me laugh. But as far as De la Hoya, yeah that's out of the question, but don't count Floyd out against Kostya just yet.

Boxing rule number one is hit and don't be hit, Floyd is a master at this so why all the hatred. Everyone is not built to go to war like Ward and Gatti, we shouldn't expect every fighter that proclaims greatness to prove it by fighting outside themselves. If Mayweather is a bum, which he's not, then he will be exposed soon enough. Castillo couldn't do it and he had two tries, Sosa is a good capable fighter and he also failed. And remember Floyd came to their weight. Even if you thought, as I do, that Castillo won the first fight it was close not a blowout. Floyd has shown a far better chin than Zab Judah and would give Tyszu a good fight before caving in late. However, he should forget about Mayorga or DelaHoya they are too big.
fleetwood lac

Where you been dog? With a insight like that you should be the next Guest to take my place for a week. I've been trying to put those points out on the table for a long time but nobody seems to want to listen. Perhaps its that crazy "Eastside Boxing Full-Time Writer" tag that puts people at war with me. You're not employed by this crew, so maybe people will listen to you. Let me know.

Mayweather's skill is what confused the fans. He was blocking most of Sosa's punches and scoring himself with close, efficient shots. From the seats, it probably looked like Sosa was landing those shots which were actually bouncing off Mayweather's gloves. It also takes a keen eye to see Mayweather's shots landing.
Caballo

Caballo, I've been waiting for someone to say that. You know, like I've said, defense in boxing is boring. It doesn't sell, and Mayweather's going to have to deal with that part of the game for his career, cuz that's just the type of fighter he is. However boring or arrogant the guy is, it's insane for anyone to say he ducks people or isn't fighting the best at his weights.

Mike Samuels can be reached at Tyson180@aol.com