By Vitali Shaposhnikov: What makes the unbeaten fighters so intriguing and interesting? The number “0” is definitely attractive, but why are these fighters praised, respected, and most importantly valued more? I think that the main interest that this phenomenon brings to the table is the curiosity of why this man is able to stay unbeaten, and who will figure out the riddle of their demise.
For countless years now, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been able to fight, defend, and entertain millions of boxing fans around the world with his boxing skill, persona, and of course the idea of invincibility. For just as many years, boxing columnists and average fans have been writing and eagerly discussing the blueprint, the master plan of beating Mayweather Jr.
Every single time Floyd faces new opposition, many of whom come with different styles and experience levels, the writers begin convincing their readers that this time Floyd will lose, and they attempt to give numerous reasons for their bold predictions. Every time there is a new fighter, a new set of blueprints (that’s right, there are always many) on beating Floyd are presented. I cannot say that I am not to blame for the same kind of writing at times, but every so often, brainstorming hypothetical fairy tale strategies is too much, and becomes redundant.
So, if anyone ever asked me what I thought would be a good game plan for beating Floyd Mayweather Jr., my answer would be a quick and confident, “I have no clue, because so far, there hasn’t been anyone to come close to a draft.”
What will Victor Ortiz need to do in order to finally take the 0 away from Mayweather Jr.? Nobody knows. Victor doesn’t know, his training camp should be oblivious as well, and if for some unnatural reason Roger Mayweather went to train one of Floyd’s opponents in the future, he wouldn’t have a clue either. How do you solve an equation, when the variable is constantly changing?
Many fighters have tried to find a way to get to Floyd, and all have failed. Trainers and coaches spent countless hours watching Floyd’s fights and analyzing his ‘weaknesses’; yet no successful plan has thus far been developed.
Of course there is a way to beat Floyd, but until that happens and his style gets exposed, we will not know what it is. Another scenario is that age catches up with the champ, and his loss comes via a naturally occurring decline in whatever the problem may present.
What advice would I give to Victor Ortiz if he ever asked me about it? Fight your fight. Do what you feel you can do best. Don’t try to figure Floyd out. Use your natural talents in the most optimal way. Most importantly, never assume you have got Floyd in trouble; he has been hit before with especially hard shots and was able to recover and dominate his opponents; thus be careful no matter what position you find Floyd in.
For some reason, everyone aims to knock Floyd out, coming in aggressive and hopeful. Don’t people learn from the mistakes of others? The more aggressive his opponent is, the more opportunities Floyd gets to use his skills. Come in swinging, and Floyd will pepper you with shots like clockwork.
I am very interested to see what Ortiz decides to do in the ring against Mayweather Jr. this coming Saturday. Will he come in as his usual self, looking for a knockout? Or will he show up a reserved fighter trying to spot miniscule chances at countering Floyd, thus beating him at his own game?