40 have tried and 40 have failed.
You can almost hear Floyd Mayweather, Jr. saying it.
Or actually, it's just 39. Jose Luis Castillo, the fighter who perhaps came closest to defeating Mayweather, fought him twice. Meaning, the whole time Mayweather was rapping his "39 have tried and 39 have failed" bit, he was technically wrong.
Nevertheless, "Pretty Boy" has walked out of the ring for the 40th time victorious, unscathed, and stellar. Forty times he never came close to defeat. No, don't kid yourselves too much, Castillo and Oscar De la Hoya, with their glorious charges, looked as if they did, but didn't quite.
That's how amazing Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs) is-- love him or hate him.
For the first time in almost two years, the sublime skills of his were in full display last Saturday, where he dominated another master boxer, albeit unfairly outsized, in Juan Manuel Marquez. Mayweather hit Marquez at will, while making Marquez miss against his will. Mayweather's speed, reflexes, and his patented all-time great defense were still working perfectly after the lengthy 21-month sabbatical.
He is still undefeated, and he still looks unbeatable.
Is there anyone out there who can challenge that? Here are three candidates.
Shane Mosley
The Pomona slugger rushed into the ring a la WWE promo cut when he interrupted Mayweather, along with his Golden Boy Promotions posse (told you, WWE-like), in his post-fight interviews last Saturday. "Sugar" has been bitterly desperate for not having any big fights, let alone fights, to come his way since his smashing 9th round TKO win over the disgraced Antonio Margarito last January. He was desperate alright, but he might have gained some publicity towards his favor to fight Mayweather, after looking pitiful in his earlier efforts to lure Manny Pacquiao into fighting him.
With his speed, power, and size advantage, Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) could get his punches through Mayweather's defense and hurt him, something that everyone else has a hard time doing. He is a ring veteran and with his experience and size, he can try to man Mayweather up or try to engage him in a brawl all night. But Mayweather never goes to war, so it would be interesting to see Mosley eagerly stalk Mayweather all night with Mayweather calmly just looking for opportunities to potshot him and wait for him to make mistakes.
In the eyes of many, Mosley has the most legitimate chance to beat Mayweather. It would be a great fight, and although not "historic" as Mosley's promoter, De la Hoya, refers to it, it may very well be the fight to make at welterweight. With Mayweather returning at number 2 in The Ring's welterweight rankings, it would be for the Welterweight Championship of the World, and it's the fight that could be done the soonest among here.
Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto is arguably the top man in the welterweight division on by virtue of his victory against Mosley, above. HIs tainted loss against Margarito also helps his case. But before the Margarito fight, Cotto looked invincible. He was on his way to eating up the division facing the best competition available, then Mayweather retired. Was he afraid of Cotto? Affirmative answers from fans and observers are not hard to find.
Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) is an all-around athlete who can box and who can fight. He is strong and he goes to the body, which is something he could use against Mayweather, especially that very few have had success in doing so before. He has appeared vulnerable lately, but if that's not really the case, he must first show it so against Pacquiao, his November 14 opponent. And if he does that, Mayweather is in for some trouble.
Among the fighters in this list, Cotto is most certainly the one that can best match Mayweather in a boxing match. Cotto is a smart fighter and he throws punches very well, attributes that would help him penetrate Mayweather's defense. He also has an uncanny ability in timing, and while Mayweather is rarely ever a hasty puncher, Cotto posseses the tools to offset his natural speed. With Cotto's strength, and brawler instincts, he has at least a last resort to turn to make things rough and tough for Mayweather.
Manny Pacquiao
The current pound-for-pound king, contra Mayweather's assertions, is seven pounds apart from Mayweather's natural fighting weight, and yet his next fight is within the welterweight class, against Cotto. The winner of that November 14 megabout would be who the fans want Mayweather to fight. This is no guarantee, but Pacquiao looks like the early favorite, with the 145-lb. catchweight factoring in.
A fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao will be THE fight for the ages. Much can be said about that, and to be fair, Pacquiao stands little chance to win against Mayweather if it were to be held at 147 lbs. In order to make this fight happen, all sorts of compromises have to be made, and when it's all set, Pacquiao's speed, power, movement, and pressure would pose unprecedented challenges to the overconfident Mayweather.
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) has had everything working for him to upset Mayweather. Under the tutelage of Freddie Roach, he has developed into a complete fighter with the talent, skill, and a unique southpaw style that can compete with Mayweather and potentially throw him off his game. If a superfight with Pacquiao is to happen, don't go thinking that Mayweather will dispose him like he did Marquez. Marquez himself said that it would be different. Pacquiao has carried his speed and power into the higher weight divisions, adding muscles to his 5-foot-6 and a half body frame comfortably. No, Pacquiao won't be too small.
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