Floyd Mayweather's Record Must Be Tested by Tougher Opponent in Next Bout
If Floyd Mayweather wins a boxing match but fewer people cared about it than normal, did he really win at all?
Mayweather may be the current king of the sport because of his undefeated record, but his bout against Marcos Maidana seemed like an exercise in futility. There was just a feeling of inevitability about the entire thing, and it played out almost exactly like many expected it would.
When we rationalized the fight, we knew Mayweather would win long before it started. After all, Maidana gave Mayweather everything he could handle and his absolute best in the first fight and still came up short. There was no way Mayweather was going to put that much onus on the judges’ decisions this time around.
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Mayweather did what he always does—dodged the haymakers and patiently waited for his time to unleash his speed and accuracy.
However, we have seen that movie before, and David Purdum of ESPN.com reported that bets were way down as compared to past Mayweather fights. Mayweather needs to test himself with a difficult opponent in his next fight, if only for the purpose of drumming up pay-per-view sales, bets and overall interest.
It would also put to bed any lingering questions about that undefeated record.
We may get our wish for more competitiveness and actual action regardless of the opponent because age and the sheer number of fights under Mayweather’s belt could become a factor. Sure, he was clearly the better boxer Saturday, but the reality is the 37-year-old’s prime is well in the rearview mirror.
His 47th victory in as many tries could almost be defined more by the lack of action than what was actually happening in the ring. That explains why there was so much booing at times from the crowd.
A less explosive Mayweather could be a more vulnerable Mayweather.
Still, the amount of interest in that next fight ultimately boils down to who is in the opposite corner.
The will-they-or-won’t-they nature of the Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao discussions has grown stale by now, but Mayweather himself brought it back into the limelight after beating Maidana, according to Reuters (via CBS News):
"I got to go back and talk to my team, I'm not ducking or dodging no opponent. If a Pacquiao fight presents itself, let's make it happen."
Beating Pacquiao almost seems too perfect in terms of an ideal end to Mayweather’s boxing career. After all, Pac-Man is the boxer who has been tied to Mayweather for years as his biggest potential challenger, and there are definitely those who will view Mayweather’s perfect record with some suspicion if this fight never happens.
Knocking off the aggressive Pacquiao with the patient style that Mayweather often relies on would forever shape the champion’s boxing legacy.
However, Mayweather doesn’t even have to fight Pacquiao in his next bout to drum up more interest. Amir Khan would bring incredible speed to the table and is someone who could actually connect on some fight-turning punches against the precise dodges of Mayweather.
Boxing writer Joe Gallagher noted that this matchup is a real possibility:
Fans would certainly enjoy seeing Khan’s speed test Mayweather in the ring, but the fact that Khan actually taunted Mayweather recently adds another layer of intrigue, via Sky Sports:
“Floyd, as we all know, isn’t the biggest puncher. His footwork has slowed down, he only throws single punches and gets hit a lot more. We all know Maidana isn’t the quickest, and he still got through with shots.”
While a fight with Khan would certainly be interesting, the reality is that Pacquiao is ultimately the only name that would move the needle enough to drastically garner interest again, but we have done that dance far too many times.
Sure, a victory over Pac-Man would remove the one glaring question mark hovering over Mayweather’s boxing career, but the champion seems to have his sights set on finishing undefeated.
Perhaps Pacquiao is just too much of a risk for that zero in the loss column.
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