Floyd Mayweather: Unbeatable? 5 Boxers Who Could Potentially Beat Mayweather

With his ever exciting-yet-controversial knockout victory over Victor Ortiz in September, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. boasts a stellar 42-0 record.  His adviser recently revealed to the press that Mayweather would like to fight next in May of 2012.

Mayweather has proven his ability to handle all styles.  Even if an opponent appears to have a stylistic edge in the beginning of a fight, Floyd adjusts mid-fight to neutralize his adversary.  There is virtually no fighting style that he cannot handle.

So who can beat him?

If you ask me, nobody is unbeatable.  Despite his shiny record, Mayweather is not invincible in the ring; he can get hit.  DeMarcus Corley, Zab Judah and Shane Mosley, among others, proved that to the boxing public.  Ultimately, though, they were all too inconsistent.  

The fighter that beats Mayweather has to be busy and fast enough to land the shots, and mentally conditioned enough to continue to do so for a grueling 12 rounds.

With that in mind, here are five fighters within Welterweight range who could beat Floyd Mayweather.

Manny Pacquiao

He needs no introduction; most of the world is very aware of this Filipino congressman.  Manny Pacquiao has the conditioning, commitment, speed and confidence to beat Mayweather.  Mayweather has never faced anybody the likes of him.

In a fight against one another, Pacquiao would be too busy for Mayweather.  Nobody in boxing—not even defensive king Floyd Mayweather—can avoid every single punch in a Manny Pacquiao signature six-punch combination.  Mayweather would probably be outpointed.

We've been waiting two years for this fight.  When negotiations for their superfight began in 2009, odds opened up at 8:5, in favor of Pacquiao.

Now, in 2011, two years after initial negotiations began, a deal still has yet to be made.  May the two camps come to an agreement soon and give boxing the fight it wants.

Sergio Martinez

Sergio Martinez climbed to the top ranks of everybody's pound-for-pound list after his spectacular second-round knockout of Paul Williams in November 2010.  He's a sharp and powerful boxer who has proven to handle all styles.

Martinez would perhaps initially have a tough time landing against Mayweather if ever they fought, but at one point he would land and Mayweather would be hurt.  After that, Martinez would put on the heat and overwhelm Mayweather.

In my opinion, if there is one person in the world who can cleanly knock out Floyd Mayweather, it is Sergio Martinez.

Amir Khan

Light Welterweight Amir Khan has been talking Mayweather for several months now.

Granted, everybody talks Mayweather, but many believe Khan has what it takes to win.  He's fast, energetic, strong and smart.  He can fight and dominate any type of fight, whether it be a calculated chess match or an all-out war of attrition.  Khan has succeeded in both types.

Khan would not win the fight easily; it would have to be his best performance ever.  He would have to beat Mayweather to the punch all night and counter him effectively.  He would need an answer to everything Mayweather sent his way.

And though it would be Khan's most difficult fight, he has the skill set to pull it off.

Timothy Bradley

Undefeated Light Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley has many assets as a fighter that put him on this list.

First is his supreme work ethic. Bradley has beaten many of his opponents simply by out-working them, as with Lamont Peterson and Kendall Holt.  There is no quit in this man, and that quality is essential to beating Floyd Mayweather.

One also cannot overlook the fact that Bradley often accidentally headbutts his opponents.  While this is not an admirable quality, consistently headbutting Mayweather would be a great way to get under his skin.

Of course, Victor Ortiz's intentional headbutt got him nowhere, but in this case the headbutts would be a product of Bradley's style.  Indeed, they could break Mayweather down in the long run.

Finally, Bradley is one of the most well-rounded boxers out there.  No one quality of his game stands out, which, in this case, is a strength.  Mayweather tends to adjust mid-fight to neutralize an opponent's main strength.  I am willing to make the claim that Timothy Bradley has no one such strength; this could puzzle the Money Man if ever they fought.

Like Amir Khan, Bradley would have to fight his best fight ever.  But he too has what it takes.

Miguel Cotto

Mayweather has often been accused by his critics of having ducked Puerto Rican Welterweight Miguel Cotto.  After Mayweather beat Ricky Hatton, had he not retired, Cotto would have been the likely opponent.  At the time, Cotto was undefeated with huge wins over Shane Mosley and Zab Judah.

Since then, Cotto has lost via TKO to both Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao.  Much of the boxing community has sadly given up on Cotto, believing that he is no longer at his best.

Whether or not this is true, Cotto still has what it takes to beat Floyd Mayweather.  Like Sergio Martinez, Cotto is a powerful and accurate puncher.  His left hook is considered lethal, even now.  He moves well in the ring and can break through a tough defense.

A fight with Mayweather would be a see-saw battle.  Not necessarily a chess match—more like a game of Risk.  Cotto would circle Mayweather and pick his punches, as the latter would back away while trying to counter.  Mayweather would land more; Cotto would land harder.  It would be a toss-up.

Cotto may be the least likely candidate on this list, but I maintain he still has the skills in his arsenal to dethrone Mayweather.