For all of Floyd Mayweather's dominance over the years, he has never really been considered an exciting fighter. Mayweather has a certain defensive style that works for him, and he will once again use it in a victory over Robert Guerrero on May 4.
Perhaps no fighter in recent memory has displayed more flash and pizzazz outside the ring than Mayweather, but he is a totally different person between the ropes. Mayweather is among the most cerebral and calculating fighters of his era, and that is why he has managed to remain undefeated for so long.
Mayweather probably has the ability to brawl and fight with reckless abandon, but that isn't a sound strategy. Mayweather's best attributes are his quickness and elusiveness rather than his punching power. The goal for every fighter is to play to his strengths, and that is what Mayweather has been doing since he turned pro in 1996.
As his nickname suggests, Mayweather is all about the money. While there may be a lot of money in implementing an exciting style of fighting, there is also a lot of money in remaining undefeated. Mayweather knows that as long as his record is unblemished, there will be a demand to see his fights, even if they aren't the most exciting.
The No. 1 priority for Mayweather on May 4 will be defeating Guerrero and pushing his record to 44-0. Guerrero will likely try to take Mayweather out of his element by opening things up and being overly aggressive, but Mayweather can't and won't fall into his trap.
Mayweather is arguably the most frustrating boxer to fight because he ruins game plans and forces opponents to adjust in the middle of the bout. He is evasive and dangerous on the counterpunch as well, so his opponents have to be aware of him at all times. All it takes is one big combination for Mayweather to turn the tide of any fight.
Many fighters have tried to knock Mayweather off his game by goading him into leaving his comfort zone, and there is little doubt that Guerrero will try to do the same. Those tactics have never bothered Mayweather before, though, so it's highly unlikely that he'll deviate from what has worked so well over the past 17 years.
Mayweather does have 26 knockout victories, but he has only scored one knockout in his past four fights. That was a controversial win over Victor Ortiz, whom he caught napping after the official broke them up. Aside from that, Mayweather has been content to go to the scorecards, as he usually wins definitively via decision.
With that in mind, it's fair to say that Mayweather will nickel and dime Guerrero throughout the fight. Guerrero may have good intentions in terms of making the fight exciting and going for the knockout, but he'll soon figure out that the opportunities to do that won't be prevalent. Eventually he's bound to get sucked into Mayweather's style just like everyone before him.
For anyone who is looking for a slugfest, Mayweather vs. Guerrero won't deliver in that regard. What fans will see, however, is one of the greatest fighters of this generation putting on a technical display that few others can match. Mayweather's fights may not draw in casual fans, but boxing purists will be entertained by Mayweather's prowess against Guerrero.
The fight may be classified as "boring" to some, but to others, Mayweather's mastery is a thing of beauty. No matter how the fight comes across on television, Mayweather is bound to come away victorious once again.
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