Floyd Mayweather- When Does Size Matter?

“Pretty Boy” Floyd, or “Money” Floyd, as he likes to be called, is back. Although he is fighting one of the best fighters in the world hands down in Juan Manuel Marquez, he is again fighting a boxer who is not a natural welterweight.No one can deny the outstanding skill that the multi weight champion has, fighting smaller opponents has been the main criticism of Mayweather over the past few years. He has had five fights at welterweight and three were against fighters who made their careers and name at junior welterweight. Now regardless of what weight the fight was at, I don’t think Sharmba Mitchell, Zab Judah, or Ricky Hatton would have beaten Floyd Mayweather anyway. Many sources have indicated though that the fight will not be at the 147 lb limit, but rather at a catch weight of 144.

Still, many view this weight as an advantage to Mayweather.

Floyd may be a small welterweight himself but there’s a reason they have weight divisions. Being part of a division means fighting those in that respective division. Now, before anyone thinks I’m criticizing Floyd, I am just pointing out the facts and what many pundits have said. Boxing is a two way street, and it takes two to make a fight. I don’t think that Bob Arum ever wanted Cotto or Margarito to go in the ring with Mayweather, or anyone else that’s a threat that’s out of his stable. Such is the business side of boxing.

Even though Mayweather was fighting opponents who made their careers in lower weight divisions, Mayweather started off in an even lower division. Hatton, Judah and Mitchell started off at lightweight or junior welterweight while Mayweather started off at junior lightweight. That’s not the case this time around though. Marquez spent his whole career at featherweight until March of 2007, where he moved up to junior lightweight. He only spent a year there before moving up to lightweight. Marquez for this fight is moving up two weight divisions.

But if we look at the height of the fighters, there is not much of a difference. Mayweather is only one inch taller than Marquez, but he does have a much longer reach. Marquez has gained weight for the day of the fight, but in his last fight with Juan Diaz, Marquez’ fight night weight was only 140 pounds. Mayweather should be able to make the catch weight comfortably, considering his natural body weight is more of a junior welterweight rather than a welterweight.

There are a few fighters in boxing that are so outstanding at what they do, that they can fight and beat the best in many divisions. Paul Williams, Bernard Hopkins and Manny Pacquiao to name a few. Juan Manuel Marquez I believe is one of them. But he is not fighting an Antonio Tarver, a Kelly Pavlik, or a Ricky Hatton. No disrespect to those fighters, but they are not nearly as skilled or as great of a fighter as Floyd Mayweather. Williams’ had a great win over Winky Wright, but he is past his best days, and I personally don’t’ think that Floyd is. Marquez is fighting one of if not the best pound for pound fighters in the world. If Floyd is healthy and not full of ring rust, than I can’t imagine anyway Marquez can win. Marquez will be able to beat most fighters at 140 and many at 147, to me, Floyd isn’t one of them.

Source: diamondboxing.com