Mayweather vs Marquez

By Greg Paterson - I wanted to start this article with a quote from a favourite Poet of mine Robbie Burns.

‘The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang oft a-gley.’

I better translate for those of you who won’t speak Scottish. It means no matter how hard we plan are plans often go awry.

This sums up Floyd Mayweather Jr’s career. He kept reminding us before last night that 39 men had come with game plans (to defeat him) but none had succeeded. Now it’s 40 men. Juan Manuel Marquez prepared meticulously for this fight with his trainer Ignacio Beristein. They had what they thought the perfect foil to beat Mayweather but they failed along with the other 39.

However, Marquez had it all against him by moving up two weight classes, fighting a faster counter puncher. Perhaps he couldn’t have won as we all know styles makes fights and in retrospect Mayweather has the perfect style to defeat Marquez. But I think it’s more than that.

The type of talent Mayweather has comes along very seldom, although we have had two such talents in recent years in Roy Jones Jr and Floyd Mayweather and some would say Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather has the talent of an all time great, he compares with Barney Ross, Alexis Arguello and Thomas Hearns. He is a sure fire all time great. I honestly don’t see a fighter who can challenge him in the near future. Some say20Shane Mosley but not me!

But let’s get back into the styles. Mayweather can adapt that’s what makes him so great. He’s normally a slick counter punching, defensive wizard but I have seen him turn Boxer-Puncher and even a Stalker. He is dynamic and perhaps that’s why 40 men have tried but 40 men have failed. You just can’t prepare for Mayweather. The only fighters I think who can beat Mayweather are the elite of the divisions he has fought in like Roberto Duran, Benny Leonard, Ray Robinson, Jose Napoles and a select few others.

So just remember that night on the 19th of September as the confirmation of a legend. He’s passed so far with flying colours.

P.S

I would just like to say a few words on Juan Manuel Marquez. What an honourable warrior he is. 12 rounds of being out-boxed (I gave him the 4th though) and he was still trying the whole way through to beat Mayweather. That’s another great fighter passing a test, Juan Manuel is another great fighter and he lived up to that last night.