UFC 113 Aftermath

So I went 2-3 with my picks for UFC 113 which is pretty mediocre considering I like to pride myself in being an expert when it comes to MMA. I would like to blame the fact that I let my heart cloud my judgment.

First of all, I am a really big Patrick Cote fan and I enjoy watching him fight, but I should have known that after a very long lay off due to a knee injury, plus a setback, would have had effect on him, especially considering he was fighting a very good fighter in Alan Belcher. Second of all, I really don't like Josh Koscheck and I was hoping more than anything that Paul Daley would have been able to stuff Kos's takedowns like he said he would have been able to. However, I think I did discuss both of these issues regarding each fighter in my preview, so shame on me for picking them wrong, but at least I acknowledged what the determining factor would be had they both lost. Finally, Sam Stout, I would like to say that I do not agree with the decision at all for Jeremy Stephens. I think the judges fell in love with Stephens' style and his heavy hands, and totally neglected the fight overall. Yes, Jeremy Stephens looked brilliant for brief periods of the fight, but like I said it would be, that fight was all Sam Stout. He never backed down, and never left Stephens' personal bubble. Stout ended the fight stronger and I thought he easily could have taken it 2-1 in rounds. I was completely dumbfaced when Bruce Buffer announced that one judge had it 30-27 for Stephens. Just another reason to frown upon the judging in MMA. Just to be clear, I am not so much annoyed with the overall decision as I am with the one judge scoring it 30-27 Stephens.

Now for my winning calls, my bet the house calls. I can take solace in my 2-3 record with the fact that I won both of my money bets. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Matt Mitrione, who I am quickly becoming a fan of for his approach to the game and for that stupid fucking grin that he chooses to not wipe off his face. I loved it.

Let's start with Mitrione. I don't want to take credit in predicting this fight because to me it was just too obvious. Kimbo Slice brings with him a lot of hype and a lot of fair weather fans from his youtube days. For instance, the venue I was watch hing it at was filled with guys prepping everybody for a vicious KO by Slice. I didn't think Mitrione was going to win, and I didn't necessarily want Mitrione to win, I knew Mitrione was going to win. Kimbo Slice is just way too small to be a heavyweight. Considering he weighed in at 225 with not an ounce of fat on his body, it was just too apparent that Mitrione was going to be able to will himself on Kimbo. Matt Mitrione has a lot of things he needs to work on to be successful in the HW division, one being that fact that Kimbo was able to land some nice shots and also slam him down at one point in the fight. Kimbo hits hard, but he hits 225 pound hard. Mitrione was at around 250 pounds.

I think it's too bad Kimbo Slice was cut from the UFC shortly after by Dana White. I would have liked to have seen Kimbo drop down to the LHW division at 205, but I'm guessing weight cutting does not come easily to Kimbo with the little amount of body fat he has. Too bad because there are some pretty exciting matches for him at 205 with guys like Keith Jardine, Forrest Griffin, and even Chuck Liddell.

Now for the main event. I am going to try my best to give my thoughts without explaining how revenge or justice was served with Shogun's win because I have done enough of that already. I also just want to look at the positives surrounding Shogun.

I called Shogun to win the first fight and I called him to win this fight as well. But I never expected it to end as fast as it did or in the fashion it ended. I never could imagine either fighter being KO'd or TKO'd. I was absolutely shocked. I expected Shogun to come with a similar yet a bit more aggressive style than his first fight, and win a decision. Him getting a KO just goes to show how motivated he was and how he wasn't going to let another judging debacle ruin his chances at the UFC LHW title. His first fight with Machida he respected Machida's striking to the point where it made him hesitant for the first 4 rounds to attack. He chose to just pick his shots. I'm guessing after 5 rounds of going unscathed against Machida, all of that respect went out the window and Shogun went for the kill.

My observation on why Shogun was able to KO Machida, and how Machida left himself vulnerable to such a shot is that the first fight played into the mind of Machida and distracted him in the second fight. I try to tell people all the time a fight is different from a game. It's not basketball, hockey, or football. It's a fight. A lot of people thought Machida would have not outstanding effects from the first fight and would be able to alter his game plan so much so for the rematch, that he would be able to just walk through Shogun. I on the other hand tried to relate it to real life. When somebody beats you up in life, it takes a toll on you emotionally, mentally, and physically whether the judges scored it for you or not, the fact of the matter was Shogun beat up Machida in the first fight. He didn't dominate, but he cracked him and solved him enough to land strikes almost at will and the beating seemed to get worse as the fight went on. The punishment was accumulating with the rounds.

I think once Machida got hit with a few shots by Shogun he mentally packed it in and physically did not want to endure another 5 round attack from Shogun, especially considering this time Shogun was being much more aggressive, hence the 2 takedowns form Machida. Shogun getting up so easily from those takedowns didn't help Machida's mental state either. Like I said earlier, when you get beat up in MMA, it's not like any other sport where you can acquire new players, or practice harder, or win using some new and improved style, or even get saved by a great individual performance from a pitcher, goalie, or a running back. It's a fight, and most fighters are limited to the tools they already have. A Muay Thai guy can work on his BJJ as much as he desires, but rarely will it ever turn him into a BJJ styled fighter. Same goes for American wrestling, Wanderlei Silva can train with Randy Couture as much as he wants, but he will never be able to use wrestling as an advantage for him in a fight.

Don't get me wrong, fighters do win rematches against opponents they have previously lost to, but it mostly happens with age and deteriorating skills playing a major role in the result.

My .02

UFC 113 Preview

This Saturday in Montreal marks the rematch of Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. A super close fight last time with a controversial decision. This weekend we hopefully get to move forward with the light-heavyweight division whether Machida or Shogun wins.

Patrick Cote vs Alan Belcher
Cote is coming off a long layoff due to a knee surgery and a couple of setbacks. His last fight was against Anderson Silva, where he put on a spirited performance but ended up injuring his knee in the 3rd or 4th round. Alan Belcher is coming off a TKO win over Wilson Gouveia and a controversial loss to Akiyama. Belcher is a gamer, and overall he has a good mixture of tools. Patrick Cote has a rock solid chin and a devastating right hand. Belcher has also been known to get hit during his fights, and this could be the downfall for him. The x-factor in this fight is if Patrick Cote has any ring rust. If this fight was 2 years ago, I'd be all over Cote, but due to the circumstances I'ma little skeptical. However, I think Cote will still be able to land on Belcher for a win.

Cote 2nd Round (T)KO

Jeremy Stephens vs Sam Stout
This will be a make or break prediction that could make me look really silly. Sam Stout is going to be all over Jeremy Stephens from bell-to-bell round-to-round this fight will be all Sam Stout. He will work the stand up, go for submissions, and execute takedowns. Nothing will stop him. He will push the pace, dictate the fight, and control the positioning.

Stout Unanimous Decision

Kimbo Slice vs Matt Mitrione
Bet the house on Mitrione. This is going to be a slugfest. These two are going to touch gloves, and proceed to stand in the middle of the octagon and bang. Too bad the banging won't last long with these two beasts. For the little I have seen, Mitrione has a solid enough chin to be able to endure a few of Kimbo's shots in order to land a KO. I don't like Kimbo's chin at all. I think it's weak and vulnerable. Not only will I predict the round for this fight, but I am going to go out on a limb and predict the time. No way does this fight leave the first round and no way does it leave the first 2 minutes.

Mitrione 1st Round KO 1:58

Josh Koscheck vs Paul Daley
In order to predict a fight like this, you have to be able to predict how each fighter will adapt to the other's style, and then predict how they will overcome it. I am having a problem looking at this fight. There are 2 very possible outcomes that I keep seeing in my head, and neither surprise me. On one hand I see Josh Koscheck putting on a wrestling clinic and sticking Daley in the fence for 3 rounds with his athletic ability. On the other hand I see Daley blasting Koscheck with a 1-2 that sends Kos into a grudge match with Dan Hardy. The only way I can make a prediction here is to take the word of Paul Daley and his camp and believe that he will be able to stuff Koscheck's takedowns. If not, than I have been had and this prediction will flop. I have to lean on Daley here because we have all seen Koscheck be susceptible to the hard punch. He tends to get over-confident with his striking which sometimes leaves him vulnerable to the right hand and there is no worse guy to do that with than Paul Daley. I want to cover my ass and say if Daley has no answer for Koscheck's wrestling, than it will be a long tiring night for Daley that will only leave him complaining post-fight about how Koscheck blanketed him. But if he has sprawl he says he does...

Daley 2nd Round KO

Lyoto Machida vs Mauricio Rua
Here's how I see it. Machida will come with nothing different and nothing new. This is no disrespect to Machida, but it isn't his style to adopt a new gameplan. He is an unorthodox fighter who relies on being able to dictate the fight no matter what the situation is. The only thing he'll try to do differently, is alter the distance between Shogun and him. In the countdown show he marveled at how well Shogun kept his distance, not too close, and not too far, right in the middle. This prevented Machida from tying him up for sweeps and clinches and shooting in from afar with his lunging strikes. Two very effective offensive strategies used historically by Machida.

With that said, Shogun knows Machida all too well. He is very familiar with him as a fighter and he is going in to dethrone the beast and take what is rightfully his. The only difference you will see from Shogun is that he will start battering the legs and ribs from the first round a bit more aggressively. This way instead of having Machida worn down by the 4th and 5th, he will have him worn down by the 3rd. His kicks on the countdown show were devastating, and there is no way in hell Machida is looking forward to that.

I don't see Shogun stopping this fight unless Machida is unable to walk out for the 4th or 5th round due to his severely punished legs. Shogun razor thinly and arguably won 3-5 rounds last fight. He is the one who dictated the pace and where the fight took place. Look for him to have less respect for Machida this time and be much more aggressive. But aggressive in a smart way. Not balls to the wall all out brawl style that will get him tagged by the very counter-effective Machida. He will be aggressive and continue to be precise and sharp. My honest opinion. Machida knows his time is about to come to an end.

For a little bit of fun here is my Hail Mary prediction: if Shogun is able to get Machida on his back, he just might be able to GnP his way to victory. Shogun's GnP is ferocious. His lunging strike that he finished Overeem off with is deadly and I wouldn't be surprised if he was able to set up a strike similar to that while Machida was on his back.

Shogun Unanimous Decision (Somewhere at home Cecil Peoples will still have managed to find a way for Machida to win)

The Way of the Shogun: The Machida ERROR (Part 2)

Due to some injuries in the UFC and prior obligations with Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans hosting a season of The Ultimate Fighter, Shogun is offered a title shot with the undefeated and unscathed Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida much to the dismay of many UFC fans. Machida is one of the most unique and dangerous fighters in the world. Entering the fight with Shogun, I don't think Machida has even lost a round in his career. He is ranked among the pound-for-pound bests of the sport and he has a tremendous legion of fans that support him and his karate style. He is a throw-back to the days when people wondered if Bruce Lee was the baddest man to walk the planet.

There weren't many people giving Shogun any chance in this fight. Even though his last fight against Chuck Liddell was a vintage performance, people are now saying Chuck Liddell is washed up, too old, and his chin is shot. The same odds Forrest Griffin faced many years ago when he stepped up to fight Shogun, are now being placed on Rua for his fight with Lyoto. The tables have turned. Shogun is the one who many believe will not exceed the first round. On websites, all I can read our phrases of "Machida by murder", "Machida by anything he wants", "R.I.P. Shogun" etc...


I have a strange feeling about this fight. Shogun and Machida trained together once upon a time, and there are whispers coming out from mutual friends that trained with them that Shogun used to get the better of Machida in sparring sessions. Of course that is just sparring, but even in pre-fight interviews and press conferences, there is a look on Shogun and Machida's faces like they know something the rest of us don't.

Fight time. The fight starts slow and methodical. Both guys talent levels are so high, that the smallest of mistakes could lead to the end of the fight. They're feeling each other out. It's almost like a chess match. No matter the outcome though, it is safe to say that the Shogun of past has arrived. This is the guy people said would one day rule the MMA world. The first round ends with little damage being inflicted by either fighter, but the edge has to go to Shogun as he landed a few leg and body kicks to Machida, and was more in control of the pace. Round 2 is pretty similar to round 1, only now Shogun is loading up some severe leg and body kicks on the champ. Machida is a bit more active this round however, so I 'll have to say round 2 goes to the champ. Round 3, Shogun is continuing to punish Machida's legs and ribs with some real powerful kicks. Bruising is starting to develop on Machida's ribs. Near the end of the round Machida comes with a strong flurry to try and steal the round, he throws a nice combo, but at the end of the flurry Shogun lands a thundering right that rocks Machida. Very close round, but aside from that one small flurry, it's all Shogun. 2-1 Shogun. Rounds 4 and 5 are not even close as Shogun is taking over the fight. The crowd who in early rounds were pro-Machida are now starting to rally around Shogun, chanting his name. Shogun punishes Machida with leg and body kicks. He removes Machida of his mobility. Machida is wincing after each kick. Shogun is landing at will. Machida can't do much but throw the odd counter punch. As the fight progresses Shogun is getting stronger and faster where as Machida is dwindling.






The final buzzer sounds at the end of the 5th round and Shogun throws his arms up in air in triumph! He as well as 99% of the people watching believe he has just overcome so much adversity to become the UFC light-heavyweight champion. All the critics, the haters, the people who said he was finished, or the people who accused him of steroids had been answered. My brother, and 2 friends had all bet on the fight. With Shogun at +400 we were getting 4 times the amount we bet. Another friend of mine bet $350 on Shogun and was looking forward to a $1400 payout. We were all dancing arm in arm celebrating after the fight, but it wasn't really about the money, it was about the vindication. It was about watching Shogun come all this way to prove the critics wrong. It was about him taking the fights when asked and it was about time.


Bruce Buffer is now in the ring to announce the judge’s decision. The camera pans to Shogun who can't keep his smile contained. His camp is behind him and they're all smiling and talking and awaiting the announcement of the new UFC light heavyweight champion. There isn't a doubt in any of their minds that Shogun just won the title. Now the camera pans to Machida, and he looks defeated, he looks beaten, he looks sullen. His entire camp behind him are looking stunned and deflated with their heads down. They're probably thinking about what went wrong and how to fix the problem. How are they going to make their way back to the title again?

Bruce begins..."All three judges scored the fight 48-47 for the winner......LYOTO "THE DRAGON" MACHIIIIIIIIIIDAAAAAAA


I feel sick to my stomach. The people I am watching with, some cheering for Machida, most cheering for Shogun, are all silent. How could this happen? Shogun is in disbelief. Machida is celebrating as if he just won the lottery. Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg are baffled. Dana White walks over to Shogun and and says in his ear "I had you winning that fight". The crowd who started the fight cheering on the champ, are now reigning down boos. The message boards are quickly heating up with angry fans ranting about this colossal mistake. ESPN website is reporting that Shogun had just won the UFC title with a 5 round decision over Machida as they tried to be the first to report the news by putting the story up immediately after the fight. The event ends with a shot of Shogun, who is sitting in his locker room with his face buried in his hands.

As the night goes on, fighters, media types, and fans all weigh in on the controversy. Then UFC play-by-play man Joe Rogan drops this gem on his twitter, "Welcome to the Machida ERROR".

All of this is in the past now and the rematch is this Saturday. Tomorrow I will be previewing the fight and weighing in with my thoughts. Last year about a week before the fight I was on record of saying "Shogun will control this fight with effective leg and body kicks". Yeah I know, that's pretty eerie, but was it expert analysis or just wishful thinking? Well, tune in tomorrow to see if I can nail another prediction.

The way of the Shogun: Battling Adversity (Part 1)

This is a look back at the career of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. To enhance the reading experience, try and read it as if the narrator from "Beyond the Glory" or "Cold Case Files" is reading it to you aloud.

Watching this guy come up the MMA ranks at the mere age of 21 was truly a pleasure to experience. It was fun, exciting, and intense at times. Almost like watching a young Ovechkin dangle an NHL defenceman, or seeing Lebron dunk on some poor center who accidentally wandered under the basket. Aside from an early career loss to fellow Brazilian Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua seemed like a young phenom staring down the road of a long and legendary career filled with accolades and championships.



He began his career by making a name for himself in PRIDE beating up on the local heroes of Japan. His opponents were completely outmatched, but it was great to see Shogun showoff all his tools. I wondered how he would do against some real competition. Then he got his first real test as he was given the opportunity to avenge his brothers loss to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, let's just say he made Rampage look like a fish on the dock. Next was Rodrigo Noguiera's twin brother Rogerio, followed by Allistair Overeem, and then a tournament Grand Prix win over Ricardo Arona. The sweetest thing about the Arona victory was that he was avenging the loss of his mentor Wanderlei Silva from earlier on in the night. Shogun thus captured the PRIDE LHW GP championship, a a very big deal in MMA. Fans were witnessing the "Next One" in MMA. I, like other fans at the time started to wonder how Shogun would fair against the likes of Mirko Cro Cop or maybe even Emelianenko Fedor. Yes, he was that good, that comparing him among the greatest fighters that were 30-40 pounds heavier was not a ridiculous thought.



What happened next was heartbreaking and made one squirmish. Shogun snapped his arm in a freak incident during his fight with Mark Coleman. A fight that was sort of a tune up to possibly prepare him for the Heavy Weight division. That would derail his career for up to a year, and it would be a long time before he ever looked the same again.


Let's fast forward some decent wins and some lackluster performances to his UFC debut. UFC 76, titled "The Funeral of Forrest Griffin" err sorry "The Knockout of Forrest Griffin" no sorry just simply titled "Knockout". PRIDE fans were salivating at the thought that Shogun was finally going to show all UFC fans and especially fans of Forrest Griffin's reality show - The Ultimate Fighter that were critical towards PRIDE and its fighters, what this Brazilian warrior was all about. Then something happened, 2 minutes into the first round and Forrest was still alive. 4 minutes in and wow Forrest is actually competitive. What was going on? The first round ended and Forrest's head was still attached to his neck. Forrest was doing well for the first 2 rounds and fans were absolutely stunned. Shogun looked so sloppy and out of shape in this fight, that people didn't even realize he won the first two rounds. People were expecting him to literally tee up Forrest's head like a football and punt it into the 9th row of the arena, the fact that Shogun somewhat controlled the first 2 rounds and didn't kill Forrest was a victory for Griffin in itself. The fact that Forrest was still breathing after 10 seconds into the fight was a victory for Forrest. Not to mention that Griffin was the crisper puncher, sharper fighter, and better conditioned. This was an upset of the ages as Forrest choked out Shogun Rua in the 3rd and final round with a rear naked.



Shogun then decided it was time to address his injured knees, it took over a year for Shogun to have two surgeries and rehab his knees before stepping back into the octagon. He cited not taking time out to address his knee issues earlier as reasons why he was so poorly conditioned in the Forrest fight.

Now its time for UFC 93 a rematch vs Mark Coleman, the man who according to himself, took Shogun down so hard that he broke his arm on sheer impact alone. Sorry I have to laugh a little, that was as freak of an accident in sports as there could be. I'll give Coleman a pass on this as I believe he's just trying to hype up the fight. OK, let's see Shogun make his 2nd comeback and his 2nd fight in the UFC, destroy Mark Coleman, and move on with his career....Not so fast. Wait a minute, here we go again, this is looking like deja vu. Shogun is looking...bad...again! What's going on? He's winning, but he looks bad. He is tired, weak, and very sloppy...again. He is serving up one of the most tired and unconditioned beat downs I have ever seen. Thank god Coleman is looking much worse and a lot more tired. Had Coleman filled up his tank and not left the locker room on reserve he may have been able to American wrestle his way to a victory. Anyways, Shogun wins as he knocks Coleman out in the 3rd round.


I'm starting to think Shogun is done. He is no longer the fighter he once was. No more brutality, no more sharpness, no more speed, no more conditioning. What was once suppose to be the next best thing in MMA is quickly turning into a sad tale of "what could have been". Beating Coleman in the manner he did was almost as bad as a loss for Shogun. It did more bad then good for his reputation. People were writing him off fast.

Within minutes of his victory, a very giddy and excited Dana White (besty of UFC fighter Chuck Liddell) storms into Shogun's locker room offering him a fight with Liddell at UFC 97 in Montreal exactly 3 months down the road. Chuck Liddell is coming off of one of the most devastating losses of his career - a KO from Rashad Evans and he is in need of a comeback fight to regain his popularity and relevance in the UFC title picture. What better than to feed Liddell a guy who used to be on top of the world, has looked terrible in his last two performances, and already fought a 3 round fight 3 months prior? Some might suggest that this was a set up to for Chuck. That Shogun was being fed to Liddell on a silver platter so that Liddell could comeback from a loss and be relevant again. Shogun would have no time off to heal any post-fight injuries from the Coleman event. He would have to leave the octagon fly back to Brazil and get right back into the gym to start training.

Here it is...UFC 97 vs Chuck Liddell. A part of me is praying Shogun wins, but deep inside I am just hoping Liddell knocks him out quick and fast, and Shogun doesn't suffer anything embarrassing. There's no way I see Shogun putting away the Iceman after his last 2 performances. No way! I just hope it's not a highlight reel KO, or I hope Shogun doesn't put up an embarrassing performance. The bar I am at is filled with Lidddell fans. Shogun's entrance begins and I am the only guy clapping and nodding. The place is silent. Liddell's entrance is the polar opposite, people cheering and clapping. Fight starts, Shogun is looking good, crisp, and conditioned. He's landing shots, avoiding shots, scoring take downs. He might just be able to pull off a decision victory. The last 2 fights I had been left wondering what happened to the old Shogun? Now this fight I am wondering what happened to the poor conditioned sloppy Shogun? Shogun is owning Chuck Liddell. He looks faster, stronger, sharper... Then all of a sudden WAM! Liddell is floored to the canvas with a beautiful left hook, and Shogun pounces, about 7-10 hammerstrikes later the fight is stopped. WOW! Vintage. I'm the only guy in the bar standing and clapping, high fiving with the friends I am with who are a little too new to the sport to understand what just happened. The man is back! The look on Dana White's face sitting cage side is priceless. Nobody saw this coming. Liddell is sitting on his stool asking "what just happened?" The return of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua just happened....



Part 2 continues tomorrow.

Here is an excerpt:

"...Bruce Buffer is now in the ring to announce the judges decision. The camera pans to Shogun who can't keep his smile contained. His camp is behind him and they're all smiling and talking and awaiting the announcement of the new UFC light heavyweight champion. There isn't a doubt in any of their minds that Shogun just won the title. Now the camera pans to Machida, and he looks defeated, he looks beaten, he looks sullen. His entire camp behind him are looking stunned and deflated with their heads down. They're probably thinking about what went wrong and how to fix the problem. How are they going to make their way back to the title again?"

Floyd Mayweather Jr. The Good the Bad and the Ugly

Floyd Mayweather Jr. aka Pretty Boy Floyd aka Money Mayweather has become quite the antagonist in the boxing world. Whether it is because his ego is big enough to host a venue for one of his upcoming fights, or because his determination to give beloved boxer Manny Pacquaio headaches outside of the ring as he maintains his stance that Manny provide blood and urine tests in the days leading up to the fight to clear any possibility of steroids. Maybe it's because Floyd has taken on fan favorites such as Oscar De La Hoya, Arturo Gatti, Ricky Hatton and even Carlos Baldomir, which gives people no choice but to cheer against him. Maybe it's the simple fact that Floyd dubs himself Money Mayweather to represent his luxurious lifestyle, but then gets caught making it rain at a Las Vegas night club with counterfeit $100 bills. Whatever the reason is, the fans don't seem to be on Mayweather's side, including me. This past weekend I found myself rooting for "Sugar" Shane Mosley hoping he would derail the champ. Come to think of it I can't remember the last time I cheered for Floyd Mayweather during a fight, if at all. Furthermore, the obstacles that Mayweather is creating that are preventing a dream show-down between him and The PacMan are becoming drawn out, tiresome, and worst of all - expected.

There are athletic commissions put in place by respective states that oversee issues for blood testing, there is no reason for Floyd to interfere and try and act as the athletic commission for this fight. He is the fighter, let the the athletic commission do their job. All Mayweather needs to do is shut up and fight Manny. But maybe the reason for this interference is that he knows something about athletic commissions that the average fan doesn't? I for one have long suspected foul play from athletic commissions. All you have to do is a little research to see that these aren't the most ethical people in the world, especially the ones coming from Las Vegas unfortunately. Ethics are to Las Vegas what the legal system is to OJ Simpson. So if this is the reason for Mayweather's interference then I fully support him, however, I feel this is just a gimmick for him to get under Manny Pacquaio's skin

I have been such an anti-Floyd type of boxing fan for so long. I remember saying that Zab Judah would be the one to beat him, than it was Arturo Gatti who had the heart and courage to beat him, De La Hoya had the size and experience to beat him on points, than it was Ricky Hatton and his punching power that would overwhelm him, all leading up to his fight last Saturday with Shane Mosley. After overcoming a slow first round and then a shocking second round in which the champ was leveled with two thundering rights that almost put him on the canvass, Floyd settled into the zone which has made him who he is today. He overcame the adversity and the roaring fans in support of Mosley, to put on a boxing clinic like he has so many times in the past. While this was happening I was developing a new found respect and appreciation for Mayweather. I was discovering something that I never realized in the past because my dislike for him was so strong, and my want for him to lose was so great, that it was preventing from appreciating Mayweather for the fighter he truly is. I was letting my hatred overpower my logic and boxing intelligence.


Floyd Mayweather Jr., the same circus act with the loud mouth who disrespected his opponents at press conferences, rained counterfeit money at clubs, hung around in 50 Cent's entourage, and was putting off a fight with Pacquiao, is nothing like that in the ring. He is a completely different person when he steps through those ropes. No showboating, no trash talking, no chicken boxing, no hands behind the back, no dancing, no smiling, and certainly no disrespecting of his opponent. This is a pugilist who is the exact opposite of his out-of-ring personality.

If I were to ask people what Floyd Mayweather's greatest strength was, I would get a mixture of different answers ranging from his speed, to his defence, to his quickness, to his endurance, to his conditioning. And yes, all of those answers would be quality, but none of those things would matter if Floyd didn't possess the one quality that puts all his other strengths into place...Composure. For a guy who does so much promoting, talking, and flaunting outside of the ring, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is THEE most composed boxer in the world, and that is why he is THEE greatest boxer in the world. He doesn't get sucked into in-ring antics, best displayed in his fight with Zab Judah. He doesn't get involved in slugfests just to please the crowd, best displayed in fights with Arturo Gatti and Ricky Hatton. He doesn't get drawn into the other boxer's gameplan, best displayed against Oscar De La Hoya, and he doesn't turn into a desperate boxer with nothing to lose once he gets cracked with a powering shot that wobbles his legs and almost knocks him out. Twice in the 2nd round with Mosley he was nailed with shots that many thought could have lead to the end of the fight and the end of Mayweather's reign as a pound-for-pound best, yet there was Floyd covering up his head with a very effective defence that helped him overcome those 2 right haymakers. From then on it was Mayweather who dictated the fight. He dominated Shane. Mosley tried his best to suck Mayweather into a brawl by trash talking the champ and making face gestures at him. Floyd didn't bite. Floyd stuck to what has made him the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world. He stayed composed.



It's funny, because you would think that a guy who acted the way he does outside of the ring and called himself such names as "Money" and "Pretty Boy" and possessed the talent he does, would be a boxing hybrid of Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones Jr., Prince Naseem, and even Anderson Silva. But he isn't. He doesn't have the fans on his side, but in the ring Floyd is all class and all hard-work. It's strange to use class in the same sentence as Mayweather, but it's true. When the bell rings, all of that sideshow stuff goes out the window, and a true professional takes over. Once the fight is over, and the after party starts, then the counterfeit bills start to rain and he gets back to business...show business that is. Earlier on in this blog I stated that Floyd needs to just shut up and fight, I should have re-worded that to he needs to shut up THEN fight, because shutting up AND fighting is all Floyd ever does.