Floyd Mayweather Jr. has fought professionally 47 times, and has emerged a victor in every single bout. While Mayweather often makes winning look easy, there have been moments of danger and struggle for him during his career. As boxing’s premier villain, many fans are hoping Manny Pacquiao can be the one to finally topple him from the mountaintop.
These are three weaknesses (and that term is used loosely) that have cropped up in Mayweather’s previous fights.
Southpaws
At times Mayweather has shown some trouble getting comfortable against left-handed fighters. This was most clear when he took on Zab Judah in 2006.
Mayweather won comfortably on the scorecards, but he wasn’t dominant until the middle rounds. Judah’s hand speed and jabs found a home frequently until Mayweather could adjust. Judah’s undoing was his inability to hurt Mayweather, but the style presented an issue for a period of time.
Prior to agreeing to face Pacquiao, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum had commented frequently on Mayweather’s aversion to left-handed fighters. In January Arum said this regarding a then-proposed super fight.
"He doesn't want to fight southpaws. The worst possible opponent for him is Pacquiao. He's afraid to lose."
Can Pacquiao Capitalize? Pacquiao is left-handed, so stylistically his skill level and handedness may create problems for Mayweather, especially if he shows signs of slowing down in his late 30s.
Quick Hands
Mayweather’s defense seems impregnable at times, but fighters with exceptional hand speed have been able to tag him. Judah is one example, while “Sugar” Shane Mosley was able to legitimately rock Mayweather in their 2010 clash.
Mayweather’s typical opponents are larger, heavy-handed fighters that appear to be serious threats because of their punching power. Once in the ring they prove to be too slow to handle Mayweather’s quick reflexes. Soon after frustration sets in and those slow punches become wild—and easily countered. This was never more evident than when Mayweather peppered Canelo Alvarez with counter after counter in their record-grossing 2013 fight.
Amir Khan has pined for a bout with Mayweather on the basis that his hand speed and boxing skills are the actual keys to beating Mayweather, not the power and wild aggression of fighters like Marcos Maidana and Victor Ortiz.
Can Pacquiao Capitalize? Pacquiao’s hand speed is legendary, and he’s known as the premier offensive fighter of this generation. Sometimes Pacquiao can get carried away with his attacking and is vulnerable to counter shots, but Mayweather must hurt him to stem the onslaught.
Entertainment Value
In close fights, judges have a tendency to side with the busier fighter. It’s safe to assume that Pacquiao will be more active than Mayweather come May 2, and if the battle is close Mayweather may end up on the short end of the stick.
Mayweather’s dominance has been something of a double-edged sword. Recently judges have handsomely rewarded Mayweather opponents for any kind of success they have. Marcos Maidana earned a draw on one judge’s scorecard in their first bout, as did Canelo Alvarez.
Mayweather’s defense-first approach can be dull if he views his opponent as a legitimate threat to hurt him. It remains to be seen if Pacquiao, who hasn’t scored a knockout victory since 2009, is still viewed in that light.
Can Pacquiao Capitalize? Pacquiao’s busy attacking will be in his favor as long as he can connect at a decent rate. Mayweather will need to aggressively counter, or surprise Pacquiao and fight moving forward to change judges’ perceptions of these two combatants heading in.
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