Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been criticized throughout his career for relying too much on his superior defense in fights, and not being more entertaining for fans. Rumors have been seeping out of Mayweather's camp that he's doing a number on sparring partners, and has even done major damage to veterans Zab Judah and DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley.
Mayweather's uncle Jeff Mayweather said he isn't seeing the "same old Floyd" as he prepares for a super fight vs. Manny Pacquiao. "Just beat the (bleep) out of him," Jeff Mayweather said. "He beat Judah so bad, Judah was scared to let his hands go.
Mayweather Crushing Sparring Partners, Hurt Zab Judah?
"The kids, early in camp, they don't care that he's Floyd Mayweather. They want to prove something. They've proved something, all right. They're getting destroyed. He's annihilating everybody. He's a beast. This isn't the same old Floyd."
Mayweather has not scored a knockout since 2011 vs. Victor Ortiz though, and he slugged Ortiz when he was not defending himself. Before that, his most recent knockdown came against Ricky Hatton in 2009, so news of this newfound power has met some skepticism. Now, fans can judge for themselves since new footage of Mayweather sparring has hit the internet.
Mayweather is fit as always in the video, and clearly is landing hard shots. The problem is that the sparring partner is just that-someone to practice against. Manny Pacquiao is clearly several cuts above a fighter Mayweather will bring into his training camp, and his inability to even move his head much makes it difficult to draw too strong of a conclusion from the clip.
There is some evidence of Mayweather switching tactics in big fights though. Against Canelo Alvarez, Mayweather spent portions of the fight inching forward and backing Alvarez down, which served to throw him off his game. Against Miguel Cotto in 2011, Mayweather also allowed himself to be boxed into a corner where he remained in the pocket and threw counters at Cotto, who was on the offensive.
Those fights provide a better glimpse than a few seconds of sparring, but the new video of Mayweather's training does show a focused fighter in great shape.
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