If you were to listen to the mainstream boxing media, you would be forgiven for thinking that the upcoming Mayweather-McGregor fight is the biggest mismatch in boxing history.
But when you look at the pure unknown entity that is Conor McGregor, Mayweather should actually be congratulated for having the courage to risk his record –
McGregor has a certain skill set that may spell danger for Floyd Mayweather, particularly in the first few rounds.
Boxing experts who dominate news for this fight completely dismiss McGregor as a serious threat. They look at Mayweather’s record – Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, just to name just a few – and laugh at the idea that a fighter with a professional boxing record of 0 and 0 is even allowed in the ring with him.
However, in this fight there are a unique set of circumstances in which Floyd, though unbeatable by other boxers, could be vulnerable to Conor, a fighter who, ironically, would most likely be knocked out by many of those same boxers who lost to Floyd.
To explain why Conor may cause Floyd problems, I here nod to The Roar precedent and present five reasons McGregor could beat Mayweather. These reasons are all predicated on one factor: that Conor does not try to out-box Mayweather but uses his natural style.
(Image: AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Age
The first obvious factor are the fighters’ respective ages. Conor is 28. Floyd is 40 and hasn’t fought in two years. It is a significant matter.
In fact we may have already seen signs of Floyd’s age. Legendary boxing trainer Freddy Roach has made it no secret that he thinks Mayweather’s legs are going. Roach has based this assessment on Floyd’s lack of footwork in his fights against Marcos Maidana, in which Mayweather was able to be repeatedly trapped on the ropes.
This was seemingly confirmed in his fight against Manny Pacquiao, where on a number of occasions Pac-Man was able to back Floyd against the ropes and release combinations. Though these flurries ultimately did little damage, the fact he could not avoid them using footwork is interesting.
The following clip shows Mayweather rather effectively uses taunts to cover up for the fact that he could not get out of the situation using footwork.
If trapped on the ropes by McGregor, Mayweather should be very wary of trying to absorb shots like he did against a one-armed Pacquiao. McGregor will not simply unload on Mayweather’s defence, hoping to out-box him; he will use the position to bully Mayweather and employ dirty boxing techniques.
Conor’s awkwardness
Without mentioning anything about McGregor himself, the stance, distance, angles and overall style of a mixed martial arts fighter could cause some initial issues for Mayweather, who famously does not study opponents before a fight.
Put very simply, there are some significant differences in how boxers and MMA fighters approach a fight. Boxers tend to stand tall with their legs closer together, allowing them to reduce range and increase head movement. MMA fighters have a lower, wider stance adopted to help protect against take-downs, and also they tend to fight at a greater distance due to the danger of leg kicks.
The result of this is Floyd will find Conor lower and further away than any opponent he has ever fought. Mayweather, while having a wider stance than most fighters, still likes to keep relatively close when fighting – he knows that he can rely on his speed and shoulder-roll in defence or employ a clinch if in trouble.
Conor, however, tends to attack from a distance using his reach. He will come in at awkward, low angles with his jab, or he will feint and lead with his left, all while staying at a distance that Floyd will not be used to.
The following clip shows distance and stance in this early fight against smaller man Ivan Buchinger.
Floyd is the greatest ever when it comes to solving problems in the ring, but with the unknown nature of Conor’s movement and style – a style Floyd has never fought and will not have studied – it may take a little longer for Mayweather solve the problems that McGregor creates. Once he does, Mayweather is sure to pace out the fight and bank rounds, but in those opening rounds he is very much at risk.
Stay tuned for part 2, in which I discuss the final three reasons Conor McGregor could beat Floyd Mayweather.
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