Thread: Floyd against southpaws.

Let's settle this. People say that Floyd struggles against southpaws. But does he really?

Originally Posted by VG_Addict

Let's settle this. People say that Floyd struggles against southpaws. But does he really?

He struggled with Zab at first and Demarcus Corley had a couple of decent moments in their fight. Floyd seems to struggle most with guys like Castillo and Maidana, who muscle him to the ropes and just keep throwing. Floyd is great at adapting though and performed much better in both rematches.

Corley caught him but even in the round he got caught Floyd won the round easily if memory serves me.

Judah won a couple early rounds

Pac won a couple of rounds

Early in his career he had some tight rounds against some lefty

Depends on how to qualify "struggle". I don't think he has lost 12 rounds to all his southpaw opponents combined so no, I don't think he struggles. Just terms are used differently when applied to Floyd.

Offensively, I think there is a statistic out there that generally he has a higher connect percentage against southpaws so it's impossible to say he struggles but defensively, his shoulder roll had been less effective so he has had to adapt his style in different ways. I actually think that technically he has improved against southpaws.

Floyd does struggle with southpaws but normally adjusts and wins the later rounds.

Floyd does struggle with southpaws but normally adjusts and wins the later rounds.

If Pernell was around he would have been serious trouble for Floyd.

Originally Posted by Master

Floyd does struggle with southpaws but normally adjusts and wins the later rounds.

If Pernell was around he would have been serious trouble for Floyd.

True.

Originally Posted by Master

Floyd does struggle with southpaws but normally adjusts and wins the later rounds.

If Pernell was around he would have been serious trouble for Floyd.

I would like to hear how you define struggle. Because he hasn't had one competitive fight against a southpaw.

Emanuel Pacquiao was as easy a fight as any fight short of Gatti
Guerrero was almost as easy as Emanuel
Ortiz was a wipeout
Judah was completely onesided after the early rounds
Sharmba was a wipeout
Corley was pure domination
Sanders he won every round

Rounds 52-10, doesn't seem like struggling.

Originally Posted by Ron Swanson

Originally Posted by Master

Floyd does struggle with southpaws but normally adjusts and wins the later rounds.

If Pernell was around he would have been serious trouble for Floyd.

I would like to hear how you define struggle. Because he hasn't had one competitive fight against a southpaw.

Emanuel Pacquiao was as easy a fight as any fight short of Gatti
Guerrero was almost as easy as Emanuel
Ortiz was a wipeout
Judah was completely onesided after the early rounds
Sharmba was a wipeout
Corley was pure domination
Sanders he won every round

Rounds 52-10, doesn't seem like struggling.

To be fair, none of those fighters were anywhere near Pernells level. Anyone who ever fought Sweet Pea struggled, even when he was well past his prime. He and Floyd are two of the greatest defensive specialists ever, and would have been about as even a match up as you could find.

Judah knocked Floyd down and Corley wobbled Floyd.

I think he just struggles against quality opposition. Saying southpaws "rocked him" or "gave him trouble" may be true but so did the orthodox fighters. I don't think it has anything to do with stance but more so fighting style. Cotto and Maidana both gave him trouble in recent years, more than any southpaw, and maidana and mosely both rocked him harder than any southpaw has. I think his issue comes with boxers that aren't conventional. WHen he fights awkward fighters he runs into a bit of an adjustment period. On the other hand, when he fights pure boxers (like Canelo) he cruises to a victory.

Originally Posted by Boxer4life

I think he just struggles against quality opposition. Saying southpaws "rocked him" or "gave him trouble" may be true but so did the orthodox fighters. I don't think it has anything to do with stance but more so fighting style. Cotto and Maidana both gave him trouble in recent years, more than any southpaw, and maidana and mosely both rocked him harder than any southpaw has. I think his issue comes with boxers that aren't conventional. WHen he fights awkward fighters he runs into a bit of an adjustment period. On the other hand, when he fights pure boxers (like Canelo) he cruises to a victory.

IMO, Mosley rocked him the hardest (even though he didn't go down) but I place Zab's unscored knockdown as 2nd.
Mayweather seemed to be fighting a more fan friendly style fight against Cotto. That's how I saw it, anyways

Originally Posted by frozensolid-702

Originally Posted by Boxer4life

I think he just struggles against quality opposition. Saying southpaws "rocked him" or "gave him trouble" may be true but so did the orthodox fighters. I don't think it has anything to do with stance but more so fighting style. Cotto and Maidana both gave him trouble in recent years, more than any southpaw, and maidana and mosely both rocked him harder than any southpaw has. I think his issue comes with boxers that aren't conventional. WHen he fights awkward fighters he runs into a bit of an adjustment period. On the other hand, when he fights pure boxers (like Canelo) he cruises to a victory.

IMO, Mosley rocked him the hardest (even though he didn't go down) but I place Zab's unscored knockdown as 2nd.
Mayweather seemed to be fighting a more fan friendly style fight against Cotto. That's how I saw it, anyways

Totally agree. Floyd wanted to stop Cotto and took chances he did not against other fighters.

He was more offensive because he was fighting a guy who was not much stronger than him, bigger than him and is relatively easy to hit. The only thing Cotto had going for him was his timing and his jab, which separated his effort from say Guerrero.

There are videos out there, mostly by Wilson Kayden, that highlights Floyd's adjustments against southpaws.

Originally Posted by Master

Originally Posted by frozensolid-702

Originally Posted by Boxer4life

I think he just struggles against quality opposition. Saying southpaws "rocked him" or "gave him trouble" may be true but so did the orthodox fighters. I don't think it has anything to do with stance but more so fighting style. Cotto and Maidana both gave him trouble in recent years, more than any southpaw, and maidana and mosely both rocked him harder than any southpaw has. I think his issue comes with boxers that aren't conventional. WHen he fights awkward fighters he runs into a bit of an adjustment period. On the other hand, when he fights pure boxers (like Canelo) he cruises to a victory.

IMO, Mosley rocked him the hardest (even though he didn't go down) but I place Zab's unscored knockdown as 2nd.
Mayweather seemed to be fighting a more fan friendly style fight against Cotto. That's how I saw it, anyways

Totally agree. Floyd wanted to stop Cotto and took chances he did not against other fighters.

And Cotto nearly won that fight. Had the fight taken place pre-Margarito then maybe Miguel could have done something. But there were so many things that happened after the Margarito fight that changed Cotto. I thought he had a good chance and he did.

De la Hoya also gave Floyd hell but as an orthodox fighter.


We also all have to wonder about Paul Williams....to an extent seeing how he moved up in weight and got sparked out very badly but had Floyd fought him at 147 who knows what would have happened? Would Williams be outboxed to the point where he looked amateurish or would Williams' pressure and stamina eventually get to Floyd? Obviously everyone is just going to assume Floyd wins easy seeing how Floyd has beaten everyone else with relative ease....but 6'1 and a 79" reach is pretty tough for a welterweight to have to deal with.