Quote Originally Posted by Taeth View Post
IMO its pretty clear that somebody like Pacquiao who is very fast, but southpaw has the best chance at beating Mayweather. Mayweather's one defensive flaw has been against the left cross, and against southpaws in general because he comes forward against them.

The reason Floyd is terrible for Mosley is because IMO he is still too good defensively for Mosley to really land anything effective, Mosley doesn't have a great jab like Oscar did to really stop Mayweather from throwing punches nor does he have Oscar's size or height. Also the two punches that land very easily on Mosley are the jab and the right cross (like Vargas, Forrest, and Cotto all landed with ease on Mosley).
The logic behind saying Pacquiao is solid and it works based on what we saw from the Judah fight. Floyd did figure out how to handle it, though, just like figured out Castillo in the second fight, but it's still a good point and I can't argue with it.

I'm not sure Floyd is "terrible" for Mosley because I don't think Floyd has a "great" jab and he hasn't bothered to use it much lately anyway. Can he dust off that old jab from 5 years ago? Also Oscar is only 1.5 inches tall, his reach is actually shorter, and Mosley is probably the stronger of the two. IMO, right-crosses only land cleanly on Mosley behind a good hard jab to disrupt his timing and hide the right hand. The fighters that beat him were excellent 1-2 punchers. Floyd throws a lot of naked straight rights and left hook - right combos. It's not his style to work off the jab like Cotto, Forrest, and Winky. I'm not sure Floyd will be able to have his way offensively with Mosley the way you think he will, and in all of Mosley's losses, it's been the opponents ability to disrupt his offense that was allowed Mosley get the worst of it. You don't rate Mosley's defense in the first place. I don't think he's a defensive wizard, but I give him more credit than you do on that front.

The other point you make is that Floyd may be too good defensively. Maybe or maybe not. Albsur pointed out that Mosley's jab is the kind that is prone to getting countered by Floyd's rights. Also true. This is where is comes down to Shane's own offensive ability, athleticism and Nazim Richardson coming up with with a plan that will surprise Mayweather so that Mosley can get to him offensively and spoil the offensive gameplan of Mayweather. Mayweather can and has been hit and hit by lesser fighters than Mosley.

That's a tall order, but it may be possible. For example, you know that Floyd will look to counter over the jab with straight rights. You know he will roll the cross and counter with a right uppercut or cross. He has certain patented moves that give people fits. Shane has the handspeed that he might be able to bait Mayweather with the jab into throwing the right and get off a counter left hooks, hook off the jab and return with right hands that are faster and harder than anything he's seen. Shane would have to fight a smart fight and choose his spots, but he's the most all around physically gifted fighter Floyd will have fought, if happens.

Against Oscar, he didn't have to worry too much about the right hand. He needed to neutralize the jab and be careful not to eat the big left hook. Hatton is also primarily a left hand puncher and (at least until the Malignaggi fight) not using his jab much. Although Shane doesn't have a power jab, he does have great power in both hands...his left hook and right are both KO, punches, and he can turn southpaw for stretches effectively.