Is Mosley too old to beat Floyd?

[RozzySean]

I'm still not sure why Floyd is such a "matchup" problem for Mosley. The classic matchup nightmare for Shane has been fighters who live off the jab and control distance.

What exactly does Shane Mosley do well?

Mosley is a "mid-range" fighter. It's not the most conventional style. His head movement and defense aren't great, but he can use his feet to to his range and create good angles. If his opponent's jab can't dictate distance, he will live in the zone you don't want him. He's so strong that he can push off in-fighters to get off his shots, then step back catch them on the way in, push them off, punch, repeat. His feet are fast enough to step inside the power of a Mayorga or Margarito. They don't have the jab to keep him from doing it.

Mosley has a extremely fast hands, granite chin, a good workrate, good (not great) power in both hands. Although he doesn't have dominating jab, he has used it more effectively lately, especially to screen his movements in and out. Good counterpuncher, he throws is right effectively as a cross, an overhand, a short hook from different angles. He is at his best against brawlers and fairs well against slicksters. Boxer-punchers are nemesis.

What about Mayweather?

He eats conventional fighters for lunch. Are you a guy who wants to work off the jab. Good luck. His right counter is so fast you'll stop throwing it half way through the fight. He's a master of in fight adjustment. He's perfectly content to fight a tactical fight and win on the cards. He's great staying on the outside throwing potshots, and he's great rolling and countering on the inside.

What has been most successful against him - in the short term, a good jab or straight right, but over the long hall, strength, intelligent pressure, chin, volume, and awkwardness are more effective. You also need foot speed to catch him. ODLH got split decision against, albeit a bad SD, but that shows way to beat him. Oscar was at his best when he was throwing the jab, but he got countered so much he stopped throwing it. He roughed him up and threw volume.

Floyd has a very good jab, but I'm not it's the kind of strong, punishing jab that will keep Shane at the right distance. Shane's lack of commitment to the jab could work to his advantage because he won't be eating right counters over it all night. He has the foot movement to cut off the ring. He throws his right from different angles. He's the strongest guy Floyd has every faced.

Floyd may win, but it won't be because it's a bad matchup.

[Taeth]

Mayweather doesn't have a snapping Larry Holmes type jab, but how he thrusts it out allows for him to get a lot of "push" behind his jab. Also most guys land their jab in glancing fashion where as Mayweather usually lands it square on his opponent which also makes it very hard for someone to move in on, especially when he jabs to the body. Its hard enough that you can't move forward though it.

You say the nightmare matchup for Mosley is a guy who lives off the jab and controls distance. That sounds like Mayweather to a tee when he isn't facing neanderthal opponents or guys so slow he can get away with anything against them. Watching Mayweather against Corrales, Castillo(especially the second fight), Oscar De La Hoya, and JMM you will see that he uses the jab a lot in these fights. You won't see it as much against Hatton because Mayweather was on his heels too much and he really likes to lunge in when he jabs which a less aggressive Mosley will allow him to do.

[ruthless rocco]

Somebody please tell Mosely not to dress like Apollo Creed again!
What a moron.

[Majesty]

All these age things and etc didn't surface when everyone was picking Mosley to knock out Berto...

[Gandalf]

All these age things and etc didn't surface when everyone was picking Mosley to knock out Berto...

But I don't think Berto is all that good either. Does anyone think Mayweather wouldn't box Berto's ears off?

It's a valid point that Mosely is old because he is very old for a top level fighter in the smaller weights, but whether Mosley gets old in this fight is another question.

I'm backing Mosley and hoping he can shock everyone, but to pretend he is 30 would be a bit silly. He isn't. Only Hopkins in recent memory has been fighting well at this kind of age, all the others such as Toney and Jones Jr have faded. Everyone must fade at some point. It's only natural and if he loses it will be cited as one of the reasons.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Berto is shit... Devon Alexander proved that last night

I like Rozzy's & Teaths debate. I think Rozzy is seriously underrating Mayweather's jab.

[RozzySean]

Berto is shit... Devon Alexander proved that last night

I like Rozzy's & Teaths debate. I think Rozzy is seriously underrating Mayweather's jab.

It works pretty well when he jabs at the body of midgets

Floyd has a different type of jab than Cotto, Winky, and Forrest. They all throw long jabs from a conventional high guard. That type of jab, in additon to controlling distance, swells the eyes, hides the right hand, and creates opportunities to hook of the jab.

Floyd's most effective jab is an up-jap and he targets it at the body. Throwing the jab from his low guard is different. He controls may opponents by using that body jab to keep them off. Taeth is right about that. Against some guys, he can stop them with that jab. I don't think it will have that effect on Mosley.His jab wasn't the deciding factor against Oscar. It didn't stop him in his tracks. He strafed Oscar with right crosses over Oscar's jab, rolled when he was on the ropes, and countered with clean hooks and uppercuts while Oscar flailed at his body. Oscar is the only decent fighter he's beaten who has comparable size and strength to Mosley. And Mosley is stronger.

He could do that against JMM, Judah, at points against Hatton. If he beats Mosley, it will be with the right hand, defense, and counterpunching. The jab won't be the deciding factor.

[DaxxKahn]

Somebody please tell Mosely not to dress like Apollo Creed again!
What a moron.

Yes we will get right on it....Who here has Shanes number...Ruthless Rocco wants him to stop with these outfits of his

[RozzySean]

Mayweather doesn't have a snapping Larry Holmes type jab, but how he thrusts it out allows for him to get a lot of "push" behind his jab. Also most guys land their jab in glancing fashion where as Mayweather usually lands it square on his opponent which also makes it very hard for someone to move in on, especially when he jabs to the body. Its hard enough that you can't move forward though it.

You say the nightmare matchup for Mosley is a guy who lives off the jab and controls distance. That sounds like Mayweather to a tee when he isn't facing neanderthal opponents or guys so slow he can get away with anything against them. Watching Mayweather against Corrales, Castillo(especially the second fight), Oscar De La Hoya, and JMM you will see that he uses the jab a lot in these fights. You won't see it as much against Hatton because Mayweather was on his heels too much and he really likes to lunge in when he jabs which a less aggressive Mosley will allow him to do.

Mosley has better feet than all of those guys. Floyd can control distance against fighters who have average/conventional feet. I don't think Mayweather did a great job of controlling distance in the early rounds against Judah or Hatton. Hatton was getting in on him the whole fight, but Floyd was able take advantage of Hatton's aggression and poor defensive. Either way, Hatton is a conventional inside fighter and Judah is a conventional boxer-puncher.

Shane has trouble right fighters with EXCEPTIONAL jabs. Floyd has a good jab. Yes, Cotto has an exceptional jab.

I don't know where people come up with the notion that a jab is the answer to Mayweather. Other than a few rounds from Oscar, the most trouble he has been given has been by a swarmer (Castillo), a southpaw (with a straight left, a more powerful punch and harder to time and counter cleanly with a cross), and an awkward fighter (Augustus).

To be clear again, I still pick Floyd to win. The more accurage statement this: Floyd is not an ideal matchup for Mosley, and Mosley has looked his best in the last few years againsts fighters who are very good matchups for him (Vargas, Mayorga). This casts doubts as to whether Shane can beat a great fighter when the style matchup does not clearly favor Shane. Shane has never faced anybody who presents the challenges of Mayweather, and he has lost to lesser fighters.

That being said, Mosley, unless he has gotten old in the last year, he offers a combination of challenges to Mayweather that he has yet to face. He has never fought somebody with the size, strength, speed, power, style, and mental toughness of Mosley. You can't even reference the JMM fight, because as great as JMM is, he is slow and stationary and makes his living counterpunching aggressive fighters. On top of that he's much smaller than Floyd.

Mayweather has fought two real WW's - Baldy and Oscar. Baldy has feet in cement. He was an idea matchup. Oscar gave him a close fight (but a clear win for Mayweather), but Oscar does to have Mosley's speed and he fights in a more conventional way.