Who's Floyd Mayweather?

[boxman]

I think that a lot has to do with the fact that Mayweather simply put has not fought enough big names. And as skilled and talented as JR is he lacks a certain killer instinct that fighters like Oscar and Tyson had. I remember watching fighters like Oscar and Tyson when I was young and the rush that I got when that bell rang was undiscribable. Knowing that the fight could end at any second kept my eyes glued to the screen, jumping with exitement with every combination thrown. As much as I like watching Mayweather fight he does not give me that rush, that exitement that Oscar and Mike used to give me. Some fighters are born with a killer instinct, a certain type of character and carrisma to complement their skills. Unfortunatley for Mayweather he only has the skills.

[landmine950]

Who's Floyd Mayweather?...
Isn't he that American crossover track star? runs a backwards marathon race inside a boxing ring

[SweetPea]

I think that a lot has to do with the fact that Mayweather simply put has not fought enough big names.

Let's say Floyd beats Oscar and Mosley in '07. Will that make him a mainstream star? I don't think it will, but it would be interesting to see.

And as skilled and talented as JR is he lacks a certain killer instinct that fighters like Oscar and Tyson had. I remember watching fighters like Oscar and Tyson when I was young and the rush that I got when that bell rang was undiscribable. Knowing that the fight could end at any second kept my eyes glued to the screen, jumping with exitement with every combination thrown.

American fans definitely are fascinated by the KO, and that certainly was the reason why Tyson became such a big star. However, I'm not sure that De La Hoya belongs in that category. He's not a brawler or KO artist, he's a classically trained boxer-puncher. In fact, in some of his biggest fights De La Hoya was criticized for being tentative and not engaging in toe-to-toe action.

As much as I like watching Mayweather fight he does not give me that rush, that exitement that Oscar and Mike used to give me. Some fighters are born with a killer instinct, a certain type of character and carrisma to complement their skills. Unfortunatley for Mayweather he only has the skills.

I agree and disagree with this. I understand that a defense/finesse fighter like Mayweather may not provide the same "rush" as a big puncher like Tyson. That's understandable.
However, I disagree that this means Mayweather lacks "character" to go with his skills. One of the biggest misconceptions in boxing is that defensive fighters lack "heart" or "character" simply because they work on the outside instead of brawling on the inside. Wille Pep and Pernell Whitaker are considered by many experts to be among the top 10-12 fighters to ever live, and both of those guys were content to box their way to unanimous decisions and not go for the KO. Did those guys lack character or heart?