Mayweather vs Alvarez/Matthysse vs Garcia - Who do you have?

[dougdirt]

Big, big fight card tonight. Not sure if there are any other big boxing fans on the site or not, but I have had this marked on my calendar since it was announced and then I got really excited when they added Matthysse vs Garcia to it.

[dougdirt]

I will be upfront and say that I don't have a rooting interest in the fights. I would like Mayweather to win, but wouldn't mind if he lost at all either. I don't think Canelo has more than a punchers chance though. Fortunately for him, he is a puncher so it leaves open the chance that a shot stumbles Mayweather and Alvarez can pounce and put it away. Mayweather is likely to use movement and counter punching all night long though to get an easy win here. Alvarez doesn't have the speed (in either his hands or his feet) to grind a fight out against Floyd.

With the Matthysse vs Garcia match, it is the one I am actually looking forward to more. Matthysse, for those who aren't into boxing much, is nicknamed The Machine, and for good reason. The dude can flat out hit with heavy, heavy hands. His power is easily the best in the 140 pound divisions. He is a good, but not great boxer though, but when you mix in the power, it puts him at or near the top of the division right there with Garcia. Garcia is a little quicker, a better boxer and still has good power, but not in the same class as Matthysse (power). This fight could go about 10 different ways and not one of them would surprise me. The odds have Matthysse (the challenger) as a decent sized favorite (2.5 or 5/2 favorite depending on where you look). I would favor Matthysse in this fight, as the odds also do, but I do think it could be much closer than the books do at this point.

[WMR]

I've read that this Mexican dude is actually a bit of a chump and Mayweather won't even be really tested... Boxing desperate for a hyped fight, basically.

Would love to see him get knocked out (Floyd)

[dougdirt]

I've read that this Mexican dude is actually a bit of a chump and Mayweather won't even be really tested... Boxing desperate for a hyped fight, basically.

Would love to see him get knocked out (Floyd)

I didn't really buy into Canelo Alvarez until he beat Austin Trout. Trout is an elite fighter. Not Floyd elite, but elite. There were a few in the media who thought Trout won the fight even though he was knocked down and Canelo wasn't, and I can see that POV if I try really hard as Alvarez clearly took off 3-4 rounds in the middle of the fight and then the 12th because he felt the only way he would lose was to be knocked out, so he just played defense for the 12th.

With that said, Floyd is the 2nd best fighter I have ever seen (Roy Jones Jr) and while Canelo is good, heck, he is very good, he isn't likely ready to beat one of the best boxers ever. Floyd isn't as good as he once was, but he still has elite skills and speed in the ring with less pop in his punches than he used to (hand injuries over the years have taken it away).

[dougdirt]

Wound up splitting the PPV with a good buddy of mine over at his place. Outstanding fight with Matthysse and Garcia. I had Matthysse winning the early rounds but Garcia took over in the middle and didn't let up. Once Matthysse had his eye swollen, it was all but over for him. That might be on his corner though. They were very unprepared and I honestly don't know how that happens.

Floyd did exactly what I expected him to do. He was too fast on his feet and with his hands. His jab was snapping back Canelo's head all night, whenever he wanted to get the jab through, it got through.

The fact that one judge scored that fight at 114-114 is a freaking joke and Joe Posnanski had it best when he tweeted out:

Interestingly. CJ Ross also scored the Apollo Creed-Drago fight a draw.