Does Floyd really run?

[DonPrestige]

I'm getting tired of people continually saying PBF is a terrible fighter and has no skills because he hits and runs. I always thought the art of boxing or fighting in general was to hit and not get hit. Dont get me wrong his style isnt thrilling, I'm a Tyson fan because a fight was always exciting because as well as skill he had that aggressive style of all action.

If Floyd was just running he wouldnt win fights, he does just enough which is frustrating as shown in the DLH fight in the later rounds when he could have been more dominant and silence some critics. I fyou want to see running look at the guy Echols on the undercard of the Hatton-Castillio fight, now that was running.

However, the fact that he fights within his ability and hardly ever does more than he has to doesn't mean you cant give credit where it is due. Just because you dont like him doesnt mean you can be totally oblivious to one of the most talented boxers in the last decade, remember it is 2007 before people start chiming in about Duran, Leonard, Hearns, etc. When Ali and Willie Pep fought in a similar fashion they were graceful masters of the art. It has to work both ways.

You can say hes boring, dull, arrogant, cocky, not been tested but to say he isnt one of the two top p4p's in the sport today would be doing yourself a disservice but also the sport.

[Dostoevsky]

He does run a bit too much for my taste but hes still one of if not THE most talented fighter of all time. (technical wise)

[Shake]

No-one is saying PBF has no technical skills. The word is that he runs, which is an exaggeration, but not without basis. Floyd has the ability to stay on the outside all night and throw few but incredibly sharp counter-punches, usually one at a time.

The real crux is very simple; the best fighter in the world is a defensive wizard. People like offense more. That's all it is; frustration. He always seems in control, always the boss in there, 'why doesn't he K.O people left and right?' is the gut-reaction. Couple that with his pre-fight antics and you have a controversial fighter.

[DonPrestige]

Iron Duke that is the kind of response I totally respect.

You may not like his style completely which is similar to my opinion but at least your not letting that completely blind you to the talent he possesses.

Too bad other fight fans aren't as realistic.

[smokey]

He usually outlands power shots on people. He has quite a few stoppages on his record, too. People forget how he when he was fighting at lower weights. I wouldn't call what he does running, except when he goes into safety mode like he did when he hurt his hand on Baldy's noggin. I think opponents who can't land solid on him and get frustrated call it running.

People never like matadors, they like bulls.

[Dennis]

You don't have to convince me, I even enjoyed watching him school Baldomir.:yep

[DonPrestige]

Like I said I dont mind people disliking his style or being angered by his attitude, I accept its not to everyones tastes but its the people who say he's not talented or that he has no skills that I dont understand.

[ajc1984]

I've not seen ANYONE say he has no skills or is a terrible fighter. Even the biggest Floyd critics admit he has skills, they just think he's a cunt outside the ring and boring in it.

[Dekkers]

The only time I ever really thought Floyd 'ran' was late in the Baldomir fight. He not as agressive as he was at the lower weights though, just doesn't carry the same power and he knows it. I guess that's why he has that defensive, countereing, one-two shots at a time style, it's still boxing though.

[The Exile]

Like I said I dont mind people disliking his style or being angered by his attitude, I accept its not to everyones tastes but its the people who say he's not talented or that he has no skills that I dont understand.



Knowone can say he isnt one of the most talented boxers of his generation but on the other hand he is not even close to be being the most exciting boxer of his generation imo.

[PBF P4P #1]

Everything I was taught about boxing when I was young...the defense, the way to throw a punch, the movement...all draws me to Mayweather because you can't draw it up any better than the way he does it.

[ChuckYoungblood]

He is perhaps the most skilled boxer right now but he fights like a poker player - always minimizing the risk, never taking chances.

Oh and he should stop quitting after each fight

[Tony Harrison]

You don't have to convince me, I even enjoyed watching him school Baldomir.:yep

So did I, I've never heard anyone else admit it before, I thought I was some kind of deviant.

[Dennis]

So did I, I've never heard anyone else admit it before, I thought I was some kind of deviant.

I couldn't care less about what the other people think about it, imo it was a technical masterpiece. Floyd won the WBC belt by making the belt holder land in single digit numbers, controlled the fight every single round by simply outboxing his opponent, keeping his composure and not getting lured in to be caught by a lucky shot. Fuck yeah I enjoyed it.;)

[MancMexican]

I don't think Floyd runs in the slightest. He is, especially of late, a highly defensive fighter. I say this is a legitimate tactic against fighters far bigger and stronger than he. Would I give him more kudos if he traded and got brutally stopped? No. Did I enjoy his performances against Baldomir and De La Hoya? Not especially. Did I respect his skills? Absolutely. I would have preferred him to try and take out Baldomir, I thought he could have with minimum risk, but he didn't want to take any risk.

[Jennifer Love Hewitt]

YES Floyd does run. Does this mean he is not a good boxer, no. Floyd's running gives him the ablity to defeat just about anyone. On the other hand, he is boring as hell to watch; and yes, it is a sort of form of one dimensionality. He wins fights by having as little boxing activity as possible, yet he does win, so he gets credit from me for that. I could understand if he ran from one opponent who was a murderous puncher, but he does it for everyone. Will playing it safe against a light hitting, slows as hell, overmatched opponent like Baldomir earn my kudos? Will his slap and run style make me a fan?...No way.

[DonPrestige]

Everyone seems to be putting together vaild points and I'm surprised because over the past 2 months I've heard some absolute rubbish from some posters.

The whole point though is that its like Lennox Lewis, I though he was one of the most boring fighters ever with the Pudilist tag. However, looking at his dominance during his reign and the sub par HW division now, it just shows how important it is to respect the talent that is around.

[Shake]

No, Don, I haven't seen what you've seen, and I find you simple-minded though good-natured.

[Jennifer Love Hewitt]

Everyone seems to be putting together vaild points and I'm surprised because over the past 2 months I've heard some absolute rubbish from some posters.

The whole point though is that its like Lennox Lewis, I though he was one of the most boring fighters ever with the Pudilist tag. However, looking at his dominance during his reign and the sub par HW division now, it just shows how important it is to respect the talent that is around.

Nah, Lennox knocked people out when he could, and dominated fights with the jab, by PUNCHING. Some people might find him boring, but Lennox boxed. He even brawled it out wne needed. Unlike Floyd, He didn't try to win fights by creating as little punching activity as possible.

[McGrain]

He is perhaps the most skilled boxer right now but he fights like a poker player - always minimizing the risk, never taking chances.

Oh and he should stop quitting after each fight


What a tremendous avatar you have.

I don't think he runs, I don't think he runs at all. He's often stationary, using exemplary skills to dodge, roll and throw back. What people have to remember is that he'd probably still be fighting at around 135 if he wasn't such an extraordinary talent - he's in there with much bigger men sometimes. He's entitled to stick and move.

So was prime Ali. The first incarnation of Winky Wright.

This idea that a guy is spoiling because he decides to move is just mad.

[jimmie]

The only time ive ever really seen him run excessvily was vs Baldmoir. Spinks thats a fucking runner he spends 12 rounds everyfight running backwards.

[DonPrestige]

Shake as you crticised me and gave me a compliment I'll take your post with a pinch of salt.

However there is an article on the front page about Hatton and Floyd with over 700 comments and you will see that there are people who have that opinion and not just 1 or 2.


Open your bloody eyes.

[FlatNose]

This reminds me of when Pernell Whittaker used to win , but often stunk the joint out in the process.Sometimes we just don't like the way someone wins. In the purest sense, boxing is the game of hit and don't be hit.When someone masters this form, it is often not too exciting.Mayweather's nasty ,bratty personna makes it more appealing for his detractors to critisize the way he wins, just like they did Pete.So they say he runs, and so on.But , I've never seen Floyd in all out retreat like DLH was against Trinidad.But Oscar is more likeable, even by others than the "Oscarsexuals", so , while he got some heat for his dancing with the stars audition against Tito, he still doesn't draw the nasty ire that Floyd seems to stir up.

[DonPrestige]

Haha, Oscarsexuals, I like that one.

[SportBuddha]

PBF is not a runner, he has great reactions and awesome defensive skills and it makes for great countering, but perhaps relying on these two huge strengths might prove his undoing as the years catch-up, aside from the steroid stuff this is really where RJJ became unstuck as he got older, i'd say that the haste with which PBF's camp are trying to make the RH V PBF bout is in at least a small part to do with his sharpness, which im seeing slow slightly...

[DonPrestige]

Calabrese your missing the point though, do you think he actually runs from his opponents or do you mean that he fefuses to stand and trade or force the issue because the point is there is a difference between the two.

Like I mentioned before Echols on the undercard on the weekend was the perfect example of someone running.

[pipe wrenched]

No-one is saying PBF has no technical skills. The word is that he runs, which is an exaggeration, but not without basis. Floyd has the ability to stay on the outside all night and throw few but incredibly sharp counter-punches, usually one at a time.

The real crux is very simple; the best fighter in the world is a defensive wizard. People like offense more. That's all it is; frustration. He always seems in control, always the boss in there, 'why doesn't he K.O people left and right?' is the gut-reaction. Couple that with his pre-fight antics and you have a controversial fighter.

Very well put! and PBF did nothing close to this "running" until the Baldo fight, which was what 3 fights ago, people just love to hate him more than anyone i've ever seen.

[jimmie]

Very well put! and PBF did nothing close to this "running" until the Baldo fight, which was what 3 fights ago, people just love to hate him more than anyone i've ever seen.

Hes had 1 fight since then :patsch

[SportBuddha]

Yes - and it's boring as hell!

Watch the way Paulie Malignaggi, a "boxer", fought against N'dou. That is entertaining! I wish Floyd would fight more like that, standing and trading, instead of running and pot-shoting and talking shit like he's some beast in the ring.

Paulie like Hatton is growing a huge following because of his exciting style, but there are more ways to win than all out action and there are not many defence and counter specialists that have acheived quite as much, Sugar Ray Robinson was no all out slugger either but is ranked all-time no1 by almost everyone in the sport, I admit PBF's style ain't as daring or adrenalin charged to watch and i'm not much of fan, but he is the best at what he does and it is very effective for wiining boxing matches - and keeping his looks :!:

[BigReg]

Am I seeing this right? Did two people write that Paulie Malignaggi is an exciting fighter? If people wanna say Floyd is boring, and runs, that's their opinion. But how can you say Floyd is boring and Paulie is exciting? Paulie only has 5 ko's. Did anyone see his fight vs. Cherry? I don't think he threw one puch that wasn't a jab. Against N'Dou, every step Paulie took was backwards, and he threw pretty much all jabs sprinnkled in with a few crosses.

[Tettsuo]

Floyd fought very defensively when either his hand was hurt, or his opponent was just too big and strong for him.

[Beatboxer]

People would appreciate Mayweather more if he wasn't such a cunt

Cory Spinks is far more boring than PBF but...Cory on the other hand is a classy guy and i normally find myself rooting for him in spite of his boring style

Mayweathers combination of being boring(if masterful) and being a cunt is what makes people dislike him i think

[pit]

He does run a bit too much for my taste but hes still one of if not THE most talented fighter of all time. (technical wise)

There a difference between giving angles and running , and floyd does just that he uses his foot work to make angle , that not running thats boxing which is different from Rick who wrestle his opponent to get angles.

[charlievint]

I'm getting tired of people continually saying PBF is a terrible fighter and has no skills because he hits and runs. I always thought the art of boxing or fighting in general was to hit and not get hit. Dont get me wrong his style isnt thrilling, I'm a Tyson fan because a fight was always exciting because as well as skill he had that aggressive style of all action.

If Floyd was just running he wouldnt win fights, he does just enough which is frustrating as shown in the DLH fight in the later rounds when he could have been more dominant and silence some critics. I fyou want to see running look at the guy Echols on the undercard of the Hatton-Castillio fight, now that was running.

However, the fact that he fights within his ability and hardly ever does more than he has to doesn't mean you cant give credit where it is due. Just because you dont like him doesnt mean you can be totally oblivious to one of the most talented boxers in the last decade, remember it is 2007 before people start chiming in about Duran, Leonard, Hearns, etc. When Ali and Willie Pep fought in a similar fashion they were graceful masters of the art. It has to work both ways.

You can say hes boring, dull, arrogant, cocky, not been tested but to say he isnt one of the two top p4p's in the sport today would be doing yourself a disservice but also the sport.

LOL...C'mon dude...No one says floyd's a Terrible fighter and has NO skills. That's crazy talk. They say he's boring and sometimes he is. Sometimes he's AMAZING. But he only looks AMAZING against guys that we as fans KNOW he'll beat.

When he's tested he starts to fight in a way that is boring. IT's still very skillful and tactical but most causual fans won't apprecaite that b/c it's not Toe to toe and it's more of pot shotting off the back foot.

I love Floyd, his style at least. i think he's a true technician and a great boxer. The best in our era. But he hasn't tested himself against the very best although his move up in weight and the way he dominated some of the champions along the way deserves A LOT of RESPECT.

He's no Ali, Robinson or Pep, but his talent is on the level with the Greats I just mentioned....I just don't think his HEART is comparable to them.

[Beebs]

At his worst, yes he is a runner, what makes it so disgusting is that he has all the ability in the world to still minimize risk and put on a great technical display of boxing without having to do it, yet he does it anyway lately. In his early career he was not, but more and more he is doing it. If he fought like he did in the last few rounds of the ODH fight, which were some of his most convincing rounds and the rounds that won him the fight, he would not be considered a runner in the slightest. It really doesn't make sense, he fights better when he isn't running, he fights at his best when he applies slow, steady pressure, which he is very good at.

[Danny Ocean]

he ran from baldy in the last 4 rounds when he was hurt (right hand) and secured the win

but he shouldnt have done it

he didnt run from oscar at all

hes stood and traded plenty of times in his career but haters conveniently forget the

ndou,corley,judah,gatti,hernandez,corrales,manfredy fights


i dont know why he has all of a sudden started pot-shotting i think he wants to protect his haNDS, i remember him saying about 5 years ago he wanted to retire, that he couldnt take the pain from them anymore

but :think i dont know

[charlievint]

At his worst, yes he is a runner, what makes it so disgusting is that he has all the ability in the world to still minimize risk and put on a great technical display of boxing without having to do it, yet he does it anyway lately. In his early career he was not, but more and more he is doing it. If he fought like he did in the last few rounds of the ODH fight, which were some of his most convincing rounds and the rounds that won him the fight, he would not be considered a runner in the slightest. It really doesn't make sense, he fights better when he isn't running, he fights at his best when he applies slow, steady pressure, which he is very good at.

When he isn't running is when he's in there with "lesser" opposition which gives him the confidence to stay in the pocket, sit down on his shots and use his "shoulder tuck and Roll" defense in a stationary position.

But when he gets in there with guys on his level, he has to fight defensivley b/c Floyd cares more about staying undefeated than he does about giving fans their monies worth.

[TroubleLurks]

See Spinks and Dirrell for the definition of a "runner". Especially Dirrell.

[Thread Stealer]

People just like to call fighters "runners" when they box on the backfoot or are more defensive.

Floyd fights differently based on the opponent. He's been more defensive in the last couple of fights.

Neither he nor Whitaker (who spent a good amount of time in the pocket or trading body shots up close) were really runners.

[pugilist_boyd]

He Is A Boring Fighter I Thought Before Oscar He Would Run But He Said He Wouldnt,sure Enough He Ran When He Felt Oscars Power

[dangerousity]

Yes he does. He let Oscar come after him all night and when Oscar did corner him, he clinched. What you gonna call that. Obviously he cant go uut the ring and actually run but in boxing terms, he did run. Running to me is avoiding boxing contact...that is exactly what Floyd did. Create as little boxing activity as possible. Its like if you could win by landing 500 shots and getting hit 100, Floyd would much rather win by landing 5 and getting hit once. How do you avoid as little contact as possible? Run.

I dont get it, when people can only fight coming forward or by KO'n people they are considered 1 dimensional. Yet when one choose to win by only going backwards and by UD, he is a master boxer. ???

In Floyds case I can excuse him for his running, mainly cos he is outweighed greatly by the likes of Baldo & Oscar. I fight the same when sparring HW's. When hes fighting guys his size he is actually very entertaining to watch and IMO, shows what real boxing is about. But people need to stop aking excuses for his fights with Baldo & ODLH calling it master boxing and noway running...he is running and IMO his only option really.

[Tettsuo]

Yes he does. He let Oscar come after him all night and when Oscar did corner him, he clinched. What you gonna call that. Obviously he cant go uut the ring and actually run but in boxing terms, he did run. Running to me is avoiding boxing contact...that is exactly what Floyd did. Create as little boxing activity as possible. Its like if you could win by landing 500 shots and getting hit 100, Floyd would much rather win by landing 5 and getting hit once. How do you avoid as little contact as possible? Run.

I dont get it, when people can only fight coming forward or by KO'n people they are considered 1 dimensional. Yet when one choose to win by only going backwards and by UD, he is a master boxer. ???

In Floyds case I can excuse him for his running, mainly cos he is outweighed greatly by the likes of Baldo & Oscar. I fight the same when sparring HW's. When hes fighting guys his size he is actually very entertaining to watch and IMO, shows what real boxing is about. But people need to stop aking excuses for his fights with Baldo & ODLH calling it master boxing and noway running...he is running and IMO his only option really.
This doesn't make him a "runner", it makes him a smart fighter, no?

[HopkinsFan]

He Is A Boring Fighter I Thought Before Oscar He Would Run But He Said He Wouldnt,sure Enough He Ran When He Felt Oscars Power
what the hell mate, he ran maybe half a round against Oscar.
Some peeps see what PBF does as running but it's not, he plays it on the backfoot, punches first and counterpunches if need be which is the smartest way to win a fight imo.. and personally i find Floyd's style not boring at all, and if anything fairly entertaining to watch.
I'll say this, i'd prefer to see a Floyd fight then a Mayorga that's for damn sure..

[Nigel_Benn]

Floyd doesnt run he did it against Baldomir, he couldnt ko Baldo so he jus schooled him he stood wit Oscar and did in all his fights previous to Baldo.

[platnumpapi]

pbf is just a pure boxer at the highest level.he is the sweet science, he hits without getting hit.i just think pbf is a legit jr welter and when fighting guys that walk around at 160 and as high as 185 he can take the chances of getting hit more then he should.so if you hit pbf then you earned it because he will not give you free shots.to some i know is not fun to watch but as soon a pbf fights like gatti, then thats when he will get koed like gatti.
thats not his style and never will be.he never weighed 150 pounds in his life and they expect to trade with men who walk around at 165 and higher.

pbf sayed he was 150 when he fought odh but that was on paper he really only weighed about 148, thats why in the tale of the tape they did not show what the fighters weighed going into the fight.they only showed the weight they sayed they made.

pbf needs to fight like how pbf fights, then second he chages to please others thats the second he will get koed.

[rico]

The man lacks what boxing is all about, drama. Leonard getting up and knocking out Lalonde. Three minutes of hell with Hagler/Hearns. Gatti/Rueles, Gatti/Ward (1,2 and 3) Holyfield giving everything he has to beat up any man who thinks he has a right to get in the ring with him. Maeweather may just be too damn good for his own good. Love the way he moves in there, like liquid lightning. Fast as hell, power? Hell yeah! But who really cares, we go for the DRAMA. A truly great story must have a plot and ultimately, a moral, not just blah, blah, blah. Dig it!:hat

[Illmatic]

of course he doesnt. Its just that people want him to stand like a statue to give his opponents the only chance they have....and then maybe, their wet dream may come true....that he may actually lose. Jealousy is a terrible thing.

[dangerousity]

This doesn't make him a "runner", it makes him a smart fighter, no?
Ruiz is a smart fighter. He sure as hell still is a hugger.

When you throw 1 punch at a time making less contact as possible, when your on the backfoot all night, when you clinch everytime your opponent gets close...you are running. Fact. Wether is smart or not is not up for debate, just to answer the thread, it is running. Like I said, I dont blame Floyd for doing it against Oscar & Baldo, hes oversized and if I were him id do it too. People are just in denial of what he is actually doing.

[Pimp C]

pbf is just a pure boxer at the highest level.he is the sweet science, he hits without getting hit.i just think pbf is a legit jr welter and when fighting guys that walk around at 160 and as high as 185 he can take the chances of getting hit more then he should.so if you hit pbf then you earned it because he will not give you free shots.to some i know is not fun to watch but as soon a pbf fights like gatti, then thats when he will get koed like gatti.
thats not his style and never will be.he never weighed 150 pounds in his life and they expect to trade with men who walk around at 165 and higher.

pbf sayed he was 150 when he fought odh but that was on paper he really only weighed about 148, thats why in the tale of the tape they did not show what the fighters weighed going into the fight.they only showed the weight they sayed they made.

pbf needs to fight like how pbf fights, then second he chages to please others thats the second he will get koed.
Excellent post!:clap: