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[BrutUalBK]

Many people say that Floyd is better today than he was years ago but honestly I must say that the younger, faster Floyd got hit far less than he does today and I know that makes for a more action-packed/competitive bout because he's taking more risks standing in the pocket and trading but he never got hit as much when he was using his legs more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK9en6g9JTQ <<<His Defensive abilities

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK9en6g9JTQ <<<His Offensive abilities


Though the uneducated casual observer (those who do not know the difference between Boxing and Brawling) would say he was a Runner, I still favored his earlier style using his legs to box and not get hit than I do the more Crowd Pleasing Style today.

So, is he better today or then? Or did he lose a step or two??

Your thoughts???

[sduck]

Nope, nope, nope, and...NOPE!

The only clear decline I see and still ever saw is punching power. His reflexes look sharper in some fights than other fights... It's called human consistency. You also have to look at the way people fight. Styles make fights guys, stop forgetting this. People make too big of a deal out of some performances. Like Corrales for example was tailor made for the way Floyd chose to fight. Not taking anything from Floyd, giving him credit for pulling the performance off as good as he did, but that fight itself doesn't just determine how else he'd do against other fighters.

Why do people still mention the Castillo fight as if there wasn't TWO fights?

[BrutUalBK]

Nope, nope, nope, and...NOPE!

The only clear decline I see and still ever saw is 1. punching power. His reflexes look sharper in some fights than other fights... It's called human consistency. You also have to look at the way people fight. Styles make fights guys, stop forgetting this. People make too big of a deal out of some performances. Like Corrales for example was tailor made for the way Floyd chose to fight. Not taking anything from Floyd, giving him credit for pulling the performance off as good as he did, but that fight itself doesn't just determine how else he'd do against other fighters.

2. Why do people still mention the Castillo fight as if there wasn't TWO fights?

1. I don't think Floyd has lost punching power (see the Ortiz KO for reference), I do believe that he has never been a big puncher but one who's punches come very quickly and the speed of which they come are stunning/surprising to the opponent. I always believed that it was possible for Floyd to KO many of his opponents but he never really sets down on his shots and that is why his punching power isn't perceived to be as good<<<the Ortiz punch KO dispells that myth.

2. Most of us only mention that fight because it is one in which many felt he lost and if not, at least it was probably his most closely contested fight, as much a fan I'am of his I have to admit that I felt he lost that fight but wasn't dominated/beaten. In the rematch he made it obvious that he won.

[sduck]

1. I don't think Floyd has lost punching power (see the Ortiz KO for reference), I do believe that he has never been a big puncher but one who's punches come very quickly and the speed of which they come are stunning/surprising to the opponent. I always believed that it was possible for Floyd to KO many of his opponents but he never really sets down on his shots and that is why his punching power isn't perceived to be as good<<<the Ortiz punch KO dispells that myth.

2. Most of us only mention that fight because it is one in which many felt he lost and if not, at least it was probably his most closely contested fight, as much a fan I'am of his I have to admit that I felt he lost that fight but wasn't dominated/beaten. In the rematch he made it obvious that he won.

I've watched all of Floyd's fights, all 43 of them. He has consistency issues over all, and is the most versatile fighter I've ever seen. It's easy to nitpick fights and judge from those, but for someone like Floyd you can't do that very accurately. The only true decline I've saw was his punching power, which is also another thing that seems to be inconsistent. He was known to be a power puncher in his earlier fights, which gambles between fights which I said was his consistency. It didn't completely diminish until his return in 2009 with the Marquez fight and on. And uh, Ortiz obviously lost his head and gave up the fight. Dude barely tried to get up and just smiled as he was counted out.
(For further reference on consistency, it's like how he battered Gatti or Corley, looking much stronger compared to many other fights... Or how he looked feather-fisted against Baldomir compared to his fights with Judah and De La Hoya... These are only some examples, but part of it over all is probably him choosing to hit harder in some fights compared to others, or being force too based on the style and whatnot. But he also states things like him going for the knockout in his fights with Marquez and Mosley, but then it looked clear to me his punching power just couldn't hold up to how he wanted like in previous bouts.)

The issue I see with people always mentioning that fight, is how they ignore the significance of the second fight. And when they do acknowledge the second fight, it's just put simple, "oh well he proved all doubt". Both fighters fought just about exactly the same way in both fights, it wasn't flat out "experience" improvement (like on defense) as I see many people keep saying, Floyd was just sharper and more on point with his game, and made Castillo look more ordinary compared to the first fight. The only real experience accounted for there was knowing Castillo more as a fighter from the first bout.

This post has been edited by sduck: Feb 22 2013, 09:51 PM