The most dominant athlete in the world... FLOYD MAYWEATHER

Ever since Tiger Woods watched Roger Federer dismantle Andy Roddick in the US Open finals, those two have been attached at the hip. We can't mention one without the other, and as 2006 wound down and the "athlete of the year" debate started, the dominance of Federer and Woods in their respective sport was compared and contrasted to an almost nauseating extent. It's pretty much unanimous that they're the two most dominant athletes in sports today. Part of it is a marketing ploy. They're both Nike athletes, have the same PR people, support each other, always compliment each other in interviews, and pretty much prance around like an adorable interracial couple. But in all seriousness, the praise bestowed upon them is completely justified. They've been on top of their respective sports for a while, have each endured several players that were dubbed their "rivals," and repeatedly step their game up whenever it looks like the gap between them and everyone else is closing. It's a fairly common belief that they're the two best ever at their sport (NOTE: I don't watch a lot of golf, so I'm basing that on Tiger's accomplishments, but I watch a ton of tennis, and Federer is the best tennis player ever... by far. But that's for another day), so naturally when we talk about dominant athletes, they're the first two names (and in too many cases, the only two names) that come to mind. But I have another name that belongs on any dominant list, and inexcusably, no one ever brings him up in these discussions: Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Why doesn't anyone think about Mayweather the same way they think about Federer and Woods? Well, this is a weird time in sports. Just look at some of the results across the sports world. There are historic franchises embarrassing themselves (think Celtics and Sixers), notorious choke artists becoming playoff Gods (think Kenny Rogers and Peyton Manning), and, most importantly, the entire sports hierarchy has been transformed (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL can no longer be classified as the "Big 4" with the emergence of things like... NASCAR?). Sports like tennis and golf actually get more publicity than boxing. Boxing has done a great job alienating their fans (the problems with boxing will be discussed in a later post) and unfortunately, an all-time great like Mayweather is having his legacy tarnished through no fault of is own... it's just because no one cares any more. But I'm here to make a case for Floyd as being among the most dominant athletes in the world, because I'm one of the few remaining boxing fans and it really pains me to see someone of his talent be so unappreciated in the grand scheme of things.

Now, entire books can be written explaining why Federer and Woods are so great, but there are really two things that set them apart from their peers (aside from God-given talent). First is versatility. In Tiger's most recent win streak, he's won on courses that range from 5500 yards to 7500+ yards. He came up as a power hitter, but his game has evolved to the point where not only can he outhit everyone, but if a tournament was played at a pitch-and-putt in Myrtle Beach, he'd probably be the favorite. Tennis is more consistent than golf (always the same dimensions), but Federer's game is still notably versatile. Watching him today, he's a smooth, opportunistic shotmaker who operates primarily from the baseline. However, he's good enough to win major tournaments by serving and volleying (he did... Wimbledon '03) so there really is no blueprint to his game. The guy can beat you in every way imaginable.

The second thing that stands out about these two athletes is their mental dominance. Not only are they clutch, but they're downright intimidating. We've seen numerous athletes fold under Tiger's glare. If he's in the hunt, no one can stare him down and sink a clutch putt coming down the stretch (yet he does it all the time). They get rattled because they know what Woods is capable of, and they choke trying to pre-emptively compensate for a miraculous shot by Woods. Federer also is mentally superior to every one he plays against. No one can play their game against Federer. They try to do too much because they know how great he is (like Andy Roddick coming to the net) and know they can't win any other way. Meanwhile, Federer is as calm and collected as they come, and SI had a great stat about him, noting that he's among the Tour leaders in break points saved, but isn't near the top in aces. He just makes shots when he needs to, and that's all there is to it.

Now, those are the two biggest things that Federer and Woods possess that make them transcendent dominant athletes, and any one who's actually seen Floyd Mayweather fight knows he has both. In terms of versatility, Floyd can beat you in any way possible. He's typically a defensive fighter, using his speed and reflexes to counterpunch and frustrate slower opponents. But when he needs to, he gets aggressive. I remember watching him against Philip Ndou, who was 31-1 at the time with 30 KOs and a truly promising fighter. Everyone knew that Floyd would be in danger if he did his typical defensive tactics, because Ndou is a hard, accurate stalker who could catch up to any one. What did Floyd do? He attacked from the beginning and knocked Ndou out in the 7th round. Against Zab Judah, he faced an opponent who could actually match him in speed. So Floyd made the adjustment and stalked Judah, winning every round from the 4th on. The guy even beat Carlos Hernandez with a broken hand. In all seriousness, there's nothing Mayweather can't do in the ring, making adjustments as needed and fighting completely different fights depending on who he's facing.

When it comes to mental dominance, needless to say Floyd has that too. I remember him fighting Diego Corrales in 2001. Corrales was 33-0 at the time and was entering every one's top 10 pound for pound list. It was supposed to be a dangerous fight, as Corrales stands at nearly 6 feet and has incredible power (easily the biggest, strongest Super Featherweight at the time). But when the bell rang, I was convinced Mayweather was the most intimidating athlete in the world. Right from the beginning, Floyd was landing 5 and 6 punch combos before Corrales could throw a jab. Looking at Corrales' face after witnessing Mayweather's speed in person, I knew the fight was over. He looked like Michael Spinks before the Tyson fight. Seriously, a 6 foot Super Featherweight who was undefeated and knocking every one out was TERRIFIED of Mayweather every time he had to leave his corner. Mayweather went on to knock Corrales down 5 times and win every round before Corrales' corner threw in the towel in the 10th. That's the impressive thing about Floyd. He's not intimidating by his size (like Lennox Lewis or Diego Corrales), his personality (like Tyson), or his pre-fight self-promotion. When someone is in the ring with him, and realize that no amount of sparring or video watching could prepare them for the task of fighting Mayweather, all of a sudden a feeling of hopelessness overwhelms them. It's happened pretty much every time Mayweather has taken the ring. His fights are decided mentally within 3 rounds.

Now, there's one area where Mayweather even surpasses Woods and Federer. It doesn't happen often, but I've seen opponents go stroke for stroke with Woods (most notably Vijay Singh, who passed Woods in the rankings at one point about two years ago). I've seen Rafael Nadal take Federer's best shots and come out victorious in some big moments. What's so remarkable (and scary) about Mayweather is, not only is he undefeated, but the depths of his talent haven't been touched. Every time he's in a fight that's supposed to be competative, he raises his game to a level that we didn't know existed. He DESTROYED Genaro Hernandez and Angel Manfredy, two veterans who were supposed to teach the youngster a lesson. He dominated Corrales, who went on to win titles in multiple weight classes. He dominated at 140, crushing Demarcus Corley and Arturo Gatti (both bigger and stronger than Floyd, both former World champions). He was too fast for Carlos Baldomir (the frontrunner for Fighter of the Year in 2006 before the Mayweather fight), and too strong for Zab Judah. In fact, his performance against Baldomir was so incredible that in the post-game press conference, the talk centered around him retiring after his next fight. It took a while before someone actually asked him about the Baldomir fight, and Mayweather simply replied that it was a "cake walk." One of the biggest battles in his career, and that was the only way it needed to be described. We all saw what happened, and no explanation was needed.

His only hiccup was a "controversial" victory against Jose Luis Castillo. It wasn't very controversial in classic terms, as Floyd won a unanimous decision, but Castillo came on strong in the later rounds and people thought he could've beaten Mayweather had he fought that way for 12 rounds. This was Floyd's "the gap is closing" moment, and just like Federer and Woods have done so many times, he put that talk to rest very quickly, clearly winning the rematch. This time, Castillo never even got in a rhythm, and barely touched the dancing Mayweather in 12 rounds. He showed he was superior both technically and physically, and even though Castillo remains as one of the top 10 pound for pound fighters in the world, no one mentions him in the same league as Mayweather any more.

There really hasn't been a time where we knew what we were gonna get from Mayweather. He turns his toughest matchups into his greatest moments by putting on classic performances that leave fight fans in total awe. I don't remember ever seeing a fighter like this. Granted, I'm only 22, but this guy is 37-0, faced incredible competition, won titles in 4 weight classes, hasn't ducked any body, and he gets no respect. His natural talents are obviously remarkable, as he's probably the quickest fighter in the world, not just in hand speed, but the combination of hand and foot speed, where no one comes close. He has surprising power, evidenced by his 24 knockouts despite fighting primarily defensive fights. Most importantly, he's a smart fighter who understands the game. This is where Roy Jones, who people thought was on his way to becoming one of the 10 or 20 greatest fighters ever, was exposed. Once Roy lost some speed after dropping down from heavyweight back to 175, it became clear he never really was a great boxer. He was just a physical freak of nature who never learned the nuances of the sport and has been knocked out a couple times by better technical boxers since his return to light heavyweight. That's not the case with Mayweather. He's disciplined, intelligent, and extremely tactical. He makes adjustments as needed, is always on balance with his guard up, and never lets any one make clean contact, either avoiding punches altogether or blocking them with his glove or shoulder. He puts together logical combinations of 5 or 6 fluid shots, and he's probably the most accurate puncher of this generation with the possible exception of Felix Trinidad. People with the accuracy of Trinidad aren't supposed to be able to throw 6 punches in a single combination, but Floyd can. And in the midst of all that, no one can possibly counterpunch him, because there's never an opening. Watch the Baldomir fight. Baldomir was bigger and stronger than Floyd, thought he can absorb Mayweather's punches and wait for the right time to strike. That time never came, and Baldomir was peppered with shots all night.

Mayweather combines the technical abilities of guys like Lennox Lewis and Oscar De La Hoya with the physical superiority of Pernell Whitaker. Roy Jones wasn't this dominant at this point in his career, but we acknowledged him as a genuine sports superstar and talked about his place in history constantly. Same goes for Oscar De La Hoya, who had two very questionable victories against Ike Quartey and Pernell Whitaker but for some reason boxing enthusiasts had the audacity to hypothetically match him up with Sugar Ray Leonard or a young Julio Caesar Chavez for Mexican supremacy. That was a different time... a time where a great boxer actually mattered in the sports world. Now, we're looking at a fighter who's significantly better than every one who has come along in my life time (including Jones), yet somehow he's flying under the radar. Thankfully, all this could change. On May 5th, we have another Mayweather fight that's supposed to be tough, when he goes up against Oscar De La Hoya. It's Mayweather's Jr. Middleweight debut, a division he never should have entered (most people close to him think he was at his best at 140, which was two weight classes ago), and he's fighting a future Hall of Famer. What will happen? Will Mayweather actually be tested? Or will he take his game up to yet another level, leaving us to wonder, again, where this guy's ceiling is, or if he even has one at all? De La Hoya is the biggest attraction in the sport, so people will actually be watching. If he does destroy the Golden Boy the way he's destroyed every one else who was supposed to test his talents, hopefully people will take notice, and the "most dominant" athlete debate will finally extend beyond a golfer and a tennis player, and that respect is certainly long overdue.