Oscar/Floyd - The Uni Watch Edition
There have always been great fighters who, in addition to their physical gifts, have had the benefit of intellect. I'm not talking about IQ tests or "What's the last great book you read?" I'm talking about fighters who knew, every time they climbed into the ring, that they were smarter than the other guy. The other guy usually knew it, too.Smarts alone can't win a fight, of course. Muhammad Ali, probably the smartest fighter ever, thought he could beat Joe Frazier on sheer intellect back in 1971, and he paid dearly for that supposition. But Ali definitely outsmarted some of his opponents, and so did fighters like Ray Robinson and Ray Leonard. And just as Ali had a nemesis who played animalistic bull to his more cerebral matator (Frazier), Robinson had Jake LaMotta and Leonard had Roberto Durán. Of such mind-vs.-muscle pairings has pugilistic lore been made.
All of which brings us to Oscar De La Hoya, a guy who's almost always smarter than the guy standing across from him. Like most fighters who also happen to be articulate, sophisticated human beings, he's been accused of being a pretty boy, too highbrow, not gritty enough, a wuss. I used to think these things about him myself. I see now that these critiques are essentially the same thing as saying, "He's not a big enough asshole," which is ultimately no critique at all. And I think we've all seen by now that De La Hoya is plenty tough, plenty gritty. It's just hard sometimes to remember that when he's flashing that annoyingly perfect smile and talking like a cross between a broadcaster and a politician.
Anyway: Floyd Mayweather isn't quite the brute to be cast in the Frazier/LaMotta/Durán role, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's more physically gifted than De La Hoya, especially at this stage of their respective careers. There's also no doubt that De La Hoya is the smarter fighter (although I bet Mayweather doesn't think so), and I suspect he's devised a game plan that can win the fight -- if his 34-year-old body is capable of executing it. Personally, I doubt it can. But if De La Hoya somehow pulls out a win, I expect the victory will owe as much to his head as to his heart.
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Paul Lukas is a columnist for ESPN.com, where his "Uni Watch" column -- an obsessive look at the most excruciatingly minute details of sports uniform design -- has run since 2004. He also edits the Uni Watch blog. His latest ESPN column, titled "It's a numbers game", is Pulitzer Prize-winning material, or some such other award reserved for utter awesomeness. Trust us on this one - you don't want to miss it.
7 Comments:
I completely disagree with this. Oscar may have more business acumen, but Floyd's ability to adapt in the ring is second to none. Look no further than the way he started to relentlessly walk Judah down after having trouble early.
Hoya is very good at taking his corners advice, but Floyd has the natural intuition and ability to exploit openings that only comes through relentless preparation.
Oscar has many physical advantages over this fight, as he has had over many of his previous opponents; namely size and power, which he used to overwhelm his opponents earlier in his career. Oscar also has admirable speed, always has.
Floyd, is the one who has to use his brain, he is the much smaller man, with almost no ability to hurt his opponent. If he's going to win it's going to be through guile and craft.
Floyd is tremendously fast, no doubt about it, but Judah was faster, as is, I would argue Mosley. What makes him seem faster is his preternatural anticipation, the product of intense, almost maniacal training. A deep knowledge of the sport. Floyd has been trained since childhood by the best in the game, his intelligence and craft is his greatest asset.
To be honest, this article strikes me as vaguely racist. The black man as the "brute" when it is in no way applicable. If you want to talk about someone with physical advantages without the craft, talk about Roy Jones, a far greater athlete than Mayweather, but not nearly the thinker/boxer.
In this fight it's Hoya who's the "brute" and Mayweather who must be the thinker.
Here we go again
dude, uniwatch and no talk of trunks?
i feel cheated.
Yeah, I want to know who's rockin' tassels!
There's no need to take the "brute" and "thinker" classifications to the extremes. Floyd is obviously a smart fighter but in this match-up he's facing off against a guy who will rely on strategy more than speed.
Of course Floyd will have a sound strategy tomorrow night but I'd rather have Freddie in my corner than Roger. That being said, Floyd's got everything it takes and he's going to kick some ass.
Let's just hope Roger doesn't take a swing at Freddie.
whats the +\- on Mayweather coming out to a mariachi band?
Sorry Kevin, unless 50 started a mariachi band you've got no chance.
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