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Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor fight finalized for Aug. 26 - It's on!

Oxn said:
Are you suggesting that Floyd wont fight Conor in the Octagon?
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Pretty clear Conor only brought Paulie in so he could release media that would make him look good, did the same thing with van Heerden.
 
Ikuu said:
Pretty clear Conor only brought Paulie in so he could release media that would make him look good, did the same thing with van Heerden.
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I don't think so. Paulie's a smaller, speedy, crafty fighter with good world class experience but no punching power, and he's no longer active. Perfect type of sparring partner for a guy like Conor to get good rounds in.

I bet the problem here was that Conor's team wasn't giving Paulie his due respect. He agreed to work with them and they probably treated him more like any other useful new guy in the camp. Paulie suggesting that they surprised him on the spot with wanting to go 12 rounds makes me think it was something along those lines. That they kinda took him for granted and didn't really think twice about certain things. Things like posting pics that make Conor look good at his expense.
 
This entire situation with Paulie Malignaggi sparring McGregor is hilarious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9eTmkE_kQ8


Paulie talked huge amounts of shit about McGregor's prospects at boxing, and now he is forced to admit that McGregor was the very least competitive with him in sparring. This makes me somewhat more excited about the fight, but that comes with the qualification that Paulie hasn't been a worldclass fighter for many years.

Paulie's devastating offense:
ChillyEarnestGoitered.gif


Paulie's defense on display:
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Tom_Cody said:
This entire situation with Paulie Malignaggi sparring McGregor is hilarious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9eTmkE_kQ8


Paulie talked huge amounts of shit about McGregor's prospects at boxing, and now he is forced to admit that McGregor was the very least competitive with him in sparring. This makes me somewhat more excited about the fight, but that comes with the qualification that Paulie hasn't been a worldclass fighter for many years.

Paulie's devastating offense:
ChillyEarnestGoitered.gif


Paulie's defense on display:
ShabbyAcclaimedIaerismetalmark.gif
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Paulie is most definitely an overachiever his entire career. Its a miracle he got as far as he did, as limited as he was. His boxing skills in the ring has always been overrated.

Lost every big fight he had but still made decent money along the way.
 
tomtom94 said:
Conor McGregor: Paulie Malignaggi claims he made UFC fighter whimper
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http://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/40867533

Malignaggi, who was also concerned about sparring for 12 rounds, added: "The funny thing about the push down was this - it was during one of his worst moments.

"He pushed me down on the floor to try to catch a break and the instant I went down I got back up.

"I started to take it to him right after that. I told him, 'you get no breaks here', and I started to hit him with more body shots. I said, 'take those, they don't feel good' and I could hear him whimper off the body shots, too."

This is starting to sound like fan fiction. I have a problem trusting Paulie here.
 
Listened to Paulie with Ariel and he could not come across as a bigger bitch. I think he got worked and bailed out because he knew it was going to get worse. He talks about the flights and how unfair it was, I thought he was flying to Ireland turns out he had to fly to Vegas, LOL.
 
Considering people usually overestimate themselves when talking about their personal performance, and the fact he admitted Conor beat him in the first sparring match, and also admits there were multiple rounds Conor beat him during the 2nd, yeah. Odds are McGregor beat him pretty soundly in the gym
 
Oh come on. I HIGHLY doubt Pillowfist Paulie could make Conor whimper ..... it isn't like he has never fought before .... with smaller gloves ... and probably even taken some much harder kicks to the body.

Jesus.
 
Obliterator said:
Considering people usually overestimate themselves when talking about their personal performance, and the fact he admitted Conor beat him in the first sparring match, and also admits there were multiple rounds Conor beat him during the 2nd, yeah. Odds are McGregor beat him pretty soundly in the gym
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Not likely, Conor's coach said they watch and breakdown sparring sessions to see what they need to improve so the video exists. Why would Paulie insist for them to release the video? They could easily release the video after the fight and make Paulie look like a real idiot. Paulie would lose a lot of respect and credibility. They're also not letting ref Cortez speak anymore after the the 2nd sparring. Why do you think that is?

Macattk15 said:
Oh come on. I HIGHLY doubt Pillowfist Paulie could make Conor whimper ..... it isn't like he has never fought before .... with smaller gloves ... and probably even taken some much harder kicks to the body.

Jesus.
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It's the consistent shots to the body not so much the power behind the punches. Pillow fisted or not, if you're constantly being punched to the body eventually you're going to begin to breakdown. Boxing trainer Virgil Hunter made a keen observation during the NY leg of the world tour, he noticed Conor's model like waist which he believed it would make him susceptible to body shots.

https://youtu.be/Dnd_DFZxuYM

You guys need to give Little Mac a little more credit, not only did he win 2 world titles but he did with very little power which tells you he relied on his skills and ring IQ.

https://youtu.be/tIi250KbcZ0
 
Floyd now hyping up Conor:

http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/20288434/floyd-mayweather-says-conor-mcgregor-advantage-paper
"He's a lot younger. When you look at myself and Conor McGregor on paper, he's taller, has a longer reach, he's a bigger man from top to bottom. He's a lot younger, so youth is on his side," Mayweather said of McGregor, who is 29. "And I've been off a couple of years. And I'm in my 40s. So, if you look at everything on paper, it leans toward Conor McGregor."
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Obliterator said:
Considering people usually overestimate themselves when talking about their personal performance, and the fact he admitted Conor beat him in the first sparring match, and also admits there were multiple rounds Conor beat him during the 2nd, yeah. Odds are McGregor beat him pretty soundly in the gym
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What makes a person become this much of a sycophant? I truly wonder.
 
Tom_Cody said:
http://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/40867533

Malignaggi, who was also concerned about sparring for 12 rounds, added: "The funny thing about the push down was this - it was during one of his worst moments.

"He pushed me down on the floor to try to catch a break and the instant I went down I got back up.

"I started to take it to him right after that. I told him, 'you get no breaks here', and I started to hit him with more body shots. I said, 'take those, they don't feel good' and I could hear him whimper off the body shots, too."

This is starting to sound like fan fiction. I have a problem trusting Paulie here.
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darscot said:
Listened to Paulie with Ariel and he could not come across as a bigger bitch. I think he got worked and bailed out because he knew it was going to get worse. He talks about the flights and how unfair it was, I thought he was flying to Ireland turns out he had to fly to Vegas, LOL.
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Just from reading this stuff that's exactly how he seems.
 
Anyone have any ideas/input in where to watch this when I'm in Vegas? I'm not paying $150 per person to watch it in a theatre, that's asinine. I'm staying at an Airbnb that's someone's condo in the vdara, so I'm not sure I could even PPV it. Ordering online I'm not sure how the internet would handle it at a hotel, my guess is badly.
 
http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/20241022/floyd-mayweather-sparring-partners-makes-unbeatable


The right-hand lead

Why Mayweather's right is the most consistent weapon in boxing

Errol Spence Jr., Current IBF welterweight champ (22-0, 19 KOs): He throws it as a jab, in a way. It comes so fast. A lot of fighters telegraph their punches. He doesn't at all. It's really something that he's just mastered, throwing the straight right and catching guys over and over.

Zab Judah, former two-division world champion: He knows how to throw it, when to throw it, where to throw it, how long to throw it, how short to throw it, how hard to throw it.

Jack Catterall, prospect (18-0, 10 KOs) challenging for a British super lightweight title in October: The way he positions himself, you think there's an opening to land your jab. You think you got your punch, but he does that little shoulder roll and hits you with the right. Or he'll set it up with the jab and trick you into thinking it's an opening -- and it's already a mousetrap that he's set up for the right.

Demarcus Corley, former WBO junior welterweight champion: Floyd throws it like a f---ing snake. He's like a snake that you can't hit, but he keeps striking you.

Body work

The inside story on how he breaks fighters down slowly

Catterall: In close quarters, he kind of holds the left arm like a bar in front of your guard. Then comes the stabbing right hand right above the groin. He's getting that shot off well on the inside. I experienced it. It's not a stabbing pain. It's an ache. The more he touches it, the more intense the pain becomes. You're thinking, I need to block this body shot. What do I need to change? You're trying to figure out how he's taking your body apart. It slows you down, slows your legs down, takes energy from you.

Spence: Those little shots have an effect, shooting the jab in your stomach, which he does a lot, or in a clinch throwing an uppercut to your body. That's a big factor when you're using your legs to move forward to try to catch a guy.

Corley: He's not trying to hurt you; he's trying to let you know, "I'm just taking a little bit out of you. I'm going to break you down eventually." That's something Pernell Whitaker used to do.

Conditioning

He trains so hard, he doesn't get tired -- or tired of talking

Spence: I never saw him breathing hard. He always controls his breathing -- and that's an art. A lot of fighters, you see them breathing out of their mouths. Floyd always breathes out of his nose. He fights in the 12th round like he fought in the first round due to how hard he works. He does mitts for 30 minutes, then hits the bag for 30 minutes straight, then goes running, then goes to play basketball.

Judah: When he trains, he lines up like 15 to 20 sparring partners at a time. I've known him since we were amateurs. He's always done over and beyond what the job consists of. You can't beat someone who's not going to get tired.

Corley: He starts talking to his opponent, and that's something that I experienced in the fight and in camp with him. He's saying, "Eat this! Nope! Nope!" He's going to say that in the McGregor fight when McGregor's missing his shots, "Nope! Nope! Hell nah!"

Catterall: You're tired, and he's still fresh. When he sees that, it's kind of like he's appreciating his own work. He's kind of smiling, thinking, I'm bossing this fight, and you can't do s--- about it. He has not knocked you out, but it's like he's enjoying the fact that he's giving you a calculated beating and you can't do nothing.

Power

Don't worry about knockouts, he can still pack a punch

Spence: I've seen him stop guys in the gym with 16-ounce gloves. Bigger guys. He just beats them up. In his young career, you saw how he was knocking guys out. But now he's got hand problems, so he's not turning with it all the way, 
not putting 100 percent power into his punches. But he can punch hard. That's why a lot of guys, when he hits them, 
they start backing up or go on defense. They're not just walking through his punches. You haven't seen anybody who's walking through his punches. Even Marcos Maidana started backing up when Floyd started coming forward.

Corley: His power is the quickness of his punches, the placement. His punch placement is so on point, from the outside it looks like he doesn't hit hard. But when he hits you, you feel like, G--damn, I have to regroup now.

Catterall: The one thing I picked up on in sparring was his accuracy, catching the same spot over and over again. He's very cute with his punches, finding the same little spot. I always like to think I work on my defensive game a lot, so I'm like, F---, how does he keep hitting that same spot? But he always manages to find a way.

Inside the shell

Why Mayweather's shoulder roll is unlike any other fighter's

Catterall: When he's backed up, he'll use the shoulder roll. He'll pull and slip the punch, then he'll take a short little step back and he'll pivot. You'll be there still throwing punches. He makes you think he's there, but then he's off all of a sudden. A lot of fighters try to do it, but it's not a style a lot of fighters can adapt to. It takes years and years of practice. But with Floyd, he can even walk toward you in the shoulder roll and use it to attack more.

Judah: Floyd has been doing that shoulder roll since day one. Since the amateurs, that's the only style he's ever done in boxing. He learned it from his dad and his uncle Roger.

Spence: His right hand is to block the hook, and sometimes he'll block the jab with it. His shoulder is to block the straight right. If I throw an overhand hook, he'll roll it and shoot with the other hand. A lot of guys see the shell and jump in and throw a lot of punches. That's when he shoots down the middle with a straight right or hook and catches you with something crazy.

Corley: He's so elusive -- his movement, his reflexes. When you shoot, he twitches his left shoulder up to block his chin so he can't be hit with a right hook. His right hand is already up to catch anything coming from that side. When they say Floyd doesn't have any balls? You got to have balls to stand and catch a punch, come back with a punch, then get the hell out of there. That takes timing, practice and a lot of heart to stand in the pocket and get your shot off.

The escapist

He commands the ring, even when he's pinned in the corner

Spence: He actually is very physically strong. Even bigger guys can't push him around or throw him around the ring. And you never know what he's going to do. He might stand there and catch it with his elbows or with his hands, shoot something and get out the way. Or he might roll with it and catch you. Or use his legs and slip, slip, slip, and roll around you and make you look silly. You never know.

Catterall: If you have him in the corner or pinned on the ropes, he'll smile at you and wave you on like, "Come on, let's have it." You throw your punches and you might catch him with a shot, but you never seem to catch him clean. He'll somehow just spin off, and you'll feel like you've hit nothing. I believe I've got good timing and good speed, but he has that 1 millisecond where he makes you miss and you think you've got your hand back, but he'll catch you.

Why Floyd's mind separates him from other fighters

Spence: His eyes are always open. Your mind can't wander; it's a mental workout as much as a physical workout. Fighters throw punches at him, and you see him looking. He moves just enough and never overreacts to a punch. You never see him rattled. When you go back to the corner, he's looking at you, seeing if you're tired.

Catterall: The stuff I was trying to do, within 
a matter of a round, he'd adjust to it and it'd be time to do something else. Everything I tried, he read it straightaway. His ringcraft is incredible.


Corley: Let's say I catch a person's jab; I'm going to come back with the opposite hand. But for Floyd, his dad and uncle showed him to catch a punch and come back with the same hand. He is the only fighter I know who does that -- only fighter who can, probably -- and the only reason is that he's been programmed from Pampers. He breaks the will of fighters. After a few rounds, you realize it's not what you thought it was going to be. You can't do what you want to do to him. You start questioning yourself. How can I get this guy? What is he doing that I can't catch him?

Judah: He studies your background down to your kids, your wife, who your mama is, who your daddy is. He doesn't watch fights; he prepares for the person. Sometimes when you learn the person, you don't have to learn how they fight.
 
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