Who is Floyd Mayweather Going to Fight Next?
Following on from Floyd Mayweather’s surprisingly competitive majority decision victory over Marcos Maidana, there are many fighters jostling to head a queue that would lead to being Mayweather’s next opponent. Each one brings a different style, skillset and personal story. Here I list the top candidates for Floyd Mayweather’s next fight:
Marcos Maidana – The Cold-Hearted Slugger
Maidana tops the list at present mainly due to his strong showing against Mayweather last weekend. The Argentine banger attacked viciously, showing little respect and no fear, dragging Mayweather into a dogfight at times and earning a draw on one judge’s scorecard. All this has led to suggestions that an immediate rematch could be on the cards.
- Why it should be Maidana: He fought well first time around, giving Floyd his most competitive fight in recent memory. Some felt he even won the fight. He could use his own gloves in the rematch, potentially giving him a slightly improved chance of victory. He always has a chance with his knockout power.
- Why it shouldn’t be Maidana: He may have gone toe to toe, but Maidana fell away as the first fight went on. Most felt Mayweather clearly deserved the win, and there was no real controversy in the fight’s scoring. Surely Mayweather would have him figured out the second time around, as he did with Jose Luis Castillo.
Likelihood — 90%
Amir Khan – The Speed Merchant
For a long time Khan was said to be high on Mayweather’s hit list, before he was ousted in favor of Maidana. This happened despite Khan winning a fan poll as to who Mayweather should have fought. He looked impressive against Luis Collazo in his first fight at welterweight, on the undercard to Mayweather vs. Maidana, and his hand-speed is seen as a key selling point in a fight with Floyd.
- Why it should be Khan: Mayweather has rarely seen hand speed like Amir Khan’s, which presents a fresh challenge for Floyd to face up to. Khan has the heads-up win against Maidana to his credit, and a legion of UK-based fans.
- Why it shouldn’t be Khan: He has been inactive of late, and beating Luis Collazo does not instantly earn you a fight with Floyd Mayweather. Khan is famously fragile, and is often hurt by the punches he doesn’t see – a serious problem for anyone fighting Mayweather.
Likelihood — 80%
Keith Thurman – The Power-Punching Prospect
“One Time” has made a name for himself as a big punching welterweight contender in recent times. He made Julio Diaz quit, stopped Jesus Soto Karass and won a thriller with Diego Chaves over the last twelve months, emerging as a potential Mayweather opponent with some stunning early finishes.
- Why it should be Thurman: He doesn’t know what it feels like to lose, and rarely has he heard the judges’ scorecards read out. This is due to his speed and power, which has finished 21 of his 23 opponents within the scheduled distance. He represents the unknown, as he is yet to hold aloft a world title and is relatively new to the scene.
- Why it shouldn’t be Thurman: He is pretty much untested at top level. He has only gone the 12-round distance once, something that must be considered when fighting a long distance master such as Mayweather. It’s okay hitting those who are there to be hit, such as the aforementioned Soto-Karass and Diaz, but he should get some practice against elusive targets before a Floyd fight.
Likelihood — 60%
Shawn Porter – The Strong Brawler
Conveniently known as “Showtime”, Porter has worked his way into contention with his recent performances, just like Thurman. In out-brawling Devon Alexander, Porter picked up the IBF welterweight title. He then smashed through Paulie Malignaggi in a way never seen before, leaving many jaws agape and positioning himself as a serious force in the 147 lb division.
- Why it should be Porter: He beat Alexander over twelve rounds and finished Malignaggi before the half-way mark, both unprecedented achievements. He holds a world title at just 26 years of age – an impressive feat he worked hard to earn. He is extremely strong, sets a high tempo and makes life difficult on the inside which, along with nice feints and decent head movement, suggests he could have the perfect style to beat Mayweather.
- Why it shouldn’t be Porter: He isn’t particularly well known, having only recently emerged on big bills. Porter should fight his mandatory; Kell Brook, which, should he win, would give him extra brownie points. Given added time to mature, a fight with Mayweather could be a much bigger unification clash down the line.
Likelihood — 50%
Danny Garcia – The Perpetual Underdog
Garcia has yet to make his move up to the welterweight division, but as soon as he does he will no doubt be considered as a possible Floyd foe. He has earned plaudits for beating the two major challengers of his time so far in Amir Khan and Lucas Matthysse, both of whom he defeated handily.
- Why it should be Garcia: No one else on this list has dominated a division like Garcia has done at junior welterweight. He has regularly risen to the occasion against the odds, such as when he stopped Khan and out-boxed Matthysse. His father’s mind games have a habit of unhinging opponents before big fights. His left hook can end a fight.
- Why it shouldn’t be Garcia: He has not yet fought at welterweight, so who knows how Garcia would look with an extra seven pounds on his frame come weigh-in time. His great performances are mixed in with average ones, such as his controversial decision win over Mauricio Herrera last time out. He also struggled with Mayweather’s veteran gym-mate; Ashley Theophane, earlier in his career.
Likelihood — 50%
Erislandy Lara – The Southpaw Stylist
For years it was unclear which path Lara, a Cuban junior middleweight, would follow. Would he go the way of so many of his compatriots having left their native land and fail to fulfill his potential, or would he go on to world title honors and big fights? With strong performances of late, it appears he will follow the latter route. This path could well lead to a fight with Mayweather down the line, especially if Lara beats Saul Alvarez in July.
- Why it should be Lara: He is one of the few fighters in Mayweather’s chosen weight categories who can justifiably argue to equal Floyd in pure boxing ability. He’s a smooth-punching southpaw, something Mayweather hasn’t seen for a while. He is a natural junior middleweight and would have height and reach advantages over Floyd. He stopped Alfredo Angulo and genuinely hurt Austin Trout, showing he has power.
- Why it shouldn’t be Lara: If he fails to beat Canelo in July, Lara loses all legitimacy as a potential Mayweather opponent. He can be inconsistent, as shown in draws with Carlos Molina and Vanes Martirosyan that respectively came before good performances. He is still relatively unknown in the mainstream, meaning he is not only high risk but very low reward. Given both he and Mayweather’s styles, this fight could be a snooze-fest of frightening proportions.
Likelihood — 30%
