Floyd Mayweather could still beat some world champions, according to top trainer Robert Garcia. Garcia shared his thoughts on how the retired boxer might fare against today's titleholders.
Mayweather hung up his gloves years ago with a perfect 50-0 record. He's since come back for exhibition matches, most recently facing John Gotti III in Mexico. In that bout, Mayweather showed he's still got skills and stamina, controlling much of the action.
Garcia told ESNEWS that Mayweather's abilities remain sharp enough to challenge for titles. He said:
"Whatever you say, whatever anybody wants to think, Mayweather could, because he's still active, he's still in shape, he could fight real fights."
The trainer named three welterweight champs Mayweather could beat: Eimantas Stanionis (WBA regular), Mario Barrios (WBC), and Brian Norman Jr (WBO). Garcia didn't mention one of the four current 147-pound titleholders.
But Garcia set limits on Mayweather's potential opponents. He doesn't think the 46-year-old could handle top guys like Vergil Ortiz or Jaron 'Boots' Ennis.
Garcia even suggested Mayweather might snag a belt as high as 160 pounds. He explained:
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"Mayweather can't fight a solid guy at 154 or 160. He could probably fight the winner of Danny Garcia and [WBA middleweight champion] Erislandy Lara, he could fight them and he could become champion, I think he could actually beat one of those."
While these matchups are fun to imagine, Mayweather's unlikely to return to pro boxing. He's now focused on helping develop the next generation of boxing stars. But Garcia's comments show just how highly regarded Mayweather's skills remain, even in retirement.