Floyd Mayweather Jr. Versus Yesterday

Published

In the wake of his exciting and decisive knockout victory over World Junior Welterweight champion Ricky Hatton (43-1, 31 KO) of Manchester, England, World Welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather (39-0, 25 KO, WBC titlist) of Grand Rapids, Michigan is on top of the world. For now at least, only two real questions continue to dog him:

1. How does he do against #1 Welterweight contender Miguel Cotto (31-0, 25 KO, WBA titlist)?

ProBox TV Delivers CHAOS — Ramon Cardenas KO, Double Knockdowns & Nonstop Action Breakdown

If you missed this ProBox TV card, you missed one of the most action-packed fight nights in recent memory. From brutal knockouts to jaw-dropping momentum swings, this show delivered chaos from start to finish.

Monday | Dec 22, 2025

2. How would Floyd have done against Fighter X?

There are of course other questions that could emerge over time. Should his level of competition dramatically fall off; should he fail to face a Cotto or similarly challenging foe next year, the lengthy run of poor opponent choices fans suffered through between Jose Luis Castillo in 2002 and Zab Judah in 2006 will likely rise to be chief among them in some new form.

Those questions must wait though. Floyd’s last four fights give fans no reason to think that, if Cotto keeps winning and selling tickets, such a fight is beyond the realm of what’s possible. If anything, Cotto’s increasing power as a draw and Floyd’s emergence in 2007 as possibly Boxing’s biggest draw make that bout all but inevitable with nothing but rhetoric and smoke to blow in the meantime. Where there’s money, there is likely to be Mayweather.

That leaves Fighter X, the man no contemporary fighter can ever defeat no matter the when of that contemporary status. As reigning king of the welterweights, Floyd’s fighter X is often Ray Leonard or Tommy Hearns these days. When he or one of his eminently articulate hangers-on speak too boldly, it’s Ray Robinson or Henry Armstrong. They are names that carry with them the power of memory and the breath of awe.

They are also entirely unwinnable for Floyd because they are not possible. Many of his most ardent fans get defensive when such names arise, drawing from such comparisons veiled and not-so-veiled insults. The comparisons are actually the opposite.

Framed another way, when fans and pundits begin seriously comparing modern fighter’s chances to the absolute legends of the game it is the ultimate compliment. Mayweather-Armstrong is actually a match worth thinking about. That means Mayweather must be pretty damn good.

How good is ultimately the question and one we’ll all get an even better answer to over the next few years. It’s a good sign already that a man who already has a case as the best ever at 130 lbs. (Mayweather) draws disfavorable comparison to natural, and much bigger, historic 147 lb. warriors like Leonard and Robinson. No one ever even asks how former Jr. Lightweight champion Brian Mitchell would have done against Hearns do they?

When someone of note, like HBO commentator Emanuel Steward has in the past, skips right over great 130 lb. champions past like Alexis Arguello and Kid Chocolate, and even great lightweight champs like Carlos Ortiz and Joe Brown, in noting Mayweather’s failings it speaks volumes (then again so does Floyd which is half the reason such mythical burdens follow him so strongly).

This isn’t really about Mayweather though. It could just as easily be about Roy Jones, Bernard Hopkins, or Manny Pacquiao versus Fighter X’s like Archie Moore, Marvin Hagler, or Wilfredo Gomez.

It’s not about saying that these modern legends would have beaten those legends of the past.

It’s not about saying that those old-time greats would have run today’s whipper snappers out of the ring

It is about competition and it is about recognizing achievement in its time.

Floyd Mayweather, in the sum of his career, has proven he could have competed in any era at his best weights (let’s say 130-140). He’s earned the right to be in the ring with Fighter X. Fighters like Roy and Bernard did the same. Put aside what one fighter could have done to another both ‘on their best days’ (whatever the hell that means). The real question is could these fighters of today have had good to great careers, dealing with the day to day travails, letdowns and emotional highs and lows of any era.

That answer is probably yes.

And if they could have competed, they could have won and lost with the best of them.

Floyd will continue to fight for the next few years regardless of what he might say from post-fight to post-fight. In that time, he’ll provide fodder to add and detract from what his ultimate place in history will be. He and his team will make choices in opponents and challenges and probably make more statements about being the greatest ever (Preposterous…so far…I think) and have to live up to that burden.

Choose wisely, continue to deliver, and he’ll have a chance to make his case. If, when he’s done, Mayweather-Armstrong still sounds like one hell of a fight, he’ll have done all any fighter can do in his time.

No one can ever beat Fighter X. The best hope is to become him. If Floyd isn’t there already, then sit back and enjoy watching to discover whether he’ll get there.

Middleweights: Last weekend, two potential threats to World Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KO) were on display in different parts of the world. One is a threat. The other is likely to be a challenger. I speak of course of Germany-based Armenian Arthur Abraham (25-0, 20 KO, Ring Magazine #2, IBF title) and John Duddy (23-0, 17 KO, #10) of Ireland. Abraham is the threat and seemingly much farther from a shot at the real crown. Duddy is already being pegged as Pavlik’s first challenger for the crown after Kelly finishes his non-title rematch with Jermain Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KO).

*Brief aside: Why did Taylor say at the presser for that rematch this week that he wanted to take back what he lost? Is it just me or is their like a mind-warp attempt going on to trick people into thinking this is a title fight when it’s not? I mean, it’s not like a fighter can take back his undefeated record.

I digress. Abraham stopped fringe contender Wayne Elcock (18-3, 8 KO) in five and spoke again of coming to America. It’s exactly what he needs to do. Abraham-Pavlik is by far the best fight at 160 lbs. that can be made in 2008 and Abraham is a legitimate threat to take the crown.

Duddy picked up probably his best win yet against former contender Howard Eastman (42-6, 35 KO), but that’s at least a little suspect. Eastman has now lost four of his last six. Then again, three of those losses prior to Duddy were against Bernard Hopkins, Abraham and bomber Edison Miranda. The other was to Elcock. Duddy doesn’t look the part of threat just yet but who knows?

I do know this: Duddy has proven to be a ticket seller in New York City and his homeland and a summer bout with Pavlik, potentially in an Ohio football stadium, would be nothing but good for boxing. It would also set the table nicely for an Abraham fight later in the year. 2008 is already looking to have the same potential pedigree of big and good fights as 2007. Nothing wrong with that.

Cliff’s Notes…

Undercard: Here’s the part where I comment on last weekend’s undercard results. Except, if the promoters didn’t care to present a thrilling undercard while they charged a higher rate for the fight, why should it merit comment? Dear promoters: Quit cheaping out on the fans…

The Hall: While the exclusion of great Asian fighters continues, no serious argument from me on any of the Hall of Fame selections issued this week. Larry Holmes is a personal favorite and easily one of the top five heavyweights that ever lived. That the ultimate loner got his nod in a year when he was the only standout first-timer on the ballot is fitting.

Holman Williams of course is a fighter with wins over Hall of Famers Archie Moore and Charley Burley and Eddie Perkins, a former World champion at 140 lbs., had one hell of a rivalry with fellow Canastota enshrinee Duilio Loi. Both men are right where they belong and it’s outstanding that fame (i.e. Naseem Hamed’s name on the ballot) did not trump achievement this year.

I’ll have more of this reel of greats closer to induction time.

More PPV: If you did shell out last weekend, then the card this Saturday featuring Jr. Lightweight Edwin Valero (22-0, 22 KO) and Jorge Linares (24-0, 15 KO) may not be in the budget. That’s a shame because these two young men figure heavy in boxing’s future but need the exposure to insure it. Telemundo would have been better than pay-per-view…

Oops: A couple weeks ago, I lamented the faded state of the Light Heavyweight division and noted an upcoming bout between Paul Briggs and Stipe Drews (32-1, 13 KO) as an exception. Um, yeah, they’re not fighting. I confused Briggs with the actual challenger to Drews WBA title, Danny Green (24-3, 22 KO). Like Briggs, Green is Australian but don’t take this to mean I think all Aussies look alike. Green is a live dog here though he’s never seemed to recover from the officiating catastrophe that resulted in his first loss to Markus Beyer. This is make or break for Green and well worth seeking out on the WWW if you can.

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com

Comments

Horus8731Wed Dec 24, 2008, 6:42 AM UTC

By Cliff Rold In the wake of his exciting and decisive knockout victory over World Junior Welterweight champion Ricky Hatton (43-1, 31 KO) of Manchester, England, World Welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather (39-0, 25 KO, WBC titlist) of Grand Rapids, Michigan is on top of the world. For now at least, only two real questions continue to dog him: 1. How does he do against #1 Welterweight contender Miguel Cotto (31-0, 25 KO, WBA titlist)? 2. How would Floyd have done against Fighter X? There are of course other questions that could emerge over time. Should his level of competition dramatically fall off; should he fail to face a Cotto or similarly challenging foe next year, the lengthy run of poor opponent choices fans suffered through between Jose Luis Castillo in 2002 and Zab Judah in 2006 will likely rise to be chief among them in some new form. Those questions must wait though. Floyd’s last four fights give fans no reason to think that, if Cotto keeps winning and selling tickets, such a fight is beyond the realm of what’s possible. If anything, Cotto’s increasing power as a draw and Floyd’s emergence in 2007 as possibly Boxing’s biggest draw make that bout all but inevitable with nothing but rhetoric and smoke to blow in the meantime. Where there’s money, there is likely to be Mayweather. That leaves Fighter X, the man no contemporary fighter can ever defeat no matter the when of that contemporary status. As reigning king of the welterweights, Floyd’s fighter X is often Ray Leonard or Tommy Hearns these days. When he or one of his eminently articulate hangers-on speak too boldly, it’s Ray Robinson or Henry Armstrong. They are names that carry with them the power of memory and the breath of awe. They are also entirely unwinnable for Floyd because they are not possible. Many of his most ardent fans get defensive when such names arise, drawing from such comparisons veiled and not-so-veiled insults. The comparisons are actually the opposite. Framed another way, when fans and pundits begin seriously comparing modern fighter’s chances to the absolute legends of the game it is the ultimate compliment. Mayweather-Armstrong is actually a match worth thinking about. That means Mayweather must be pretty damn good. How good is ultimately the question and one we’ll all get an even better answer to over the next few years. It’s a good sign already that a man who already has a case as the best ever at 130 lbs. (Mayweather) draws disfavorable comparison to natural, and much bigger, historic 147 lb. warriors like Leonard and Robinson. No one ever even asks how former Jr. Lightweight champion Brian Mitchell would have done against Hearns do they? When someone of note, like HBO commentator Emanuel Steward has in the past, skips right over great 130 lb. champions past like Alexis Arguello and Kid Chocolate, and even great lightweight champs like Carlos Ortiz and Joe Brown, in noting Mayweather’s failings it speaks volumes (then again so does Floyd which is half the reason such mythical burdens follow him so strongly). This isn’t really about Mayweather though. It could just as easily be about Roy Jones, Bernard Hopkins, or Manny Pacquiao versus Fighter X’s like Archie Moore, Marvin Hagler, or Wilfredo Gomez. It’s not about saying that these modern legends would have beaten those legends of the past. It’s not about saying that those old-time greats would have run today’s whipper snappers out of the ring It is about competition and it is about recognizing achievement in its time. Floyd Mayweather, in the sum of his career, has proven he could have competed in any era at his best weights (let’s say 130-140). He’s earned the right to be in the ring with Fighter X. Fighters like Roy and Bernard did the same. Put aside what one fighter could have done to another both ‘on their best days’ (whatever the hell that means). The real question is could these fighters of today have had good to great careers, dealing with the day to day travails, letdowns and emotional highs and lows of any era. That answer is probably yes. And if they could have competed, they could have won and lost with the best of them. Floyd will continue to fight for the next few years regardless of what he might say from post-fight to post-fight. In that time, he’ll provide fodder to add and detract from what his ultimate place in history will be. He and his team will make choices in opponents and challenges and probably make more statements about being the greatest ever (Preposterous…so far…I think) and have to live up to that burden. Choose wisely, continue to deliver, and he’ll have a chance to make his case. If, when he’s done, Mayweather-Armstrong still sounds like one hell of a fight, he’ll have done all any fighter can do in his time. No one can ever beat Fighter X. The best hope is to become him. If Floyd isn’t there already, then sit back and enjoy watching to discover whether he’ll get there.

Horus8731Wed Dec 24, 2008, 6:41 AM UTC

Why do fans care about risk/reward for fighters? QUOTE] But fighters do. It's a business, like it or not. Margarito had not proven his name at all and to be honest not that good of a fighter. Though that and Floyd was waiting for Oscar. Though he couldn't make a september date and had to wait for May. Besides even if Floyd did fight Margarito he'd be "ducking Baldomir" He was yelled at for fighting Judah insted of Baldomir and then when he fought Baldomir it was "Should have fought Margarito." This is how it will be forever...

Thread_StealerThu Jan 3, 2008, 6:41 PM UTC

the hand picking has 2 stop. thats all im saying. u suspose 2 b the best but u not fighting the best. he fighting the names. when was thy last time we've seen pacman fight a bum pacquiao's opposition hasn't been the greatest lately. 5 of his last 7 opponents have been coming off of losses, 2 of his last 4 were more feather/jr. featherweights than 130 lb fighters.

crold1Fri Dec 14, 2007, 1:37 AM UTC

Not at all. I think the plea is actually from PBF; he keeps saying he'll retire in hopes that the world will ask him to stay. Instead, it just gets ignored. His post-DLH retirement was silly and he didn't even say he was quitting now. No way a guy who bitched his whole career that he wasn't getting the attention his talent deserved leaves just when he gets to the $ peak. No way. None.

sonofisisFri Dec 14, 2007, 12:37 AM UTC

By Cliff Rold - In the wake of his exciting and decisive knockout victory over World Junior Welterweight champion Ricky Hatton (43-1, 31 KO) of Manchester, England, World Welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather (39-0, 25 KO, WBC titlist) of Grand Rapids, Michigan is on top of the world. For now at least, only two real questions continue to dog him: How does he do against #1 Welterweight contender Miguel Cotto (31-0, 25 KO, WBA titlist)? How would Floyd have done against Fighter X? There are of course other questions that could emerge over time. Should his level of competition dramatically fall off; should he fail to face a Cotto or similarly challenging foe next year, the lengthy run of poor opponent choices fans suffered through between Jose Luis Castillo in 2002 and Zab Judah in 2006 will likely rise to be chief among them in some new form. Those questions must wait though. Floyd’s last four fights give fans no reason to think that, if Cotto keeps winning and selling tickets, such a fight is beyond the realm of what’s possible. If anything, Cotto’s increasing power as a draw and Floyd’s emergence in 2007 as possibly Boxing’s biggest draw make that bout all but inevitable with nothing but rhetoric and smoke to blow in the meantime. Where there’s money, there is likely to be Mayweather. That leaves Fighter X, the man no contemporary fighter can ever defeat no matter the when of that contemporary status. As reigning king of the welterweights, Floyd’s fighter X is often Ray Leonard or Tommy Hearns these days. When he or one of his eminently articulate hangers-on speak too boldly, it’s Ray Robinson or Henry Armstrong. They are names that carry with them the power of memory and the breath of awe. They are also entirely unwinnable for Floyd because they are not possible. Many of his most ardent fans get defensive when such names arise, drawing from such comparisons veiled and not-so-veiled insults. The comparisons are actually the opposite. Framed another way, when fans and pundits begin seriously comparing modern fighter’s chances to the absolute legends of the game it is the ultimate compliment. Mayweather-Armstrong is actually a match worth thinking about. That means Mayweather must be pretty damn good. details] Good read and I agree with most of it. Though, why does everybody keep automatically assuming that Floyd will continue fighting? Is this just an indirect plea?

Add Comment

All Boxing Articles