Mayweather - Locche. Hype vs Substance in Boxing.

I really like the Mayweather / Locche parallel (I watched Locche fights when I was a child) and I've been thinking about it these days. Even today, after almost forty years, many Argentinian fans would tell you Locche is the best Argentinian boxer ever. He was loved more than anyone else and never failed to fill the Luna Park (the Madison Square Garden of Buenos Aires). There's even a tango song (Another Saturday) that mentions him. But soon after Locche won the Jr. WW world title, a very different kind of fighter came into the scene: Carlos Monzón. The comparisons were unavoidable and the fans were divided about who was the best or the most entertaining. They said Locche's fights were a show for the family. The fans celebrated when he, bent over and hands down, showed his face to his opponents and avoided their punches with quick movements of head and waist. He was a magician. Monzón instead was a God of War. Locche's rivals left Buenos Aires frustrated and a bit humiliated, but Monzon's opponents ended KOd and / or badly hurt. This bloody spectacle was not "for the family". Thinking about this, I came to the conclusion that in general Floyd prefers not to KO or hurt his opponents. I suspect that he doesn't want to give the public a bloody show (at least as a general rule), but a more charming spectacle to a wider audience. He's not Iron Maiden, but Justin Bieber. If Locche's precedent is valid as a parallel, he won't be forgotten.

They may not remember the PPV Buys but they will remember the Complete Boxing Skills. Especially since many of the fighters after him will be using his style more and more That is not better legacy to leave behind then to have a major impact on the Generation and the ERA After You! Mayweather will leave behind a legacy that might not be respected by Bitter Fans currently but the fighters and trainers as well as new boxing fans after he is gone will respect him and will try to use his Blueprint not only Inside of the Ring but Outside of the ring as well I can't blame him for just being more talented, more skilled and work harder then everybody in his ERA!

Sorry man no way you can even be a casual fan and not know who Floyd Mayweather is..thats like being a casual basketball fan and saying who is Lebron James

Are we honestly comparing Locche to Floyd now?

Floyd's style is influencing a lot of the young boxers that will be coming up. Hell Broner is already referred to as a copy of him. His place in boxing history will be about more than just his moneymaking ability. Whether people like him or not.

I was getting texts from people who didn't even watch boxing ever about the fight, just because it was Floyd. Will they sit down and watch it? No but they respect Mayweather and wanna know what he does...the just know he's good.....so they know him.

I give you an example: Rocky Graziano was an unbelievable popular fighter and people were dying to see him. Today Graziano is known for being tough, being a HOF'er, fighting Zale in a trilogy and fighting SRR. But the hype around him is not there anymore and probably 99 % of the users here didn't know Graziano was so big. That's a good point. The one thing I would say is that casual fans wouldn't be watching films of "old" fighters such as Mayweather or Pacquiao or anybody else. Only boxing fans would pay attention and Mayweather will be known the same way as Sweet Pea and SRL are known. Now, as skilled as Locche was he never became a big name. Although I have to say anyone that smokes a cigarette between rounds and still embarrasses quality opponents should be better known.

Howard Stern don't know ***** bout boxing.

did you even read what I said? I said in 50 years people will watch Floyd's fights and they won't know or won't care about the hype back then. Same with Graziano. People don't even know what kind of hype was surrounding him so many years ago. Understood? What Graziano did in the ring survived, not the hype. I still totally disagree. Graziano was nowhere near as popular as Floyd in a p4p sense. By that I mean he fought in a different era. He fought in an era were boxing was one of the biggest sports in the US. There was no NFL or NBA basically. Boxing may have been the 2nd biggest sport to baseball and there were a ton of popular fighters. Boxing is not a huge sport in the US anymore. Most casual fans dont know anyone from this era not named Floyd, Pac, or Cotto. Despite that, Floyd is the highest paid athelete in all of pro sports and is setting record number PPV & gates. If you think people wont remember that then you are crazy. They will. He also brought you 24/7 and all this all access stuff. He changed the game, not just in the ring but outside of it

Your right there. Graziano was a modern day cotto. Huge for his people, and big name with popularity.

hahaha so now fighters have to be so good they'll be remembered 50 yrs from now

Probably not much hype for Graziano because he last fought 61 years ago? Just a thought. did you even read what I said? I said in 50 years people will watch Floyd's fights and they won't know or won't care about the hype back then. Same with Graziano. People don't even know what kind of hype was surrounding him so many years ago. Understood? What Graziano did in the ring survived, not the hype.

I totally disagree. Why would you form your opinion based on Howard Stern? Floyd will be remembered as an ATG fighter but if you thnk people wont bring up his box office then you are crazy. He could go down as the biggest grossing fighter ever. Definitely the biggest grossing lil man. You think people wont mention that? To think that he is a pure boxer and did this, makes it even that more impressive. That will be remembered and brought up as part of his legacy. How can you say that he will be remembered for boxing just as Locche but then say that Locche never had the box office? In one vain you make them sound similar but you admit that they are not. Floyd did sell and was box office. That will definitely be remembered. If you go to Vegas for his fights and see the crowd, atmosphere then you know that will be a part of his legacy. Even Tyson himself comes to his fights and hardly no one elses. I give you an example: Rocky Graziano was an unbelievable popular fighter and people were dying to see him. Today Graziano is known for being tough, being a HOF'er, fighting Zale in a trilogy and fighting SRR. But the hype around him is not there anymore and probably 99 % of the users here didn't know Graziano was so big.

Locche couldn't compare to Floyd offensively, they were far off in that department.

I totally disagree. Why would you form your opinion based on Howard Stern? Floyd will be remembered as an ATG fighter but if you thnk people wont bring up his box office then you are crazy. He could go down as the biggest grossing fighter ever. Definitely the biggest grossing lil man. You think people wont mention that? To think that he is a pure boxer and did this, makes it even that more impressive. That will be remembered and brought up as part of his legacy. How can you say that he will be remembered for boxing just as Locche but then say that Locche never had the box office? In one vain you make them sound similar but you admit that they are not. Floyd did sell and was box office. That will definitely be remembered. If you go to Vegas for his fights and see the crowd, atmosphere then you know that will be a part of his legacy. Even Tyson himself comes to his fights and hardly no one elses.

Dumbest **** I ever heard. If stern was a casual boxing fan the last 10 years obviously he knows who floyd is. If not he's not even a casual fan. There are only 3-5 fighters Any casual fan would know over the past 10 years. Mayweather, Pacquiao, De LA Hoya, and probably still Tysons and even Holyfield. Even a lot for so called casual fans don't even know Roy because he never made a PPV splash. I watched Tyson's recent interview on the Howard Stern show and Stern said he is a casual boxing fan and he has no idea who Mayweather is and that he heard he just earned 40 million dollars. Tyson said Mayweather is awesome but he also agrees watching him box is like watching grass grow (but he didn't say it in a disrespectful way) . Don't get me wrong, I love watching Floyd box, I really do, he is a magician in there. But I was thinking - what will really become his legacy because hype is not real. It is real when it comes to money, but not as far as legacy is concerned. Let's take Nicolino Locche: one of the best defensive boxers that ever lived, MAYBE even better than Mayweather. They are similar: sick defense, not the biggest punching power and not very offensive-minded. Both Floyd and Locche had the same substance, but not the same worldwide hype. So - hearing Howard Stern say that he never really heard of Mayweather (and admitting he is a "casual boxing fan") just made me realise that all those PPV numbers and all that money won't really have a lot to do with his legacy. 50 years from now people will just watch Floyd's fights and judge him for what he is as a boxer and they won't know and won't care about the PPV buys. They will say the same thing about him as they said about Locche. Not more and not less. The PPV numbers won't interest anybody 50 years from now. Not hating on anyone, just saying what I believe.

Now he beats three guys on a level he has never even faught on vs a prime A fighter???? The guy is a stipulation king, and missed over 10 fights!!! Never faught a fighter like duran , hearns or leonard. He fight flatfooterS, those guys are just ad slick as him and fleet footed

Mayweather could sell 200 ppvs and his skill would still speak for itself. Hes one of the most skilled and respected fighters in the history of the sport. Sure the chat room trolls hate him but as a fighter there arent many better than Floyd Mayweather.