A boxing analyst believes Floyd Mayweather's bid for the International Boxing Hall of Fame may be hurt if he ends up not fighting Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao before he retires from the sport.
Yahoo! Sports Kevin Iole noted in a recent column that Mayweather may well end up finishing his career with a perfect record, but is unlikely to be a unanimous selection to the Hall of Fame.
"If Mayweather finishes his career with a perfect record, as seems likely, but doesn't fight Pacquiao, which also seems likely, he'll never fully get away from it," Iole wrote.
"There will be a significant number of voters who will withhold support from him for the International Boxing Hall of Fame for not facing the best opponent of his era," he added.
Iole said Mayweather will still be likely elected on the first ballot. "But he won't be unanimous by any stretch if he doesn't face Pacquiao," he said.
But Iole was quick to add that Mayweather is unlikely to care about his Hall-of-Fame credentials, however.
"(Mayweather) likes to play a numbers game, and points to his superior pay-per-view figures," he said.
Iole, in his column, said the Mayweather camp is doing far less than the Pacquiao camp when it comes to putting the mega-fight together.
"(Top Rank chief executive Bob Arum is) trying and he's at least putting himself on the line" to make the fight happen, said Iole. "The same can't be said for the other side."
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/12/11/14/will-not-fighting-pacquiao-hurt-floyds-hall-fame-bid
I'm ok with Floyd getting in because the HoF is for "famous boxers"!
I don't consider him a great fighter because he never fights. He is a technician and has a ton of skills and talent but his style once he moved up is to avoid
confrontation. Some say that's smart boxing others think its boring because a counter move with a (one) counter punch simply accounts for a non competitive match. Amateur boxing is "tag your it" pro boxing is "chess with consequences" Floyd offers no consequences in fact his opponents are expected to initiation all the contact.
Yes he is talent but his "style" is not!!!! Put him in the Hall and if he remains undefeated that's fine but as time moves on most people will realize that his
matchmaking and promotional talents outweigh his ring work.
He took advantage of a sports demise time and used pro wrestling's "heel" (bad guy) to promote "hate" instead of sportsmanship. Nothing new, Ali did the same thing Foreman was not liked as a young fighter and of course the
fear level that surrounded Liston was used to promote his bouts.
Problem with all that is the use of a "negative" to promote a sport that fought against being a negative influence to begin with.
That's boxing, let Floyd in but stop with the ATG fighter! He is not a top ten welter there are plenty of welterweights that could beat him and most of the greats would stop him!
Ray.
^^^^^^^ true dat
best post on this thread.
thank you for your input.
kuyukut.
FFS Floyd was a HOF before he left 130 and a first ballot by the time he left 140. He did not duck anybody. He said "take the tests", Arum said "there's the excuse".
I'm ok with Floyd getting in because the HoF is for "famous boxers"!
I don't consider him a great fighter because he never fights. He is a technician and has a ton of skills and talent but his style once he moved up is to avoid
confrontation. Some say that's smart boxing others think its boring because a counter move with a (one) counter punch simply accounts for a non competitive match. Amateur boxing is "tag your it" pro boxing is "chess with consequences" Floyd offers no consequences in fact his opponents are expected to initiation all the contact.
Yes he is talent but his "style" is not!!!! Put him in the Hall and if he remains undefeated that's fine but as time moves on most people will realize that his
matchmaking and promotional talents outweigh his ring work.
He took advantage of a sports demise time and used pro wrestling's "heel" (bad guy) to promote "hate" instead of sportsmanship. Nothing new, Ali did the same thing Foreman was not liked as a young fighter and of course the
fear level that surrounded Liston was used to promote his bouts.
Problem with all that is the use of a "negative" to promote a sport that fought against being a negative influence to begin with.
That's boxing, let Floyd in but stop with the ATG fighter! He is not a top ten welter there are plenty of welterweights that could beat him and most of the greats would stop him!
Ray.
I can't believe peope are actually answering this with serious answers.
Mayweather a guy that's an 11 time world Champion in 5 different weight classes by beating over 15 fighters in the top 5 in the divison vein fought in, the #1 ranked fighter in the divison being fought in on 9, yes 9 different occasions, has been on the P4P list since 1998 and many of those as the #1 P4P fighter on the planet, who also happens to arguably the fighter of his era, at very worst top 3.
Oh I wonder if that's HOF material considering Ray Mancini is getting inducted this year.
:dunce:
Yes he s already HOF bound whether he fights Pacquaio or not... But the ranking of his ATG status will be determined on a higher/lower scale if he chooses to fight Pacquaio compared to, if he chooses not to.
I know many writers will think twice about sending any coward to the HOF. Maybe a dancers HOF..
That is not even a legitimate question, he may not get in unanimously in that 2 or 3 would hold him off but he is getting in for sure first ballot and they would take the time to really make the point of why they did that while also showing respect.
It hurts him bad if he doesn't ever fight him, that would always be the first thing brought up in relation to him. Not really fair to his career which is hall of fame worthy but that is by far the biggest talking point related to him so it is what it is if he can't find a way to take care of that.
Baldomir just like everyone else who held the lineal title got in the ring and won it
Is baldomir in the bottom five for worst ww champ of the last decade? Wbo, WBC, WBA, ibf, any belt.
Come on larry, it proves how bull**** lineal titles are. Baldomir is crap and everyone of his 16 losses proves it. As for this, it's absurd, he's a lock for the hall of fame even if manny knocks him out in ten seconds.
Baldomir just like everyone else who held the lineal title got in the ring and won it
Yes he s already HOF bound whether he fights Pacquaio or not... But the ranking of his ATG status will be determined on a higher/lower scale if he chooses to fight Pacquaio compared to, if he chooses not to.
This^^^^^^^^^^^^