Honestly, is floyd really TBE? Because if you look at it, its kind of hard to deny even though many probably wont be willing to admit.
Most complete fighter of all time arguably and fought in a era with good competition. Has good defense, can fight coming forwards or backwards, solid chin. Great speed etc.
Fough in a good era and beat many greats, not just that but was dominant over the stretch of 21 years, not just a decade, 2 of them. How is he not the GOAT?
Who can you really say was successful for that long, had that good of a record and had that good of a skillset?
http://roundbyroundboxing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Floyd-maywetaher-Bleacher-Report.jpg
TBE :boxing:
Probabley the most overrated fighter of all time at this point. Never dominated top fighter he didnt have a huge advantage over (fatquez, drained coralles etc). Exposed pretty badly against decent pressure fighters. Don't even think his defense is that good, he just keeps a fight from happening with running and clinches.
James toney has a better shoulder roll, didnt have to employ a hit and grab style to stop action, would just stay slick in the pocket.
Not to seem like im hating on him for using his feet, the point is his defense is staying away from the action.
he literally stands in the pocket most of the time and and slips and counters from there.
Probabley the most overrated fighter of all time at this point. Never dominated top fighter he didnt have a huge advantage over (fatquez, drained coralles etc). Exposed pretty badly against decent pressure fighters. Don't even think his defense is that good, he just keeps a fight from happening with running and clinches.
James toney has a better shoulder roll, didnt have to employ a hit and grab style to stop action, would just stay slick in the pocket.
Not to seem like im hating on him for using his feet, the point is his defense is staying away from the action.
Nah, he's not TBE.
As many have said, he really doesn't have wins over the best during their prime eras
I won't mention old-school fighters, like Robinson, Joe Louis, Henry Armstrong, Willie Pep, but I do rate guys like Roy Jones, Duran, and Leonard higher than Floyd. He's a top 15/probably top 10 fighter in my eyes, but other than that I don't think he's ever had a fight I wouldn't have had him as the favorite. Not because he is that damn good (well he is), but because his opponents were on the decline and reasonable size. I don't blame him for it, but it would have been really telling to see him in a fight against someone like Leonard or Hearns.
That was my view on it earlier. But if you look at what floyd did compared to guys like SRL, in my opinion surpassses them. Because he started out at the low divisions destroying guys like gatti, coralles. Then moved up in weight after being so dominant, and continued to be dominant for an even longer stretch. His sustained success is greater than any of those guys, and its not like he was fighting bums he was fighting elite fighters who were still very good and alot of them coming off big wins like mosley. Even undefeated guys like hatton. And remained undeafeated throughout all those fights.
Towards the latter half of his career he was fighting guys bigger than him most of the time as well, not to mention i think his ring IQ is the greatest ever. Although sugar ray robinson is probably deserving to still hold that title because of his career and legacy. I honestly have floyd higher than Ali as ridiculous as it may sound, hes just a more skilled fighter, ali just has a better legacy and personailty outside of the ring.
Nah, he's not TBE.
As many have said, he really doesn't have wins over the best during their prime eras
I won't mention old-school fighters, like Robinson, Joe Louis, Henry Armstrong, Willie Pep, but I do rate guys like Roy Jones, Duran, and Leonard higher than Floyd. He's a top 15/probably top 10 fighter in my eyes, but other than that I don't think he's ever had a fight I wouldn't have had him as the favorite. Not because he is that damn good (well he is), but because his opponents were on the decline and reasonable size. I don't blame him for it, but it would have been really telling to see him in a fight against someone like Leonard or Hearns.
Not TBE, Pacman has a better resume among current fighters and has achieved more p4p.
Skillwise though Mayweather is the best of his era, but the e in tbe stands for 'ever'... So i certainly can't call him tbe.....especially when one of his smaller rivals took on greater challenges.
Also really Mayweather fighting McGregor to pay his taxes when he could have fought a worthy champion is an insult to boxing.
They were greats but the question is, where they the greats at their prime?
Ken Norton gave Larry Holmes all he could handle and then some when they fought.
They were greats but the question is, where they the greats at their prime?
Are you going to ask that of all those other wins you mentioned earlier which I addressed? Morales wasn't prime against Pac, Frazier had just been brutally stopped by Foreman before Ali beat him in the rematch. So I guess these weren't great wins.
You see what I mean? You can diminish many of these wins which make these guys all time greats. You refuse to apply the same scrutiny to other's as you do to Mayweather. Floyd faught many of his opponents coming off big wins but you won't give him credit.
Marquez, Cotto, Pac, Hatton, Canelo, Maidana, Corales, Castillo, Genera Hernandez, at the time of all these fights were each very good to great wins.
I think these guys beat Mayweather.
Ray Leonard
Ray Robinson
Tommy Hearns.
Hearns had too much power. Tommy had very fast hands in his prime. He outboxed Wilfred Benitez another defensive wizard. I don't think Tommy has ever been out boxed by anyone. He's been stopped but I don't recall him losing on points. Not 100% sure of that.
Duran in his prime.
Possibly Carmen Basilio.
Difference is, of course, you can make those arguments with the greats. You can't really say it with Floyd because, other than Pac, he fought no other greats. Lots of good, not greats.
No, you're just applying different standards to current fighters about what constitutes great. Outside of Ali Norton doesn't have great wins, I can concede maybe one of his other wins as 'great. If he's a great then DLH, Cotto, and Mosley are great. But i'm just gonna be called an ignorant new fan.
Except you're unwilling to diminish any of those wins you listed like you do to Floyd. I can easily say Pac's win over Morales is no good because Morales just recently lost to Barrerra and then lost to Raheem directly before the pac rematch.
I can easily say Ali's Norton wins don't count because they were controversial and people think he lost against Norton. Additionally both Ali's Liston wins are shady because of mob connections and 'the phantom punch'.
I can say SRL fought Duran at a weight above his prime weight. I can say SRL fought Hagler after he'd noticeably declined and had a war with a guy like Mugabe.
I don't make these arguments because i don't believe in going out of my way to diminish wins the way you do to Floyd.
edit: Loads of these wins you mentioned weren't these guys at their best, but you won't ever admit that. You'll diminish Floyd's Cotto win because he was 'war torn' but won't apply that to other people's wins. The cotto win is good, same as Mosley coming off his big win over Marg, same as undefeated Hatton, same as Pac coming off wins over top welter's like Bradley, same top guys Castillo and Corrales. Give him credit.
Difference is, of course, you can make those arguments with the greats. You can't really say it with Floyd because, other than Pac, he fought no other greats. Lots of good, not greats.
Ali is not known for beating Henry Cooper, he is known for beating Joe Frazier, George Foreman, and Norton.
Pacquiao is not known for beating Vargas, Algerie, he is known for beating Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Tim Bradley
SRL is not known for beating Green, Mayweather Sr. He is known for beating Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, And Marvin Hagler.
Greats are known for beating other greats when they were at their best.
Except you're unwilling to diminish any of those wins you listed like you do to Floyd. I can easily say Pac's win over Morales is no good because Morales just recently lost to Barrerra and then lost to Raheem directly before the pac rematch.
I can easily say Ali's Norton wins don't count because they were controversial and people think he lost against Norton. Additionally both Ali's Liston wins are shady because of mob connections and 'the phantom punch'.
I can say SRL fought Duran at a weight above his prime weight. I can say SRL fought Hagler after he'd noticeably declined and had a war with a guy like Mugabe.
I don't make these arguments because i don't believe in going out of my way to diminish wins the way you do to Floyd.
edit: Loads of these wins you mentioned weren't these guys at their best, but you won't ever admit that. You'll diminish Floyd's Cotto win because he was 'war torn' but won't apply that to other people's wins. The cotto win is good, same as Mosley coming off his big win over Marg, same as undefeated Hatton, same as Pac coming off wins over top welter's like Bradley, same top guys Castillo and Corrales. Give him credit.
Maidana giving Floyd hell doesn't make him A-level or elite. He is B-level at best. Maidana that fought Floyd is still the Maidana that lost to Khan, Alexander and Kotelnik.
Hell no lol. Maidana was not the same fighter that lost to khan. He improved under garcia and developed a pretty good jab.
Calling Canelo "Prime" at 22 years old that looked like a zombie and calling Maidana an A-level........
Wasnt a zombie he was in good shape. Fighting floyd 2 pounds heavier would have made zero difference that night. He had no answers.
Here's another thing, i'm seeing people bashing the Maidana win even in this thread. Yeah Maidana had some losses, but he was coming off his best win over Broner and his performance against Floyd was great. He was backing Floyd up to the ropes with his double jab and roughing him up. He did way better than supposedly more elite fighters. Based on his performance i'll happily consider him elite, and it's a bummer he didn't come back and face Thurman or any of those guys because i think he's on that level.