how will history judge pbf?

[JK1700]

I think he will be viewed somewhat like Muhammad Ali. People have a tough time embracing him and dislike and criticize him now because of his personality and the fact that he is so far ahead of the competition that he makes boxing somewhat boring because nobody can challenge him in the ring. However, once he retires, I think he will be sorely missed and people will start giving him the credit then that they haven't been giving him during his career. Boxing will become boring without him. As we saw during his layoffs, Floyd is a hugely integral part of the sport and even if they don't like him, people definitely miss him when he's gone. When it comes to pure skills and overall attributes, I don't think there will be anyone close to as good as him for another 10-20 years. He's a once-in-a-lifetime talent and people will realise this once he's retired because there won't be anyone dominating the sport like he has. There's been very few guys who truly dominated the sport for 10-15 years and he's one of them.

[wmute]

My main worry is not where he will be rated in 50 years time... number 1... number 100. I don't care. I don't know myself either.

My worry is that I see a distinct possibility that in 50 years everyone will agree that he is the best of the last 50 years, because the outlook is a bit scary right now... in terms of talent pool, skills taught in gyms etc

I am starting to think that the only saviour for boxing can come from boxers starting from the former soviet republics (lots of hungry youth, huge talent pool, strong amateur programs), but only if there is a knowledge transfer from US pro trainers and fighters, because the kind of depth of the game of people like Hopkins or Mayweather is unique on a planet level, and we are not going to see much greatenss if this knowledge is lost (and it is being lost right now).

[wmute]

Monte D. Cox on Mayweather:

Floyd Mayweather’s career does not give him a top 10 spot. Luis Rodriguez, for example, had a better career than Floyd beating Emile Griffith, Benny Paret, Hurricane Carter, Curtis Cokes, Georgie Benton and Bennie Briscoe. I cannot in all honesty put Mayweather in the top 10 welterweights based on a career of hand picked opponents and having never unified a major title. Floyd avoided fights with Mosley, Margarito and Pacquiao when they meant something. He waited for these opponents to slow down and fade before considering facing them. Mayweather just does not have the competition to be considered a true all time great. I am not convinced that Floyd would beat any of the top 10 all time welterweights.

Looks like Monte was too busy watching 20something pixels named Joe Gans to notice what was actually taking place around him.

But he is right Mayweather is not at the top of 147, just too small.

[RINGG]

A good defensive fighter but will not crack to 20 all time.

[New England]

hes certain among the top 100 fighters of all time. he's one of the best boxer's i've ever seen, and am likely to ever see. his skills and technical ability are only matched by the greatest of the great.

his resume isn't incredibly stacked for a fighter of his ability. there aren't a ton of great names on there in their primes. he did very well in climbing in weight, which was in part a product of how quickly he became a world class product and able to win a world title (stopping genaro hernandez) at 130 before he outgrew it. lots of guys his size wouldn't be ready at that stage. mayweather JR had six or seven defenses of a world title..

floyd mayweather was HUGE at 130. he could punch, he could absorb shots if guys actually put gloves on him, and he had tons of speed with his legs. he might be the best h2h fighter of all time at 130. who do you pick to beat him?

at 135 he had his roughest go. he claims it was with agustus ... that's probably to diffuse the closeness of the first castillo fight.. his fight with agustus was not as hard for him as his fight with castillo. i score the first castillo fight for mayweather, but it was close.

at 140 he didn't do a whole lot. chop chop stunned him, if memory serves right, but the fight was still nowhere near close. he beat up gatti there, too.

at 147 he's never really fought top dogs either. at least not when they are at their best. lots of names, though. hatton, mosley, marquez, judah. same with 154. not prime, but big names, in cotto and de la hoya.


he's one of the very best fighters without a wealth of top level and prime names on his belt. the strength of his resume are his longevity, his dominance of many weight classes, and of course the fact that he's remained undefeated throughout the span of a two decade, hall of fame career.

he won't go down as anything close to the greatest of all time (the way some on bscene might think,) but he's without a doubt an all time great.

[TysonBomb]

I think he will be viewed somewhat like Muhammad Ali. People have a tough time embracing him and dislike and criticize him now because of his personality and the fact that he is so far ahead of the competition that he makes boxing somewhat boring because nobody can challenge him in the ring. However, once he retires, I think he will be sorely missed and people will start giving him the credit then that they haven't been giving him during his career. Boxing will become boring without him. As we saw during his layoffs, Floyd is a hugely integral part of the sport and even if they don't like him, people definitely miss him when he's gone. When it comes to pure skills and overall attributes, I don't think there will be anyone close to as good as him for another 10-20 years. He's a once-in-a-lifetime talent and people will realise this once he's retired because there won't be anyone dominating the sport like he has. There's been very few guys who truly dominated the sport for 10-15 years and he's one of them.

Ali fought everyone ... even guys who were in their prime when he was clearly over the hill ...

Floyd had been on vacation or "retired" half his career it seems ... nothing special about him since he fights so infrequently ...

[The Surgeon]

Anyone who saw him will know and even if they hate on him now will deep down know he is one of the greatest talents we have had in boxing

[Emon723]

Im satisfied with what Floyd has done now, made fights with Mosley and Cotto which I thought is deemed impossible, but Mayweather wait and wait and wait, even if he's undefeated, Floyd was never confident if he feels in a disadvantage, He didnt fight Mosley right after Shane beats Margarito, and waited for a year for Mosley to grow old, and I dont believe with what Cotto is saying Mayweather was better than him four years ago, Cotto was better in 2008 than in 2012.

If Mayweather fights Martinez or Canelo now, I'll be happy, still its obvious PBF is showing reluctance again whenever there are someone perceived to be a threat to his "0" record.

[res]

If he doesn't fight Pacquiao he is going to have to share the glory of this era with him, in the context of an uncertainty over whether he would have actually beaten him. That will diminish what his reputation would have been considerably. Everytime anyone says "Floyd" people will think of Manny, they will be like siamese twins, and Floyd will never be able to stand out singularly like an Ali or a Leonard

[Scott9945]

If he doesn't fight Pacquiao he is going to have to share the glory of this era with him, in the context of an uncertainty over whether he would have actually beaten him. That will diminish what his reputation would have been considerably. Everytime anyone says "Floyd" people will think of Manny, they will be like siamese twins, and Floyd will never be able to stand out singularly like an Ali or a Leonard

That's true. Floyd will have to carry that stigma.