IF Floyd stops the great Ricky Hatton, is PBF the GOAT?

[jkfrancis]

Ok, that's true. Floyd's best wins were at Super feather and lightweight i.e. Hernandez, Corrales, Castillo, but they were along time ago. I don't want to disparage PBF just for the sake of it. He is extraordinarily talented but there needs to be some perspective when comparing him to Robinson, Armstrong, Leonard et al. He doesn't compare favourably to those guys and it is Floyd himself who continually invites the comparison by declaring himself the best ever. If he invites the comparison he will be compared. We're talking about being an all-time great here. The standards are incredibly high and any fighter who aspires to that status will inevitably be judged by those standards.
Floyd has yet to show he is the best Welterweight in the world today, never mind GOAT!
The best Welterweights out there are Cotto, Mosley, Williams, Margarito, Cintron and Mayweather hasn't fought any of them.

[feed-the-goat]

Anyone who thinks a fighter can become the greatest of all time by beating Ricky Hatton is out of their mind. Some people really need to look at the history of boxing before they ask such ridiculous questions like the one asked in this thread. Mayweather's quality of opposition is very mediocre when compared to real all-time greats such as Robinson, Armstrong, Duran, Leonard etc.
Consider Floyd's record to date:
De la Hoya - 34 years old and 1 fight in 3 years previous to fight with PBF
Baldomir - a tough guy but that's about it
Judah - beaten by Baldomir and knocked out in 2 by Tszyu
Mitchell - washed up
Gatti - washed up
Before that he beat Bruseles, Corley, N'dou, Sosa - hardly the stuff that legends are made of
Indeed you have to go back to his fights with Castillo in 2002 to find anything impressive on Mayweather's record and alot of people thought he lost the first fight.
Floyd is now 30 and his biggest win has come against a semi-retired de la hoya.
Consider, by the age of 25 Leonard had beaten Benitez, Duran and Hearns. At age 30 he beat Hagler.
By age 29 Duran had beaten Buchanan, Palamino and Leonard.
I hope this puts Floyd's record into some perspective. And don't bother pointing out multiple "world" titles - Henry Armstrong held 3 simultaneously in an era when there were only 8 divisions and one champion to each.
As for Ray Robinson, he would have beaten PBF and de la hoya on the same night - and that's not hyperbole!

so where would Hatton stand if he won considering that by 29 he would have beaten tszu, castillo and pbf?

[me2007]

I dont think Hatton showed anything great against Tzsyu, he was just too young and strong, Tszyu knew he couldn`t keep up the pace so he quit.

Castillo was over the hill and far away when Hatton beat him.

Both are names, but were they great when Hatton fought them? Where they great ever?

Hatton or MW could be near the great category if they cleared up the WW division by fighting Cotto, Mosely, Williams...

thats never going to happen.

[jkfrancis]

I agree. If they clear up the division they could be considered great. I also agree that it won't happen.

[boxingfan4life]

I say he won't be the greatest until he beats all the other champions after he is done with Hatton. I think he should fight the winner of Cotto/Mosley and then fight the other guys. That will be a great way to retire. You know with all four belts. Then no one can say **** else about him. I seriously doubt that will happen though.

[DIOS DOMINICANO]

I say he won't be the greatest until he beats all the other champions after he is done with Hatton. I think he should fight the winner of Cotto/Mosley and then fight the other guys. That will be a great way to retire. You know with all four belts. Then no one can say **** else about him. I seriously doubt that will happen though.

Did you guys see Bill Parcells on FNF?

Parcells put Pretty Boy Floyd on his all-time top FIVE along with SRR, Ali and Monzon.

That was interesting coming from Bill.