Did Margarito "Deserve" a Fight With Mayweather in 2006?

[sonofisis]

Yes. Floyd did not have a fight with Baldomir signed until after Baldomir beat Gatti. Margarito calling him out was news just after the Judah fight. Before Badomir Floyd's last five fights were:

Zab Judah 34 - 3
Sharmba Mitchell 56 - 4
Arturo Gatti 39 - 6
Henri Bruselles 21 - 2 - 1
DeMarcus Corley 28 - 2 - 1

Each had at least one loss in their last six fights. Only two of those fights had a title on the line (and Judah's title was a tricky one!) and none of them made Mayweather as much money as Arum was offering for him to fight Margarito.

Margarito if anything would have fit in nicely among the fighters that Floyd actually did face, so his recordl plus a career high payday meant that yes, he did "deserve" a showdown with Floyd. Once Baldomir beat Gatti that changed the whole face of things, and Baldomir was a better scalp. The fact that Baldomir equalled the payday offered by Margarito's camp was simply icing. Baldomir was linear champ, held the Ring belt and was an opportunity for a unified title, Margarito just held the WBO.

But before the fight was made with Baldomir, Margarito deserved to fight Mayweather just as much as anyone else did.

WRONG! Floyd was supposed to fight Baldo even before he beat Zab, since Baldo beat the linear champ in Judah. Therefore, your premise is ****ed.

[squealpiggy]

No he wasn't. Baldomir fought Gatti first. If Gatti had won he was all set to fight Hatton. Floyd would have had to wait for a shot at unifying.

There was nothing organised between Floyd and Baldomir for a long time so a match with Margarito was viable. As I conceded however once a possibility of a match with Baldomir emerged Margarito didn't stand a chance. Until that Baldomir fight was signed Margarito was the only option available for Floyd at 147.

[Steak]

imo, any top 5 fighter in a weight class "deserves" a shot against Mayweather. Margarito was definately up there.

but better fights could be made. Mayweather vs. De La Hoya >>>>> Mayweather vs. Margarito. Mayweather vs. Hatton also is a better one, but it would make way more sense if the fight was at 140. imo, Judah vs. Mayweather was just as good as him vs. Margaritaville.

I would have liked him vs. Margarito better than him vs. Baldomir, but Baldomir WAS the RING champion, so he gets a mulligan there.
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[squealpiggy]

imo, any top 5 fighter in a weight class "deserves" a shot against Mayweather. Margarito was definately up there.

but better fights could be made. Mayweather vs. De La Hoya >>>>> Mayweather vs. Margarito. Mayweather vs. Hatton also is a better one, but it would make way more sense if the fight was at 140. imo, Judah vs. Mayweather was just as good as him vs. Margaritaville.

I would have liked him vs. Margarito better than him vs. Baldomir, but Baldomir WAS the RING champion, so he gets a mulligan there.

I absolutely agree. For a long time it wasn't just Margarito making a case to fight Floyd. Floyd was ranked by the Ring as number one challenger at 140 before he fought Baldy. Margarito was ranked second. Everyone was calling for this fight.

[Haglerwins]

Marg didn't deserve a bout with Floyd then, most likely still doesn't since he lost his last fight. You have to look at this from a pro/con standpoint. Antonio had no big names on his record or any notable fight at the time so was a virtual unknown despite his contender position. If Mayweather loses a fight to a legit tough fighter with no name recognition - he catches hell for losing and the overrated claims pour in given his p4p status. If Floyd wins the tough guy bout, he gets 'boxing purist cred', but no notch in his belt on a name win and no real increase in status to get on the radar of pop culture or the future big money fights that he salivated over. It's either a tough fight win (that he should've won anyway), or he lost to an unknown - which is the equivalent to a bum in some minds.

Your typical high risk low reward fight. If you call out the guy with so much to lose fresh at the top of the food chain, you better give him some incentive to fight you, a name win you can hang over his head or something.

[Southpaw16]

I still think that Margarito deserves a shot at Floyd. For me, his loss to WIlliams doesn't change things that much. It was a very close fight, and I would pick Williams against just about any welterweight right now. Including Floyd believe it or not.

[$iN]

I still think that Margarito deserves a shot at Floyd. For me, his loss to WIlliams doesn't change things that much. It was a very close fight, and I would pick Williams against just about any welterweight right now. Including Floyd believe it or not.

I agree with you. I see no way Mayweather deals with a guy with that much size and activity...

[Fox McCloud]

Yes. Floyd did not have a fight with Baldomir signed until after Baldomir beat Gatti. Margarito calling him out was news just after the Judah fight. Before Badomir Floyd's last five fights were:

Zab Judah 34 - 3
Sharmba Mitchell 56 - 4
Arturo Gatti 39 - 6
Henri Bruselles 21 - 2 - 1
DeMarcus Corley 28 - 2 - 1

Each had at least one loss in their last six fights. Only two of those fights had a title on the line (and Judah's title was a tricky one!) and none of them made Mayweather as much money as Arum was offering for him to fight Margarito.

Margarito if anything would have fit in nicely among the fighters that Floyd actually did face, so his recordl plus a career high payday meant that yes, he did "deserve" a showdown with Floyd. Once Baldomir beat Gatti that changed the whole face of things, and Baldomir was a better scalp. The fact that Baldomir equalled the payday offered by Margarito's camp was simply icing. Baldomir was linear champ, held the Ring belt and was an opportunity for a unified title, Margarito just held the WBO.

But before the fight was made with Baldomir, Margarito deserved to fight Mayweather just as much as anyone else did.

Well that is all true, but you can't expect that Floyd wasn't looking at that fight to see where it went? What rule is it that a fighter has to sign a fight immediately after he gets done fighting (Judah in this instance)?

[Fox McCloud]

imo, any top 5 fighter in a weight class "deserves" a shot against Mayweather. Margarito was definately up there.

but better fights could be made. Mayweather vs. De La Hoya >>>>> Mayweather vs. Margarito. Mayweather vs. Hatton also is a better one, but it would make way more sense if the fight was at 140. imo, Judah vs. Mayweather was just as good as him vs. Margaritaville.

I would have liked him vs. Margarito better than him vs. Baldomir, but Baldomir WAS the RING champion, so he gets a mulligan there.

Floyd can't fight 5 people at once... meaning that Baldomir had just as much of a right to fight Mayweather as Margarito... probably moreso because he was the C in the division, and not merely in the top 5.

[ThaHorseman]

No Margarito didn't deserve to fight Floyd. And that was made clear in his last two fights when he struggled to beat and lost to guys who aren't even considered top 3 welterweights. It doesn't help your claim to deserve a fight when you stand around bitching about it and not proving it. Floyd was calling out Genaro Hernandez after a dozen fights and kept fighting and winning almost once a month until he finally got the contract signed. Same with the Oscar fight. Floyd made it known before the Corrales fight that eventually he would fight De La Hoya. He moved his way up through the divisions, getting belts and becoming a PPV sell to "earn" the fight with DLH. What did Margarito do to force the fight? Whine and ***** about how everyone feared him until he got put in his place by Williams. This is why I respect and like Cotto. He has earned his due in the ring, not through his promoter.