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The Great Debate: LeBron or Kobe? Pacquiao or Mayweather? Who's #1?
The Great Debate: LeBron or Kobe? Pacquiao or Mayweather? Who's #1?
By Dennis Guillermo
May 15, 3:24 PM
At this time of the year, the sports world is buzzing primarily because of the NBA playoffs. Without a question, the two biggest and best players in basketball today are last year's MVP Kobe Bryant and this season's MVP LeBron James. But amidst the excitement and fevered pitch from basketball fans and countless debates regarding who is the best basketball player in the game right now, there is another rivalry in boxing that has the whole boxing world buzzing. Who is the better, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
As far as this era's biggest match-up in NBA, nothing comes close to Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James. Nothing else really need be said. Watching these two go at it and the excitement they generate every time they square off reminds me of the same energy fight fans were buzzing with when Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton fought each other in the biggest and most watched fight of the year so far. That bout was dubbed the "The Battle of East vs. West" and as many hoops fan will tell you (even rappers like The Game as reported by our Lakers Examiner), seeing Kobe and LeBron do battle in the NBA Finals IS “THE BATTLE OF EAST VS. WEST”
LeBron and Pacquiao currently hold the crown that Mayweather Jr. and Bryant not too long ago held so fittingly. LeBron can do it all, and so can Pacquiao. But Mayweather and Bryant both possess that smooth mastery of their sport only seen once in a few decades. LeBron and Pacquiao are physical freaks of nature, but Bryan and Mayweather have always been cerebrally ahead of the competition. Now who really is the best? Who’s the MVP? Who’s the real pound for pound king?
Allow me to break both comparisons down as fundamentally as I can.
EXPERIENCE:
Manny Pacquiao is 30 years old and started his pro career at a tender age of 16 years old in his hometown in the Philippines. He has a record of 49 wins (KO 37)/ 3 losses (KO 2) / 2 draws and has boxed 293 rounds with a KO percentage of 68.52%. Floy Mayweather Jr. on the other hand is 32 years old with a perfect record of 39 wins (KO 25) / no losses and no draws and has boxed 275 rounds total with a KO percentage of 64.1%. Pacquiao has had wars with more legends in the sport than Mayweather Jr. however after his classic fights with Morales, Marquez, Barrera, Hatton and De la Hoya to name a few. Other than Hatton and De la Hoya, the only stiff competition Mayweather has really faced inside the ring would be the smaller Diego Coralles. Pacquiao on his part has always moved up in weight to fight better competition. With that said, I have to give Pacquiao the edge in this category.
Kobe Bryant is a seasoned vet. He brings a whole lot more experience to the table than LeBron does obviously because LeBron is only 24 and has only been in the league for 6 seasons after coming straight from high school. Kobe is 30 years old and has been in the league for 13 seasons. So when it comes to experience, Kobe has the edge.
SKILL:
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a crafty fighter and has mastered the art of slick boxing his defense is second to none. Sometimes however, he’s so much better than the competition that he tends to let fights drag on by playing with his opponents and prioritize not getting hit instead of going for the kill. Pacquiao at 30 is still improving. He is a rare athlete that has continued to elevate his game even at a late age and being in his prime. Ever since he broke through the global boxing scene, he has added more weapons to his arsenal. He was once merely known as a double-jab left cross fighter but now possesses power and great technique in both hands. Floyd’s overall natural skill and savvy for the sweet science is still too hard to look past so I will give Floyd the edge here.
Kobe has been in the game longer than LeBron and definitely knows a lot more tricks of the trade than the young MVP from Akron, Ohio. Offensively, Kobe has a more complete arsenal than LeBron but in terms of skill set, LeBron does more things consistently and effectively more than Kobe. LeBron is a walking triple double and a nightmare to defend because he is not only strong and can jump outside the building, he also sees the floor very well and can dish to an open teammate at any given second. I would have to give the edge to LeBron on this one.
By Dennis Guillermo
May 15, 3:24 PM
At this time of the year, the sports world is buzzing primarily because of the NBA playoffs. Without a question, the two biggest and best players in basketball today are last year's MVP Kobe Bryant and this season's MVP LeBron James. But amidst the excitement and fevered pitch from basketball fans and countless debates regarding who is the best basketball player in the game right now, there is another rivalry in boxing that has the whole boxing world buzzing. Who is the better, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
As far as this era's biggest match-up in NBA, nothing comes close to Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James. Nothing else really need be said. Watching these two go at it and the excitement they generate every time they square off reminds me of the same energy fight fans were buzzing with when Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton fought each other in the biggest and most watched fight of the year so far. That bout was dubbed the "The Battle of East vs. West" and as many hoops fan will tell you (even rappers like The Game as reported by our Lakers Examiner), seeing Kobe and LeBron do battle in the NBA Finals IS “THE BATTLE OF EAST VS. WEST”
LeBron and Pacquiao currently hold the crown that Mayweather Jr. and Bryant not too long ago held so fittingly. LeBron can do it all, and so can Pacquiao. But Mayweather and Bryant both possess that smooth mastery of their sport only seen once in a few decades. LeBron and Pacquiao are physical freaks of nature, but Bryan and Mayweather have always been cerebrally ahead of the competition. Now who really is the best? Who’s the MVP? Who’s the real pound for pound king?
Allow me to break both comparisons down as fundamentally as I can.
EXPERIENCE:
Manny Pacquiao is 30 years old and started his pro career at a tender age of 16 years old in his hometown in the Philippines. He has a record of 49 wins (KO 37)/ 3 losses (KO 2) / 2 draws and has boxed 293 rounds with a KO percentage of 68.52%. Floy Mayweather Jr. on the other hand is 32 years old with a perfect record of 39 wins (KO 25) / no losses and no draws and has boxed 275 rounds total with a KO percentage of 64.1%. Pacquiao has had wars with more legends in the sport than Mayweather Jr. however after his classic fights with Morales, Marquez, Barrera, Hatton and De la Hoya to name a few. Other than Hatton and De la Hoya, the only stiff competition Mayweather has really faced inside the ring would be the smaller Diego Coralles. Pacquiao on his part has always moved up in weight to fight better competition. With that said, I have to give Pacquiao the edge in this category.
Kobe Bryant is a seasoned vet. He brings a whole lot more experience to the table than LeBron does obviously because LeBron is only 24 and has only been in the league for 6 seasons after coming straight from high school. Kobe is 30 years old and has been in the league for 13 seasons. So when it comes to experience, Kobe has the edge.
SKILL:
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a crafty fighter and has mastered the art of slick boxing his defense is second to none. Sometimes however, he’s so much better than the competition that he tends to let fights drag on by playing with his opponents and prioritize not getting hit instead of going for the kill. Pacquiao at 30 is still improving. He is a rare athlete that has continued to elevate his game even at a late age and being in his prime. Ever since he broke through the global boxing scene, he has added more weapons to his arsenal. He was once merely known as a double-jab left cross fighter but now possesses power and great technique in both hands. Floyd’s overall natural skill and savvy for the sweet science is still too hard to look past so I will give Floyd the edge here.
Kobe has been in the game longer than LeBron and definitely knows a lot more tricks of the trade than the young MVP from Akron, Ohio. Offensively, Kobe has a more complete arsenal than LeBron but in terms of skill set, LeBron does more things consistently and effectively more than Kobe. LeBron is a walking triple double and a nightmare to defend because he is not only strong and can jump outside the building, he also sees the floor very well and can dish to an open teammate at any given second. I would have to give the edge to LeBron on this one.
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