Mayweather and PAC unintentionally hurt boxing badly

[billeau2]

Styles makes fights, remember that overhand right against Marquez was thrown with full commitment and Marquez barely registered that punch. If put a light puncher against Margarito, he'll just come and come, put on the pressure and break you down, Margarito was already champ in 2001. People that claim prime Marg is just a come forward fighter with no strategy are just dumb as rocks. There is a reason that fight never happenend.

Styles make fights and there are levels to the game... Margarito was never on a level where he was a serious threat to Floyd. He was a bruiser and a career shortener. Any marquee boxer he fought (fairly) trounced him. The guys he beat were workman like fighters, solid... With maybe a few exceptions. I believe he did beat Martinez... But aside from that, guys like Citron were solid, a level below top dogs in the game. I reserve judgement on the first Cotto fight for obvious reasons.

[Haka]

You really think he would have ever turned into a consistent 1 million PPV seller by himself? come on....

Them fighting common opponents so people could compare, the opportunity for tribalism/fanboying and the drawn out road to them fighting each other, all of that helped BOTH of them drawing power wise. It created a compelling narrative. Notice how Pacs average PPV numbers halved after the Floyd fight and Floyds final serious boxing match a few months later only did 400k buys?

Lets not forget the role Oscar played in elevating both of them too.

Floyd was attaching his name to Pacquiao and not the other way around. While Pacquiao who was coming from the micro weight divisions, and beating up legit fighters in devestating fashion instead of running for twelve again and again. Floyd was biding his time fighting stylistic favourable matchups against natural LW sized fighters like Guerrero, JMM, and ex 140lber Victor Ortiz fight that nobody called for, even Maidana was a cherry pick gone wrong since Maidana had already 3 losses and Floyd didn't event dare to step in the ring if Marcos put on his usual Cleto Reyes gloves.

[Haka]

Styles make fights and there are levels to the game... Margarito was never on a level where he was a serious threat to Floyd. He was a bruiser and a career shortener. Any marquee boxer he fought (fairly) trounced him. The guys he beat were workman like fighters, solid... With maybe a few exceptions. I believe he did beat Martinez... But aside from that, guys like Citron were solid, a level below top dogs in the game. I reserve judgement on the first Cotto fight for obvious reasons.

Margarito was champ for years on end and fought them all, Pwill, Sergio, prime Cintron Cotto, no tricks and no questions asked.

So Maidana an ex 140er with 3 losses that made it a close fight but prime Margarito with wins over prime Cotto Cintron Pwill Sergio, and champ since 2001 would have been no match ? Get real.

[TMLT87]

Floyd was attaching his name to Pacquiao and not the other way around. While Pacquiao who was coming from the micro weight divisions, and beating up legit fighters in devestating fashion instead of running for twelve again and again. Floyd was biding his time fighting stylistic favourable matchups against natural LW sized fighters like Guerrero, JMM, and ex 140lber Victor Ortiz fight that nobody called for, even Maidana was a cherry pick gone wrong since Maidana had already 3 losses and Floyd didn't event dare to step in the ring if Marcos put on his usual Cleto Reyes gloves.

Floyd was always the bigger draw and star though. I dont disagree with you on a lot of stuff and was more of a Pac fan. But Floyd blew up first and was always the bigger name. I'm sure part of it was people buying PPVs to see him potentially get humbled, but regardless, he was the bigger draw.

[ImDominicanLipz]

Floyd/Pac CARRIED boxing for ****ing years, they didnt hurt it. If it hadnt been for them the UFC which was at its absolute peak at the time would have trampled boxing by the early 2010s. What exactly in boxing that didnt involve either Floyd or Pac was drawing big numbers from 2007-2015? those two ensured that boxing was getting big genuinely big 1 mil+ drawing fights 3-4 times a year through that time period.

Thats my point. The Mayweather-Pacquiao rivalry was all that mattered in boxing. But while the rivalry was going on, they were both fighting top level fights. These fighters just want the rewards of having a "rivalry" but fighting low level fights. Shakur's name is attached to Tank and look at his opposition. He was going to fight a guy who was just KO'd ffs

[The Big Dunn]

They didn’t hurt boxing badly in any way. Today’s boxers, their teams and most notably the networks, are what is hurting the sport.

We need to stop this idiotic blaming of men’s actions on other men from the past.

If a boxer thinks he deserves a specific payday, that isn’t because Floyd did. That is because he and his team thinks that is what they should get.

Manny didn’t attach his name to Floyd. He was seen as the best opponent. Same way David is for Canelo.

[TMLT87]

Thats my point. The Mayweather-Pacquiao rivalry was all that mattered in boxing. But while the rivalry was going on, they were both fighting top level fights. These fighters just want the rewards of having a "rivalry" but fighting low level fights. Shakur's name is attached to Tank and look at his opposition. He was going to fight a guy who was just KO'd ffs

You suck a mean d1ck, so whatever you say.

[billeau2]

Margarito was champ for years on end and fought them all, Pwill, Sergio, prime Cintron Cotto, no tricks and no questions asked.

So Maidana an ex 140er with 3 losses that made it a close fight but prime Margarito with wins over prime Cotto Cintron Pwill Sergio, and champ since 2001 would have been no match ? Get real.

Win over Cotto? really? Sergio is the only real exceptional scalp, because we have to qualify the Cotto win for obvious reasons. Everyone else he beat were good solid fighters... when he stepped up he was destroyed... Cotto, Pacman, etc. I will say your point about Maidana is a good one. Floyd beat Maidana, it was a tough fight... Floyd was a ducker, my only point is, avoiding a dangerous fighter, like Maidana or Margarito, who obviously is not at the top level is not really a duck. Floyd also beat Gatti who was probably slightly better at prime than Margarito, and he beat Baldimore... I mean stats tell us Floyd would beat Margarito in similar fashion... yeah maybe in a close fight. I would rather see Floyd fight pacman prime, or Mosely at a prime weight than say he is "ducking" a fighter who history tells us: Floyd beat similar level opposition, and who was thrashed when he stepped up, with the caveat that he did beat Martinez... the Cotto fight is suspect.

[Haka]

Win over Cotto? really? Sergio is the only real exceptional scalp, because we have to qualify the Cotto win for obvious reasons. Everyone else he beat were good solid fighters... when he stepped up he was destroyed... Cotto, Pacman, etc. I will say your point about Maidana is a good one. Floyd beat Maidana, it was a tough fight... Floyd was a ducker, my only point is, avoiding a dangerous fighter, like Maidana or Margarito, who obviously is not at the top level is not really a duck. Floyd also beat Gatti who was probably slightly better at prime than Margarito, and he beat Baldimore... I mean stats tell us Floyd would beat Margarito in similar fashion... yeah maybe in a close fight. I would rather see Floyd fight pacman prime, or Mosely at a prime weight than say he is "ducking" a fighter who history tells us: Floyd beat similar level opposition, and who was thrashed when he stepped up, with the caveat that he did beat Martinez... the Cotto fight is suspect.

Margarito is always in tough fights that takes its toll at some point in regards to reflexes and brain etc. Margarito is champ since 2001 . Marg was never a ducker and a dodger and running, the opposite of that and this is not ballet but boxing, so the damage accumulates. But his way of fighting is what made him good because no other fighter is willing to dig as deep. Now connect 1 and 1. Margarito was natural bigger and way better than Maidana with 3 losses. 1 against Kotelnik. When did Maidana beat the likes of Sergio, prime Cintron, Cotto ? That never happened. That on its own is a better resume than Floyd has. So ducking Margarito is not a problem because he is not at the top level, but are lightweight JMM, Ortiz Guerro Maidana top level ? These are a small fighters from lower divisions.

[billeau2]

Margarito is always in tough fights that takes its toll at some point in regards to reflexes and brain etc. Margarito is champ since 2001 . Marg was never a ducker and a dodger and running, the opposite of that and this is not ballet but boxing, so the damage accumulates. But his way of fighting is what made him good because no other fighter is willing to dig as deep. Now connect 1 and 1. Margarito was natural bigger and way better than Maidana with 3 losses. 1 against Kotelnik. When did Maidana beat the likes of Sergio, prime Cintron, Cotto ? That never happened. That on its own is a better resume than Floyd has.

You are ignoring the fact that it is highly likely Margarito cheated that fight with Cotto... So there, I said it now. I respect those who feel otherwise, but to some of us it cannot be ignored, especially considering what Cotto did to Margarito the second fight. "Champ" means nothing. It is relative... There are more champs than contenders these days! I never said margarito was a ducker. Margarito beat Sergio... But Citron and the other fighters he beat were solid and not great fighters.

Floyd did not have the greatest resume for an ATG, but it is a hll of a lot better than Margaritos! But lets play devil's advocate here: lets say Margarito was a champ, he beat Clottey and Cintron two decent fighters... He got a great scalp in martinez... Lets see what happened when margarito stepped up: Mosley, Cotto and Pac. This tells me Floyd was right to avoid the fight. Margarito was never able to step up.