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By Charles Saunders
Boxscore News - Nova Scotia
July 11, 2010
A while back, I indulged in some speculation on how Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao might have fared against Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler, who were the subjects of George Kimball’s excellent book titled Four Kings. As a wild card, I included Wilfred Benitez, who beat Duran and acquitted himself well in losing efforts against Leonard and Hearns (see “Pac-Man and the Four Kings” in the Boxing section of this site).
Well, given that Floyd Mayweather is now two fights into his un-retirement, and a mega-fight between him and Pacquiao is still possible, if not imminent, it’s only fair to consider how Floyd might have done against these superstars of the 1980s.
Would Mayweather have cashed in against the Kings? Or would yesterday’s heroes have made the fighter also known as “Money” look counterfeit?
Here goes …
MAYWEATHER vs. LEONARD: Imagine awaiting the bell for the first round, and facing an opponent who is bigger, faster, and stronger than you are. Not only that, but everything you can do, he can do just a little bit better. That’s the situation Mayweather would have found himself in against Leonard. Mayweather’s defense would have enabled him to last the distance with Sugar Ray. Otherwise, though, Leonard would have been a mountain too high for Mayweather to climb.
MAYWEATHER vs. DURAN: Although he was less effective in higher weight classes, Duran – at the time the moving-up former lightweight champion – fought the best battle of his career in relieving Leonard of his welterweight crown in their first encounter. But then Leonard played into Duran’s hands by trying to out-brawl the consummate brawler. Mayweather would not make that mistake. Slick boxers like Benitez and the Leonard that Duran faced in their infamous “No Mas” rematch were Roberto’s nemesis. And in this fight, Mayweather had better be slick. Otherwise, Duran would do to him what Jose Luis Castillo came close to doing to Mayweather in their first fight, in which Money came uncomfortably close suffering his first loss.
MAYWEATHER vs. HEARNS: Think about the fighters Mayweather has been accused of ducking since he moved up to welterweight. Think of guys like the pre-plaster Antonio Margarito, or Paul Williams – tall, lanky punchers who can also box. Hearns was like that, but he was several steps above the likes of Williams and Margarito in overall ability. It’s not hard to envision Hearns outboxing Mayweather the way he did Leonard during the middle rounds of their first fight. The difference is, Mayweather does not have enough punching power to turn the fight around the way Leonard so memorably managed to do after cornerman Angelo Dundee told him: “You’re blowin’ it, son.”
MAYWEATHER vs. HAGLER: Thus far, the biggest man Mayweather has fought is a faded Oscar de la Hoya, at junior middleweight. Hagler was a natural middleweight. Even so, Marvelous Marvin lost to Leonard, was almost upset by Duran, and took severe punishment before winning his brief war against Hearns. So it’s not as though Hagler would run Mayweather out of the ring just because of the Marvelous One’s size advantage. But if Floyd couldn’t find a way to keep Hagler from walking through his punches, he would, indeed, get run out of the ring.
MAYWEATHER vs. BENITEZ: It is very possible that Benitez’ defense was even better than Mayweather’s. It’s not for nothing that Wilfred’s nickname was “Radar.” On the other hand, Mayweather is a much better puncher than Benitez. That advantage would lead to a replay of Benitez’ bout with Leonard, in which Sugar Ray scored a stoppage in the last seconds of the fifteenth and final round. Still, like Leonard, Mayweather would miss a lot of punches along the way.
So, it looks like Mayweather would have done about as well as Pacquiao against these legends, though for different reasons. If Mayweather and Pacquiao don’t fight each other within the next year, boxing fans will be cheated out of a match that could very well be as good as any that took place during the Four Kings’ heyday.
In other words: Take the freakin’ blood test, Manny!
Boxscore News - Nova Scotia
July 11, 2010
A while back, I indulged in some speculation on how Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao might have fared against Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler, who were the subjects of George Kimball’s excellent book titled Four Kings. As a wild card, I included Wilfred Benitez, who beat Duran and acquitted himself well in losing efforts against Leonard and Hearns (see “Pac-Man and the Four Kings” in the Boxing section of this site).
Well, given that Floyd Mayweather is now two fights into his un-retirement, and a mega-fight between him and Pacquiao is still possible, if not imminent, it’s only fair to consider how Floyd might have done against these superstars of the 1980s.
Would Mayweather have cashed in against the Kings? Or would yesterday’s heroes have made the fighter also known as “Money” look counterfeit?
Here goes …
MAYWEATHER vs. LEONARD: Imagine awaiting the bell for the first round, and facing an opponent who is bigger, faster, and stronger than you are. Not only that, but everything you can do, he can do just a little bit better. That’s the situation Mayweather would have found himself in against Leonard. Mayweather’s defense would have enabled him to last the distance with Sugar Ray. Otherwise, though, Leonard would have been a mountain too high for Mayweather to climb.
MAYWEATHER vs. DURAN: Although he was less effective in higher weight classes, Duran – at the time the moving-up former lightweight champion – fought the best battle of his career in relieving Leonard of his welterweight crown in their first encounter. But then Leonard played into Duran’s hands by trying to out-brawl the consummate brawler. Mayweather would not make that mistake. Slick boxers like Benitez and the Leonard that Duran faced in their infamous “No Mas” rematch were Roberto’s nemesis. And in this fight, Mayweather had better be slick. Otherwise, Duran would do to him what Jose Luis Castillo came close to doing to Mayweather in their first fight, in which Money came uncomfortably close suffering his first loss.
MAYWEATHER vs. HEARNS: Think about the fighters Mayweather has been accused of ducking since he moved up to welterweight. Think of guys like the pre-plaster Antonio Margarito, or Paul Williams – tall, lanky punchers who can also box. Hearns was like that, but he was several steps above the likes of Williams and Margarito in overall ability. It’s not hard to envision Hearns outboxing Mayweather the way he did Leonard during the middle rounds of their first fight. The difference is, Mayweather does not have enough punching power to turn the fight around the way Leonard so memorably managed to do after cornerman Angelo Dundee told him: “You’re blowin’ it, son.”
MAYWEATHER vs. HAGLER: Thus far, the biggest man Mayweather has fought is a faded Oscar de la Hoya, at junior middleweight. Hagler was a natural middleweight. Even so, Marvelous Marvin lost to Leonard, was almost upset by Duran, and took severe punishment before winning his brief war against Hearns. So it’s not as though Hagler would run Mayweather out of the ring just because of the Marvelous One’s size advantage. But if Floyd couldn’t find a way to keep Hagler from walking through his punches, he would, indeed, get run out of the ring.
MAYWEATHER vs. BENITEZ: It is very possible that Benitez’ defense was even better than Mayweather’s. It’s not for nothing that Wilfred’s nickname was “Radar.” On the other hand, Mayweather is a much better puncher than Benitez. That advantage would lead to a replay of Benitez’ bout with Leonard, in which Sugar Ray scored a stoppage in the last seconds of the fifteenth and final round. Still, like Leonard, Mayweather would miss a lot of punches along the way.
So, it looks like Mayweather would have done about as well as Pacquiao against these legends, though for different reasons. If Mayweather and Pacquiao don’t fight each other within the next year, boxing fans will be cheated out of a match that could very well be as good as any that took place during the Four Kings’ heyday.
In other words: Take the freakin’ blood test, Manny!
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