Comments Thread For: Leonard-Hearns: Anniversary Still Elicits Special Memories

[TLC8]

I've always said Mayweather is an ATG fighter. And I was a fan of his for over 10 years. He beats the Curry/Starling/Honeygan era fighters. Doesn't beat a prime Oscar and hard to say if he beats a Whitaker or Trinidad though I believe he beats Trinidad. He ranks below a number of welterweights per that division over the course of history which is not a bad thing. He never fought an ATG welterweight but his body of work over several divisions earns him ATG status.

Floyd doesn't beat Trinidad nor would he have ever gotten in the ring with him. Floyd would say the problem is Don King. Floyd would say Trinidad has unfinished business with Hopkins. Floyd would say he's not using Everlasting MX gloves. Floyd would say he doesn't get PPV %. Floyd would say Trinidad won't agree to daily drug testing. The truth of the matter is Floyd is matched in speed and Trinidad had polarizing power, and that's too much risk for Floyd to assume. If Floyd won't fight Pacquiao, he's not fighting Leonard, Hearns, Hagler, Duran, Pryor, Arguello, or Trinidad, nor would he fight Ike Quartey. Those guys hurt you. Fans still talk about all those legendary fights Leonard, Hearns, Pryor, Hagler, Duran all had to this day. Nobody talks about any fights Floyd has ever had. That tells you all you need to know.

[Amgwanagitbuti]

Fans still talk about all those legendary fights Leonard, Hearns, Pryor, Hagler, Duran all had to this day. Nobody talks about any fights Floyd has ever had.

IMO this single criterion eliminates Floyd as TBE.

[richardt]

Floyd doesn't beat Trinidad nor would he have ever gotten in the ring with him. Floyd would say the problem is Don King. Floyd would say Trinidad has unfinished business with Hopkins. Floyd would say he's not using Everlasting MX gloves. Floyd would say he doesn't get PPV %. Floyd would say Trinidad won't agree to daily drug testing. The truth of the matter is Floyd is matched in speed and Trinidad had polarizing power, and that's too much risk for Floyd to assume. If Floyd won't fight Pacquiao, he's not fighting Leonard, Hearns, Hagler, Duran, Pryor, Arguello, or Trinidad, nor would he fight Ike Quartey. Those guys hurt you. Fans still talk about all those legendary fights Leonard, Hearns, Pryor, Hagler, Duran all had to this day. Nobody talks about any fights Floyd has ever had. That tells you all you need to know.

And that's what concerns me about Floyd. Floyd HAS to be the A side and he got that way from his big ego and paydays but I wonder how he would have been able to call the shots in an era with many stars around him. He wouldn't. He couldn't call the shots with an older Oscar, let alone a young Oscar or the Leonard, Hearns, Duran era. He might be a star at 140 but with greater stars at 147, he would have had to bow down to their demands in order to get the big fights.

[TLC8]

And that's what concerns me about Floyd. Floyd HAS to be the A side and he got that way from his big ego and paydays but I wonder how he would have been able to call the shots in an era with many stars around him. He wouldn't. He couldn't call the shots with an older Oscar, let alone a young Oscar or the Leonard, Hearns, Duran era. He might be a star at 140 but with greater stars at 147, he would have had to bow down to their demands in order to get the big fights.

He wouldn't have called the shots with anyone but for the division he chose to stay at; probably 140, and yet he'd still have to give in to Pryor & Arguello who both would have eaten Floyd's lunch. He'd never have a leg to stand on at '47, would never have climbed in the ring with any of them, would have avoided Pryor & Arguello and beaten up other guys like Bramble, Honeyghan & Mancini, and the like. His career would have been cut in half as well, at the very least in half. There would have been none of this 19 years crap, he would have had to cross paths with Pernell Whitaker, Macho Camacho, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. in his prime, and Donald Curry. So it would not have been a cakewalk, and with limited options at 135/140, Floyd would be forced to fight some of those guys that could match your speed, your defense, and they hit harder than Floyd. So there would have been no undefeated record in that era. Today he's a big fish in a depleted pond with 6-8 organizations and 4-5 belts in each division, plenty to strategically pick from, hence you can plan for a longer career. He has no career at 147/154 back in that era, and at 140, his career is shortened by half along with 3 or 4 defeats or so.