What does Floyd need to do to become "TBE"

[RespekonMyName]

There is no best ever. It's a totally subjective idea that's vulnerable to bias.

[SalimShady1212]

Now it's confirmed, maybe some of you have changed your opinion. /bump thread

[RawDawgHasSpokn]

He's certainly not TBE but its not fair to compare the opponents he faced/ could have faced to an era that had Hearns, Leonard, Hagler, Duran, Pryor. Its all fantasy. He dominated his era but what he did wrong was the way he acts. Peopl eand the media dislike him for the most part and that hurts a legacy the most. I hate the person but I love the skillset and say what you will but the sport needs the guy.

[fabie]

In my humble opinion, it's too late for his age now and would have been good in the early 2000s if he would quell all the questions if he fought all the purported fighters that he ducked and even climbed a notch weight-wise to challenge champions...

Now it is widely regarded that he is one of the most skillful...there's no question to that, he is technically sound, gifted and even awesome but, but, but because of that, then he has to go out of his way to test that against improbable opponents and not play-safe as what he does.

The TBE is a very subjective "title" to be given but for that to be "mandated" by experts, judges, peers and fans then he has to satisfy all levels. Sugar Ray Robinson was widely regarded as TBE if not Muhammad Ali or Joe Louis...not the "0". Because Rocky Marciano was undefeated but in the same token there are questions unanswered.

In other sports for example...Basketball, the KING is Michael Jordan and perhaps can be challenged by Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul Jabbar...in Golf, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus...and so on. It's arguable but there's a certain level of unanimous and universal agreement within all levels of the sports and the fans.

But with Mayweather, there's a polarizing figure here...marred by his own cherry-picking, too-few of fights, quality of fights, timing of fights, too-prizefighting-centric, and the fashion in the way he wins, via UD.

Now I can appreciate the fine art of pugilism...that's why I love watching Muhammad Ali, Willie Pep, Sugar Ray Leonard and of course the names I've mentioned above (thanks to youtube). But, but, but, with Mayweather, he is only cornering a certain NICHE, the defensive approach and counter-punching wizardry.

But that is again a NICHE. to be TBE, one must have a universal agreement to have a universal skill that encompasses all of the attributes from finesse, slugging, defense, OFFENSE, comeback fights (solving and coming back from oblivion and defeats), solving a jaggernaut opponent, and able to do it with such consistency over a long periods of time.

In that light, I really think he falls short of that. But that doesn't mean he is skimping in terms of his stature in the annals of boxing and pugilism. In fact he ranks HIGH on the skills and wizardry (not the "0").

Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers, for example, is regarded by many as the GOAT, greatest of all time PLAYER...not just the greatest WR but his demeanor, his talents, his work ethics and his championships TRANSCEND the position of the WR.

He is the face of football and perhaps rivaled only by Jim Brown and Walter Payton and Jim Thorpe, Jerry Rice owns the most "unbreakable" and meaningful records existing and while pulled away from the "second best" by a wide margin.

There's an undisputable and universal regards for him from the coaches, players, writers, fans and even those who doesn't like him (fans and players) still give their biggest respects towards him.

Back to Mayweather, the question of "what does he has to do inorder to be that most COVETED and MYTHICAL TITLE AND LABEL, TBE?", it's mightily too-late now. He is now aging and challenged by many and skills eroding gradually and wheels falling off...we can see it and not just coming from Freddie Roach and Bob Arum. hahaha....

He might have to settle with the BEST DEFENSIVE AND COUNTER PUNCHER of ALL TIME but then he might have to contend that with the argument against Whitaker and Willie Pep.

But that's no slouch at all...in my opinion (no matter how invalid for some who obviously knows more than me and more authoritative than me), in our generation he could be one of the best and SKILLFUL FIGHTER albeit untested.

[Dachozen1]

Mayweather never had to face a Thomas Hearns...Other than Zab Judah, I've rarely seen him face anyone who was young, had speed, and length. A Mayweather Paul Williams would've been great, but I heard he ducked him.

[DARKSEID]

It's too late. He can never be the best ever.

He wasted his prime by avoiding the best and taking vacations and early retirements.

Is he one of the greatest fighters I've ever seen in the ring? Absolutely. His skill and mastery at his prime were on a level that very few can match, but in boxing, your quality is measured by your opposition, that's a fact. Too many times you see fighters looking unstoppable against overmatched opponents and then they face a true contender and all of that goes out the window.

If he fought Margarito at his prime, Cotto At his prime, Paul Williams at his prime, Pacquiao at his prime, Mosley before he was shot, and he beat them all the same way he beat everybody else,

then you could absolutely make a case that he is the greatest fighter who ever lived, because he beat all the best that there were.

But he didn't do that.

[P.Esco]

Mayweather never had to face a Thomas Hearns...Other than Zab Judah, I've rarely seen him face anyone who was young, had speed, and length. A Mayweather Paul Williams would've been great, but I heard he ducked him.

just cause a guy calls you out and if you dont fight them its a duck? i guess the same goes for pacquiao, since paul williams was calling both of them out at the same time, but for some reason i never see anyone say pacquiao ducked williams or sergio

[MrTambourineMan]

Quantum Leap, Dr Sam Beckett style, into Sugar Ray Robinson's body.

[Ray Corso]

He is NOT a top ten welter so is he TBE? At 140 he would be able tpo compete in the top ten but he could be beaten by many fighters in that weight class throughout history.
Floyd has talent and skills but he is NOT a complete fighter, he hesitates to be agrssive he hasn't wortked in combination in years and his offense is simply incomplete compared to the greats in history.
Very good fighter, better at the lower weights but brings little power and his style
for the past 7 years is a bore.

Soon he'll retire and the new blood will give boxing a fresh look, can't wait.
Ray