ESPN Ranks Floyd Mayweather As The Best Fighter Of The Last 25 Years

[hugh grant]

Floyd wants to be goat, but he's fighting life and death to convince people he's the best of recent times.
Rjj beat prime BH, toney and win a heavyweight title. That's better than anything Floyd did. PAC of course was a good win but coming of career ending loss to jmm takes a lot off the win. PAC was gun shy against Floyd.

But well done Floyd for winning ESPN, but yioud lose many others obviously, so hats off to you

[IronDanHamza]

Floyd wants to be goat, but he's fighting life and death to convince people he's the best of recent times.
Rjj beat prime BH, toney and win a heavyweight title. That's better than anything Floyd did. PAC of course was a good win but coming of career ending loss to jmm takes a lot off the win. PAC was gun shy against Floyd.

But well done Floyd for winning ESPN, but yioud lose many others obviously, so hats off to you

He's actually not fighting hard at all.

Pretty much every list of this kind has Floyd as the #1 of this era.

Get used to it.

[!! Shawn]

I don't think anybody with any common sense could disagree, except fans of a certain fighter who are still depressed.

I could see a case for Roy Jones at his peak though but for an overall career, going 19 years undefeated and still being on top at nearly 40, i'd have to say Floyd deserves it.

If you want to argue based on Longevity. Hopkins has beaten more great fighters in their prime, for an incredibly long time. Not only that, he has been at or near the top p4p for that entire time. Think about it.

Also, if you say the last 25 years, that brings in fighters like Pernell Whitaker, who was at his peak in 1994. Is Floyd better than Whitaker? Look what Whitaker did to his Pacquiao... JCC Sr. He fought him in his prime, and humiliated him.

Could Floyd have ever beaten Roy Jones Jr in his prime? No.
Did Floyd have a better Career? Its debatable. Welterweight hads more marquee names, it always has, but in terms of accomplishments of opponents. Hopkins, Toney, McCallum, Hill, Tarver, plus a slew of other future and former champions. The same kind of resume Floyd had.

Only difference is Roy looked like most physically undefeatable fighter to ever step in the ring.

[Zaroku]

Floyd wants to be goat, but he's fighting life and death to convince people he's the best of recent times.
Rjj beat prime BH, toney and win a heavyweight title. That's better than anything Floyd did. PAC of course was a good win but coming of career ending loss to jmm takes a lot off the win. PAC was gun shy against Floyd.

But well done Floyd for winning ESPN, but yioud lose many others obviously, so hats off to you

Too salty! God save the Queen, but you ain't no Brit!

[Zaroku]

Mosley ran from Pacquiao. Went forward against Mayweather and Alvarez. Phenomenal.

Both Floyd and Mayweather have a below 60% k0 ratio!!!

If you add in the times PAC got knocked out.... He has been in more fights that ended in KO's, even when He got KOed!

[Zaroku]

Little boys like you ruin a boxing forum with kiddy spam , go find another hero yours has been beaten and stiffened too many times he dont even belong in the same conversation as Mayweather and Roy Jones .

You got him nailed down!

[!! Shawn]

Roy's speed and reflexes were superior, but in terms of fundamentals and technique Floyd was superior. In my opinion.

In terms of fundamentals Hokpins is better than both of them, as is Finito Lopez.

Both Mayweather and Jones were able to do things because of athletic ability. Being able to rely on a pull counter, is not fundamentally sound boxing. That is relying on reflexes and is an unothodox skill.

Roy had more unorthodox skills than Floyd, and he was able to get away with more because of that.

Either way, Roy still beat better opposition Prime for Prime. Toney Hokpins, McCallum, Virgil Hill.

[!! Shawn]

I don't think Roy was more talented, he was just more exciting, and the only reason for that is because he didn't have hand issues like Floyd.

Floyd wanted to be that kind of fighter too but people round here don't seem to remember that. He even got rid of his dad and chose his uncle to train him instead so that they can focus more on offense than defense.

However, after getting into trouble in numerous fights that he was easily dominating because he broke/fractured his hand on the opponent's face, he had to change his style and become more conservative.

Otherwise Floyd and Roy are exactly the same level of talent, the other just didn't have hand issues and also, surprisingly enough, because of that advantage in his prime, he didn't work on or develop his standing defense (his defense was only through movement and agility and he suffered when his speed and reflexes slowed) and ended paying for it later in his career. (By standing defense I mean slipping punches while standing right in front of the opponent in the pocket and blocking punches, Roy Jones seemed to have no idea how to block punches, which of course he never needed in his prime but payed for it later on, guy fought mostly with his hands down from start to finish, whereas Floyd only starts doing that when he has his timing down or later in the fight when the opponent tires.)

Anyway, like I said, it terms of raw talent (speed, footwork, reflexes, timing, agility, instinct, reaction time, etc ect), yeah they are cut from the same cloth.

Ps. Watch these videos on youtube, one is called Roy Jones can't be touched, and the other is called Mayweather Defensive Genius. You'll see what I mean.

Roy had hand issues and took several fights with a broken hand.

[!! Shawn]

No way you can put Roy over Manny, no way..Manny accomplished much much more and had a wayyy better resume......People get to hyped over Roys flash and ignore the fact he was doing it against nobodies....Toney was a damn good win but after that who was he fighting?

Manny accomplished more than anyone of the last 25 years. Thats not questionable.

His resume is the stuff of legends.

He is not a better fighter than Roy Jones. Id never pick Manny to beat Roy.

[!! Shawn]

I don't know guys, prime for prime, I think Floyd is the more complete fighter between him and Roy. Huge Roy fan, but I think we're getting caught up in a big man vs little man comparison. The bigger guy is more relatable, he's closer to our size, he's easier to digest, you know the severity of damage he inflicted on guys at the size. Floyd being a smaller guy, it's easy to look him over. Floyd at 130 is the greatest fighter to ever live in my opinion. He had EVERYTHING.

Roy fought at 154. Could the schooled vetran Mayweather have beaten Roy Jones who fought at 154lb?