This why no superstar have been made next to pac and floyd

[kiDynamite92]

Ngl, the best in the welterweight division nowadays is such a massive step down from what it was 10 years ago. Floyd and Manny set the bar very high and the guys of today are just so average.

[B.U.R.N.E.R]

Thats because they arent that skilled. These fighters today are several levels below a Prime Floyd or Prime Pac and it shows.

[brettWall]

It's why they improve at a snail's pace, if they improve at all.

No way they'll improve by the rate they're fighting.

[soul_survivor]

Because every breakthrough fight that gets made they just fail to step it up! When the whole world is watching the better guy would rather play it safe than grab greatness! Thurman won, but could he have done better? Esp in the championship rounds? Yes! Compare how pacquiao demolish barrera, or floyd to corrales to this sorry ass fights when they had their golden opportunities. Canelo-cotto, the supposed younger hungrier bigger guy decided to box the old one instead of making a statement. Rigo-donaire, lara-Canelo.

If you dont know what im talking about then you dont know prizefighting.

Why not fight as hard as you could. Hook all the casuals. Live up to the hype. Earn all that money. Earn that driver seat. I know all the great ones first did.

Backpedalling in the championship rounds to the smaller guy whom you claimed you're going to hurt is just off.

i used to be here regularly, and now seeing these young guns making demands and diva moves before doing impressive stuffs first and earning their spots is plain bs.

Its the social media era, and promotion is way easier than ever. But none of these guys can make 1m ppv buys which 1990 fighters can even do.

I'll be hated for this, and cong**** for making this fight happen, but just a thought.

I agree with the Pac comparison. He made a name for himself by knocking out legends or dominating them in brutal fashion. Saditic almost.

WIth Mayweather, it was due to the persona he created, in particular with relation to the DLH fight that shot him off into being a genuine star. Also, the association with Pac for half a decade helped...them both.

Mayweather certainly didn't become a star due to in ring performances.

[soul_survivor]

I will also talk about another problem, a far bigger problem. Fighters no longer prove their stripes as prospects and contenders.

[Dr Rumack]

I will also talk about another problem, a far bigger problem. Fighters no longer prove their stripes as prospects and contenders.

Garcia and Thurman were both 'champions' because they beat that welterweight legend, Robert Guerrero. That says a lot about what's wrong with the sport right there.

[soul_survivor]

Garcia and Thurman were both 'champions' because they beat that welterweight legend, Robert Guerrero. That says a lot about what's wrong with the sport right there.

lol

well the guy was a great threat to Mayweather once

Anyway, joking aside, you're right, that's the problem. Ali was only a 20 fight novice when he fought Liston for the first world title and yet in those 20 ifghts, he had been KD, traveled to another country, fought a faded legend and genuine punchers.

I remember an interview from Dundee one time that every fight from the moment he turned pro to 1964 was built towards Ali fighting either Patterson or Liston eventually. They had a plan. They were not looking to get a cheap title and keep ah old of it or build towards being a ppv star etc etc etc. It helped that none of those things existed back then lol

I remember reading the same hwen it comes to Leonard. Or about Holyfield's cruiser to heavy journey.

Fighters are now brought up through a system in the US designed to sell them purely as products and ecah product needs a selling point. The "0" is the most powerful and then beyond that its getting a world title, no matter how menaingless the term "world" or "champion" now means.

There are very few fighters brought up in a system where they have to earn their stripes, the excepitons being Khan, Bradley, Maidana, GGG, Kovalev, Froch, DeGale (guy had to fight in bloody hsoping centers after the groves loss lol) and a few others. Very few.

[JakeTheBoxer]

Guys just build their careers too slow...They fight twice a year like they are already superstars..

[NEETzsche]

Garcia and Thurman were both 'champions' because they beat that welterweight legend, Robert Guerrero. That says a lot about what's wrong with the sport right there.

Yeah, in another era last night's fight would've been for the NABF

Too many participation prizes in boxing these days, they have saturated the market

[Dr Rumack]

Guys just build their careers too slow...They fight twice a year like they are already superstars..

It's the business model we're stuck with right now. There are a small number of opportunities to make money, namely the HBO/Showtime slots. Those slots are limited and have to be rationed out to a large number of fighters who are chasing them. Once guys get those slots, they are happy to take 'the right fight' every 8-9 months, rather than take smaller money to fight more frequently and risk losing.

The worst thing about it for the fans is that many of those fights aren't even significant. If you see a guy in one meaningful fight a year then that's about all you can expect.

It would be nice to think that it will change. The match-ups this year have been positive. A noticeable shift from 2014-16. If the Thurman can face the winner of Brook-Spence quickly then at least the welterweight division will finally be cutting to the point. Rather than drifting along with this bubble of enthusiasm about a 'talent packed division' filled with guys who won't take risks.