Did Mayweather fight the best in his era?

[ßringer]

I didn't say i feel like he didn't win. He really won that fight, boxed his ass off for 7 rounds and then literally got on his bicycle. He didn't bob and weave and make him miss. he back pedaled for 5 rounds, now all-time greats really don't do that. I'm glad u agree with Hagler-Leonard, and notice there never was a rematch. I love Leonard, he and mayweather are one and the same, their styles are very much alike, SRL had more power but Floyd has better defense and better control of the ring I think, but other than that they are 1 and the same. with that said, I can't say he beat Hagler.

I can't begin to tell you how many people I've argued over the Leonard/Hagler outcome. Hagler owned Leonard almost the entire fight, he just kept coming and applying pressure. Ray was clearly wearing down and only fought maybe half of every round, if that. Sometimes he just flurried to steal the round in the last 5-10 seconds.

To this day, that is one of the outcomes in the sport that pisses me off most

[small_warrior]

corrales is one dimensional and was overated
castillo is the best opponent floyd has fought and he lost the first fight imo
chavez was nothing special
gatti was shot and was alway overated
judah again overated
badomir too slow and overated and we all knew mayweather would beat him with ease

castillo is the best fighter he has fought at that was way back at 135, floyd needs to step up to the challange and fight hatton or cotto who are both better than everyone you mentioned aside from castillo

so no he hasn't fought the best, far from it but he has these last few years of his career to prove me wrong by starting to fight the recognised bests at 140 and 147

Every fighter floyd fought is overrated for you, don't talk if you now nothing about boxing. Floyd is the best pound 4 pound

[DiegoFuego]

Hatton turned down Mayweather twice; therefore, Hatton is a *****. I won't care if Mayweather doesn't fight him at this point because Floyd is going to 154 and Hatton is going to 140. Not fair to make Mayweather come down again. Hatton wussed out so be mad at him, not Floyd.

[jai mari078]

Take a look at the 2 guys that I would consider as having most right to lay claim to "one of the greats"

In recent history I would look at Sugar Ray Leanord, and Oscar De La Hoya.

Sugar Ray - I mean comeon, the guy fought Tommy Hearns when Hearns was as deadly as the come, he fought Duran, he fought Marvin Hagler. Who were all world class opposition, not just good fighters, but all of them were great in their own right. Duran won over 100 fights, Hagler only lost 1 time in is Career, and Hearns (though his body and chin were somehwat questionable) was just a devestating puncher, I mean he ended Duran in a couple rounds.

De La Hoya has fought so many world champions, former world champions, it's not even funny. He fought Sugar Shane Mosley when Sugar was the PFP, He fought Tito when Tito was the only other best boxer out there, if you look at the records of guys he fought that could be considered not good boxers, or over the hill (i.e. Jesus Chavez was 99-1 I think when he fought De la Hoya), and Gatti only had one loss at the time he fought De la Hoya. He fought Bernard Hopkins.

Both men choose to fight the best regardless of what weight class they were in, who it was, or how great their opposition might be.

They also commanded the money for those fights. PBF only fights for the money, both Sugar and Oscar were capable of generating the money for fights with great fighters regardless of whether the other fighters could generate enough. Because both were good at public relations, which PBF is terrible at.

It's exactly why he never could generate as much money as both those guys did for their fights. He has just merely above average pay-per view buys when other fighters turn in outstanding numbers of buy.

I will say this. He hasn't exactly had the same level of greats available to fight him. Sugar and Oscar fought in environments where there were really good fighters available.

I often wonder if he should have stayed down in weight or even lower weight.

He could have had a shot at Pacman, Morrales, or Berrera. (I think they fought at 126 and 130 right?)

Didn't PBF used to fight at 135? (I am rusty on his career in the early days)

I mean, if you look at it there are quite a few fights he might have been able to make earlier in his career I would have liked to have seen.

Tito could have fought him at 147, that might have been entertaining.
Kyosk Tzu, he didn't ever opt for a fight with the Mad Russian when he had dominated at 140 for since forever till Hatton showed he was human.

I will give him the fact that he fought Diego Corrales when Diego was just crazy strong at that weight. And he beat him soundly. Also fougth Castillo, though Castillo is not what I would call great, just kinda good.

He has the opportunity now, to show some things at Welterweight.

There are a lot of good fighters out there. Cotto, Hatton, De lay Hoya, Sugar Shane.

He needs to close the show with 3 good fights next year against top, TOP, opponents and that will show me and a few others that he is "one of the greats"

Right now, to me. He is just best of the current breed. But not one of the best of all times.

Excellent post. You make outstanding points. I have been saying the same thing for quite some time now. Props to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jai mari078]

oscar delahoys would never be considered an all time great for his boxing but more for his following. Oscar did face just about everybody, but didn't win and that is why he will never be an alltime great. SRL did fight Hearns when Hearns was the Detroit Cobra, no doubt. He also fought Duran twice and was one and one. The fight he won, he did exactly what Floyd does today and that is stick and move and counter and outmaneuver your opponents. When he fought Hagler, that fight was long overdue. hagler was not the same Hagler and still SRL only chose to engage with hagler in the last min. with Flurries. Basically he ran and stole rounds at the end.

Your right Oscar didn't win every fight, but at that time there were so many good fighters that they all fought and beat each other. He may not have won every fight but he never backed down from anyone. Floyd doesn't have fighters on his resume with the noteability of the Quarteys,Titos,Mosley,even Vargas. If you notiice none of those fighter stayed undefeated because they all faught each other and were always fighthing elite opposition. They won some and lost some but they all never backed down from anyone or gave reasons why this fighter wasn't worhty or this fighter isn't well known enough. Until Oscar fought Quartey only hard core fans knew who he was, the casual fan had no clue who Quartey was. Oscar fought him when he was undefeated and took a very risky fight. It was high risk and low reward but he still took the fight. Shane and Tito did the same thing when they took on Winky as did Vargas when he fought Tito, he was young upcoming undefeated but he took the fight knowing how risky it was. All these guys all took the chances and all the risky fights and never gave reasons why they wouldn't fight. I hate Tito but he moved up and fought B-Hop and lost but I have to give him props for taking that fight as did Oscar moving up to weight he didn't belong fighting B-Hop, he lost but he was man enough to take the risk and ther is no shame in losing to probably one of the greatest middleweights of all time. Floyd need to show that he is willing to take the same kind of risks.

[MaYaN_SuN]

He has the chance to fight the best in his era, but he chooses not to. I mean he's only been in the ring with one guy that had natural talent and that was Zab, and he gave him problems early. And why didn't a Zab and Floyd take place before Zab fell off? Anyways, the DeLaHoya's and Trinidads, the Hopkins and the Wrights never held back...They got in the ring with the fastest and hardest hitters. No question Floyd handled the Gatti's and the Baldomirs lol, but he's still got plenty of life in his step and he's satisfied with that? Like really satisfied with that and ready to retire? Am I in the twighlight zone or isnt that kind of weak?

[wmute]

The Judah vs. Mayweather fight lost it's luster after the loss to Baldomir. Judah always had A class talent but never had the mental toughness to do anything with it. Everytome he fought elite opposition he would melt down. Judah has a glass jaw and is not an A class opposition, he has all the tools but without the mental toughness that doesn't mean ****.

1. how does that answer my post?

2. thank you for your opinion on Judah. who would you rate higher at 147? Margarito? Williams? lol...

[TheHoff'sGhost]

Every fighter floyd fought is overrated for you, don't talk if you now nothing about boxing. Floyd is the best pound 4 pound

11 posts, nice try alt and get floyd's **** out of your mouth!

[wmute]

Excellent post. You make outstanding points. I have been saying the same thing for quite some time now. Props to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

isnt it telling that you have been saying the same thing as someone who doesnt even now in what weight class floyd fought? somoene who thinks Hagler has one loss on his record?

[cortdawg25]

Your right Oscar didn't win every fight, but at that time there were so many good fighters that they all fought and beat each other. He may not have won every fight but he never backed down from anyone. Floyd doesn't have fighters on his resume with the noteability of the Quarteys,Titos,Mosley,even Vargas. If you notiice none of those fighter stayed undefeated because they all faught each other and were always fighthing elite opposition. They won some and lost some but they all never backed down from anyone or gave reasons why this fighter wasn't worhty or this fighter isn't well known enough. Until Oscar fought Quartey only hard core fans knew who he was, the casual fan had no clue who Quartey was. Oscar fought him when he was undefeated and took a very risky fight. It was high risk and low reward but he still took the fight. Shane and Tito did the same thing when they took on Winky as did Vargas when he fought Tito, he was young upcoming undefeated but he took the fight knowing how risky it was. All these guys all took the chances and all the risky fights and never gave reasons why they wouldn't fight. I hate Tito but he moved up and fought B-Hop and lost but I have to give him props for taking that fight as did Oscar moving up to weight he didn't belong fighting B-Hop, he lost but he was man enough to take the risk and ther is no shame in losing to probably one of the greatest middleweights of all time. Floyd need to show that he is willing to take the same kind of risks.

All those people he took risks against actually fought in hte ring. That is what you are leaving out, they fighters fought in the ring and beat people. Everybody Floyd has fought in the last 3 yrs have fought and beat somebody in the ring. Why take a chance on Margarito when he hasn't earned it.