ATG Fighters: Remove Some Career-Defining Opponents & They're No Longer ATG?

[FlatLine]

Certain fights define "great" fighters. If you took away those fights, because those opponents avoided fighting them, would those fighters still be considered Great, would they just generally be considered as above-average boxers... or perhaps they might not even remembered at all and be relegated to the dark corners of history?

Case in point: Amir Khan. In broad daylight for the world to see, Khan chased both Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao for years, attempting to secure fights with what are considered ATG fighters but both of these boxers outright refused to face Khan because of the magnitude of the task at hand.

As a result, Khan was denied his opportunity to prove he was good enough to compete with, and indeed beat, two of the top ATG fighters of his generation.

Now where would Ali stand if he was avoided by Frazier and Foreman?

Where would Sugar Ray stand if he was avoided by Duran, Hearns and Hagler?

Where does Mayweather stand if he's avoided by De La Hoya, Pacquiao, Corrales?

How about Calzaghe if he's avoided by the legendary Roy Jones Jr, and the legendary Bernard Hopkins?

What about Ward if he's avoided by Froch and Kessler?

Tyson if he's avoided by Holmes and Spinks?

Lewis if he's avoided by Tyson, Holyfield and Vitali?

The transformation to how their careers pan out and how they might be remembered in history could be fairly dramatic to say the least!

Now you surely see the dilemma at hand. Which other fighters would be effected in the same way, in terms of public perception of their "greatness", if they were avoided by some of their career-defining opponents the same way Khan has been avoided by Mayweather and Pacquiao..

What you got..?

[Tedkidlewis]

Aaron Pryor if he had been avoided by Alexis Arguello

[b00g13man]

STFU already OP.

[Real King Kong]

Certain fights define "great" fighters. If you took away those fights, because those opponents avoided fighting them, would those fighters still be considered Great, would they just generally be considered as above-average boxers... or perhaps they might not even remembered at all and be relegated to the dark corners of history?

Case in point: Amir Khan. In broad daylight for the world to see, Khan chased both Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao for years, attempting to secure fights with what are considered ATG fighters but both of these boxers outright refused to face Khan because of the magnitude of the task at hand.

As a result, Khan was denied his opportunity to prove he was good enough to compete with, and indeed beat, two of the top ATG fighters of his generation.

Now where would Ali stand if he was avoided by Frazier and Foreman?

Where would Sugar Ray stand if he was avoided by Duran, Hearns and Hagler?

Where does Mayweather stand if he's avoided by De La Hoya, Pacquiao, Corrales?

How about Calzaghe if he's avoided by the legendary Roy Jones Jr, and the legendary Bernard Hopkins?

What about Ward if he's avoided by Froch and Kessler?

Tyson if he's avoided by Holmes and Spinks?

Lewis if he's avoided by Tyson, Holyfield and Vitali?

The transformation to how their careers pan out and how they might be remembered in history could be fairly dramatic to say the least!

Now you surely see the dilemma at hand. Which other fighters would be effected in the same way, in terms of public perception of their "greatness", if they were avoided by some of their career-defining opponents the same way Khan has been avoided by Mayweather and Pacquiao..

What you got..?

It looked an interesting topic until you introduced the notion of amir khan being an atg.

[FlatLine]

It looked an interesting topic until you introduced the notion of amir khan being an atg.

You missed the point, I'm saying Khan has been denied the opportunity to prove that he's an ATG. He hasn't proven it yet. But what happens if those other boxers mentioned were denied their opportunities in the same way?

Khan is not the main focus of the thread but the most relevant and prolific example today of this sort of scenario happening to a boxer.

[FlatLine]

STFU already OP.

Over 16s only in this thread so go upstairs, tidy your room and do your homework.

[daggum]

well if calzaghe never fought roy jones his career would actually be more respectable.

[daggum]

You missed the point, I'm saying Khan has been denied the opportunity to prove that he's an ATG. He hasn't proven it yet. But what happens if those other boxers mentioned were denied their opportunities in the same way?

Khan is not the main focus of the thread but the most relevant and prolific example today of this sort of scenario happening to a boxer.

khan has not earned the opportunity to fight them. the last couple years his resume has been abysmal and he just got a debatable win over chris algeiri. if he beat a top guy like brook then he would earn his shot but he's avoided that fight for a year and a half now. many top guys wanted to face him and the winner would have gotten a big fight but khan wanted to take easy fights and hope his "popularity" which doesnt exist in the states would earn him the fight. it was a gamble that failed.

[FlatLine]

khan has not earned the opportunity to fight them. the last couple years his resume has been abysmal and he just got a debatable win over chris algeiri. if he beat a top guy like brook then he would earn his shot but he's avoided that fight for a year and a half now. many top guys wanted to face him and the winner would have gotten a big fight but khan wanted to take easy fights and hope his "popularity" which doesnt exist in the states would earn him the fight. it was a gamble that failed.

Khan has earned his opportunity, he's a two time former world champ. You guys just change the goalposts as you go along. 7 of Khan's last 9 fights have been against former world champions or active world champions. That's 7 of the last 9 fights. He's fought most of those fights away from home on enemy territory. His record is far superior to Brook's.

Brook's claim to fame is beating Shawn Porter. That's the single good opponent Brook has ever fought. Porter is about the same level as a prime Julio Diaz. Khan beat Julio Diaz the first time they fought while Porter got a Draw with Diaz and in fact most people thought he clearly lost that first fight. Brook imitated Diaz gameplan against Porter and threw in excessive clinching to seal the deal.

Khan has earned his right to fight Floyd and Manny more than Rios, Algieri, Maidana, Berto, Ortiz and many other opponents of their's. You dudes just seem to change the goalposts specifically for Khan, it's like there's one rule for Khan and another rule for everyone else. It's time we end this strange double standard starting from today because it's kind of odd to have to deal with on a regular basis from you chumps. Stop your bull****.

[daggum]

Khan has earned his opportunity, he's a two time former world champ. You guys just change the goalposts as you go along. 7 of Khan's last 9 fights have been against former world champions or active world champions. That's 7 of the last 9 fights. He's fought most of those fights away from home on enemy territory. His record is far superior to Brook's.

Brook's claim to fame is beating Shawn Porter. That's the single good opponent Brook has ever fought. Porter is about the same level as a prime Julio Diaz. Khan beat Julio Diaz the first time they fought while Porter got a Draw with Diaz and in fact most people thought he clearly lost that first fight. Brook imitated Diaz gameplan against Porter and threw in excessive clinching to seal the deal.

Khan has earned his right to fight Floyd and Manny more than Rios, Algieri, Maidana, Berto, Ortiz and many other opponents of their's. You dudes just seem to change the goalposts specifically for Khan, it's like there's one rule for Khan and another rule for everyone else. It's time we end this strange double standard starting from today because it's kind of odd to have to deal with on a regular basis from you chumps. Stop your bull****.

just because some other fighters were given unwarranted shots doesn't mean khan should get an unwarranted shot as well. is that truly your argument? his resume isn't good enough for him to put pressure on the best fighters and make them fight him. he can wait for a shot that he doesn't deserve and maybe he will get that shot, but he doesn't deserve anything. just like berto didn't deserve to fight floyd. but he was lucky and got the call. if khan is lucky he might get the call, but relying on luck is a bad strategy imo. proving it in the ring would have been better but he would have done that by now if he had any confidence in beating good figthers.