The Great Floyd Mayweather, Jr: 49-0, Is He The Best Ever?

[elmersalsa]

Is Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather, Jr, the best ever fighter pound per pound s all-time?

With an unbeaten record of 49-0, he believes he is. What's your take on that? Is he The Best Ever?

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Is Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather, Jr, the best ever fighter pound per pound s all-time?

With an unbeaten record of 49-0, he believes he is. What's your take on that? Is he The Best Ever?

I think he was one guy that dominated at the higher weight's he fought in especially Welterweight but he is NOT TBE

[Controversial]

Not for me. You have to admire his achievements, longevity. record and record breaking stats but was too cautious for my liking. It can be argued he picked his moments to fight certain guys too. For the boxing purests he encapsulated the boxing mantra of hitting without being hit but he often only done just enough to win a fight which wasn't always great viewing.

[klompton]

Not even close.

[cfang]

Not even close.

[elmersalsa]

Where would you rate him pound per pound all time? In the top 20, 15, 10 or 5? Or is he the best?

I know he is one of the best jr lightweights ever. And probably, right now, one of the best welterweights ever. Do you agree?

In my book, he could be a top 15. Or a top 10. Not a top 5.

[Jacopodb]

Where would you rate him pound per pound all time? In the top 20, 15, 10 or 5? Or is he the best?

I know he is one of the best jr lightweights ever. And probably, right now, one of the best welterweights ever. Do you agree?

In my book, he could be a top 15. Or a top 10. Not a top 5.

IMHO, Floyd Mayweather jr. should be only second to Sugar Ray Robinson ( ) in a p4p greatest list. That said, Sugar Ray had already the height and reach of the usual natural middleweight, so he could've benefited from that in a fantasy match... But Floyd wouldn't be easy work even for SRR in a match at welterweight.

Detractors say that Floyd ducked prime Pacquiao (he was always younger than Jr., wasn't he?), and a bunch of others quite forgettable, in a usual p4p all-time greatest list.

Haters said he was boring (???), and crybabies called him "Gayweather" or something: when someone is hated so much, being just a boxer and not quite any Adolf Hitler, much of that hate should come from envy or fear.

He was without the shadow of a doubt the best boxer active in the 21st century so far, to say the least. As far as I know, Floyd's defensive technique is unmatched, and his overall ring smarts and picture perfect punches are only surpassed by SRR's.

Other threats to him could've been the quite old (how much technique and game tactics have bettered since his age?), but fearless Harry Greb (is he perhaps underrated..?), or more arguably Henry Armstrong: but were they enough fit, refined and sophisticated as the hard-working, dedicated Floyd?

I can't really know if what I wrote is plain stereotyped common place, or actual common sense. You may judge. Gentlemen...

[Onetimeonly]

He and pac ducked each other. Manny's aversion to drug testing I believe was what stopped it initially. I'd have him at least in the top 30, maybe top 20. I'll tell you someone he couldn't beat in a million. Years...Tommy hearns.

[Jacopodb]

He and pac ducked each other. Manny's aversion to drug testing I believe was what stopped it initially. I'd have him at least in the top 30, maybe top 20. I'll tell you someone he couldn't beat in a million. Years...Tommy hearns.

Good point: a great power puncher which could keep the distance thanks to his reach advantage and a sharp jab... But could that be enough against Floyd's elusive defense and shoulder rolls? How really great was Hearns' defense?

[DrDuke]

He's very high in ATG list, but he's not the best ever. Thomas Hearns could have outboxed Floyd. Prime Leonard couldn't outbox Hearns, Mayweather wouldn't be able either. Here Floyd would have had a hope only in ability to deliver clean shots and rocking chinny Hearns. Leonard would have handled him too. As well as Duran. The likes of Benitez, Griffith, Curry, Whitaker would have been at least tough calls for him. And actually today I see Crawford as a possible guy to surpass Floyd's achievements. Skill-wise he doesn't look worse for the moment.

[Onetimeonly]

He and pac ducked each other. Manny's aversion to drug testing I believe was what stopped it initially. I'd have him at least in the top 30, maybe top 20. I'll tell you someone he couldn't beat in a million. Years...Tommy hearns.

Good point: a great power puncher which could keep the distance thanks to his reach advantage and a sharp jab... But could that be enough against Floyd's elusive defense and shoulder rolls? How really great was Hearns' defense?

Hearns would just outbox him. Tommy never lost a fight without sending the winner to the er. Floyd is tougher than he gets credit for, but to win that fight he'd have to go through hell. I don't see him walking through it like Leonard or hagler. Hearns wasn't on Floyd's level defensively, but his speed, jab and dimensions made him hard to catch. Especially if he wasn't trying to take you out. He outboxed benitez, he was as elusive as they come. Duran didn't land a punch.

[Jacopodb]

Ok, that pretty much made my way through.

Probably the fact that Floyd Jr. is so high on boxrec's rating and the fact that he was never seriously tested by any of his opponents (same goes for Marciano, f. ex. : they have a similar record, and neither of them was put in serious trouble, despite Marciano had to withstand that ugly nose injury...), biased me a little bit.

The boxers you named above, the four great welterweights/middleweights of the eighties, were "luckier" than Floyd Jr. on getting the opposition they deserved: that should sound more like an alarm bell than some may think: we never knew what Floyd Jr. was really capable of.

[Jacopodb]

I still think somehow that if Jr. had been tested like Hearns had been, and if he had to withstand that kind of preparation (both psychological and physical, and tactical of course...), he would have been able to pick from a vast spectrum of resources that lie in his dedication to the sport, great intuition, and unmatched ring smarts.

[Jacopodb]

You have to count in the fact that Mayweather Jr. laced up his boxing gloves first at age three, and had a former professional boxing father, and two former champion uncles anyway, which he could gather from. Hearns didn't have that advantage.

[Onetimeonly]

More people thought Castillo won their first fight than Floyd. I had it a draw. He damn sure was tested. Marciano was getting torn apart by Walcott, he was minutes from sure defeat. I think Floyd's opposition is undervalued. There were also times when guys like Mosley, manny & cotto were the reason the fights didn't happen. His domination of canelo keeps looking better. That being said I'd have Duran, Leonard and Tommy ahead of him(this one is pretty close) and Floyd clearly ahead of benitez. I'd have all of them well ahead of Marciano. Rock would be more in the calzaghe range for me. Floyd is a few tiers above that.

[Jacopodb]

[Onetimeonly]

You have to count in the fact that Mayweather Jr. laced up his boxing gloves first at age three, and had a former professional boxing father, and two former champion uncles anyway, which he could gather from. Hearns didn't have that advantage.

Floyd's dad was a crackhead who caused more disruption than anything. They've gone years without speaking. I think Tommy could draw on his experience of fighting Leonard, hagler, duran and benitez and he'd be OK. Emmanuel steward wasn't half bad himself. FYI, Jeff never won a title

[Jacopodb]

You have to count in the fact that Mayweather Jr. laced up his boxing gloves first at age three, and had a former professional boxing father, and two former champion uncles anyway, which he could gather from. Hearns didn't have that advantage.

FYI, Jeff never won a title

Not a major one... IBO stuff. But thanks anyway.

[Duran1970]

Can't be the best ever when he's not even the best of his generation

[cfang]

I notice 3 years ago I posted a thumbs up to a not even close from klompton. Not sure I agree now. Floyd has to be top ten. My list (as of today lol)

Greb
Robinson
Langford
Charles
Armstrong
Duran
Moore
Ali
Floyd
Manny

[BoxBuzz]

Was the McGregor bout sanctioned? If so he'd be 50 and 0 correct?

[Jacopodb]

Can't be the best ever when he's not even the best of his generation

Who's the best of Floyd Jr.'s generation? That should technically mean the ones born within 1975 and 2000.

[BoxBuzz]

Was the McGregor bout sanctioned? If so he'd be 50 and 0 correct?

Ah never mind didn't notice the date this thread was started....my bad.

[keithmoonhangover]

Floyd would have absolutely zero chance of beating Hearns at welterweight.

[HomicideHenry]

For what it's worth I think I appreciate the "tarnished" records of men like Henry Armstrong, Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles, Willie Pep, Jake LaMotta, etc than I do Mayweather's unblemished record.

Had Mayweather fought under the same rules, conditions, etc--- where he was fighting every single month, possibly as much as four times a month like many people had to do--- oftentimes against equally great men wearing six ounce gloves in 15-20 round contests with referees who weren't squeamish: I guarantee he'd of not been 50-0-0 and probably never would have been champion, just like Burley and so many others were never champion.