Who was the best — Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Mike Tyson?

[Onetimeonly]

The whole event transcended boxing.

[oogiebe]

A lot of them.

Exactly.

And?

It wasn't as much as Mayweather 'transcending boxing' but was simply the event itself with McGregor bringing in interest from MMA followers. That's all.

[oogiebe]

The whole event transcended boxing.

LOL! Right.

[ewenhay]

If Floyd Mayweather transcended sport then where is he? He's nowhere because no one outside boxing is or was interested in him. He never resonated with a single person who wasn't a boxing (or latterly mma) fan.

Ali transcended sport. So did Joe Louis as did did Mike Tyson. All for different reasons.

Floyd Mayweather never had the personality or the notoriety to do that. No one outside boxing cares about his back story or what he's doing.

[oogiebe]

If Floyd Mayweather transcended sport then where is he? He's nowhere because no one outside boxing is or was interested in him. He never resonated with a single person who wasn't a boxing (or latterly mma) fan.

Ali transcended sport. So did Joe Lewis as did did Mike Tyson. All for different reasons.

Floyd Mayweather never had the personality or the notoriety to do that. No one outside boxing cares about his back story or what he's doing.

Yes.

[Onetimeonly]

Y'all are nuts.

[oogiebe]

Y'all are nuts.

I've been called worse!

[ewenhay]

Y'all are nuts.

He tried desperately to be accepted outside boxing. Having Justin Bieber in his ring walk entourage was an attempt. As was the Dancing with Stars stuff.

But everyone could see that he's just a self obsessed bore. He's got nothing interesting to offer beyond boasting about his bank balance and his jewellery collection.

[Onetimeonly]

OK.

[oogiebe]

OK.

To be fair, he had been (and maybe still is) the biggest name in the sport.

[Onetimeonly]

Definitely, and that's without a big fan base within the diehard boxing community or even having entertaining fights. It's a joke to say he didn't transcend the sport, but whatever floats your boat. May as well say he wasn't a boxer.

[oogiebe]

Definitely, and that's without a big fan base within the diehard boxing community or even having entertaining fights. It's a joke to say he didn't transcend the sport, but whatever floats your boat. May as well say he wasn't a boxer.

To you it's a joke, to me it's not. I think of transcending a sport like Ali; LeBron James; Mike Tyson; Bo Jackson. Not Floyd Mayweather.

[Onetimeonly]

Definitely, and that's without a big fan base within the diehard boxing community or even having entertaining fights. It's a joke to say he didn't transcend the sport, but whatever floats your boat. May as well say he wasn't a boxer.

To you it's a joke, to me it's not. I think of transcending a sport like Ali; LeBron James; Mike Tyson; Bo Jackson. Not Floyd Mayweather.

You're always entitled to be woefully wrong.

[oogiebe]

Definitely, and that's without a big fan base within the diehard boxing community or even having entertaining fights. It's a joke to say he didn't transcend the sport, but whatever floats your boat. May as well say he wasn't a boxer.

To you it's a joke, to me it's not. I think of transcending a sport like Ali; LeBron James; Mike Tyson; Bo Jackson. Not Floyd Mayweather.

You're always entitled to be woefully wrong.

LMAO! Apparently you as well! Cheers!

[Abradolf Lincler]

Floyd's fights were sporting events when boxing was nothing. Nobody can discount either one of them in this topic. Trying to is silly.

Using Floyd's ppv sales v McGregor as an example of Floyd transcending boxing is even sillier. Its lazy and you well know it.

He was a carefully chosen dance partner who had a big following in his own sport who could shift ppv sales. That's not transcending sport, that's just welding two sports together.

SaadOffTheDeck? It's gotta be. You were always big on posting the laughing emoji when you'd been beaten in an argument.

[Onetimeonly]

That's me.

[gilgamesh]

To answer the OP, the overall better boxer was Floyd Mayweather.

Why?

1. Better timing and accuracy with his punches
2. More discipline outside of the ring
3. Better defense
4. Better resume

Neither was "The Best"...but Floyd's the better/more accomplished fighter between the two of 'em.

[elmersalsa]

To put it in simple terms:
Mike Tyson was the most entertaining fighter.
Floyd Mayweather, Jr was the most accomplished and greater fighter.

[Wee Tommy]

That's me.

[Wee Tommy]

Floyd drew in a young generation of mostly non boxing fans. I’ve heard guys who were not even boxing types never mind boxing fans go on about Money Mayweather. Fine MacGregor drew a lot of fans too but Floyd made huge money before that and money comes from fans. He had like 19m Instagram followers before he slapped up Connor Mac. He’s an asshole but a Huge asshole.

[APerno]

I believe it is a no brainer, Tyson by a country mile; he was by far the more committed fighter, even by his own admission he was willing to not only to eat his opponent's children but would willingly crush their testicles if the opportunity presented itself. I never saw that kind of commitment from Floyd Mayweather Jr. -- Floyd's willingness to accept mere UDs in lieu of pedicide makes me question his commitment to the game.

Why are we comparing Tyson to Mayweather Jr.? There are fighters in both size and technique who would make for more interesting comparisons. SRR or Willie Pep of course, but what about Donald Curry or Howard Davis Jr. Someone with a rep for technique. Tyson II degraded into a one punch lunger and even at his best, back in '89, he was only a good boxer by HW standards.

His right to the body followed by a right uppercut was special; but one double right hand combination doesn't make a 'benny leonard.'

Who was the overall better boxer? -- Mayweather had mastered the martial art of boxing, Tyson never came close.