Floyd Mayweather, Jr Top 5 Greatest Fighters

[elmersalsa]

Now, on ESPNDeportes and ESPN First Take and other ESPN boxing history-related programs, the great Floyd Mayweather, Jr picked in his view the top 5 greatest boxers ever just like Sugar Ray did his ranking when Ray was asked.

This was Pretty Boy Floyd's perspective and personal opinion list: I am going to start from #5 to #1.

5. Muhammad Ali: Floyd credits Ali for all what he did in boxing. He said that Ali and all the great fighters before him opened the door or paved the way for him. The reason he said that he is better than Ali, (and some people also think like Floyd about that), that Ali took too many shots to the head. That Ali also lost to Ken Norton 3 times, (I thought that I was the only one that thought so), and that he lost to a guy with just 7 fights in Leon Spinks. He credits Ali because he was the first black athlete to stand up for black Americans rights. But, he said that boxing is to hit and don't get hit. And Ali's condition at the time before he died in 2016 was the fact of too many blows.

4. Julio Cesar Chavez: Chavez according to Floyd was something else. A special fighter in his view. He said that Chavez was 80-0 (actually, it was 87-0), before he even got his first loss. All the Mexican people in the audience applauded. Did he mention that to please the Mexicans in the audience? I don't know. But, Chavez won 3 World titles in 3 weight classes. And he beat, according to Floyd, his uncle Roger twice.

3. Pernell Whitaker: Floyd says that not many people gives this great master of boxing much credit. The rule of boxing to him is to hit and don't get hit. And Pernell was one of those great masters at that. Floyd said that he, Whitaker, completely dominated and beat Chavez. And that Sweet Pea was robbed blind. Floyd also mentioned that Whitaker in his prime NEVER LOST A FIGHT. He started losing at the end of his career.

2. Roberto Duran: And the commentators in ESPNDeportes raised eyebrows like always. It looked like they couldn't understand that pick. Floyd said that Roberto was a special fighter that fought from Lightweight to Middleweight and won 5 World championships in 4 different weight classes. A remarkable fighter that in the beginning, he was unstoppable and beat the great Sugar Ray Leonard. Now, the commentators were trying to reason with him that Leonard beat him in the second match in the famous "No Mas". Floyd's answer was that look at the beginning of his career. He jumped 2 weight classes and whupped Leonard. He had underrated boxing skills. After the "No Mas" he redeemed himself winning two more world titles. That's why he said that he, Floyd, is the greatest because he never lost and never made up mistakes.

1 Floyd Mayweather, Jr: If course, in his view, the best ever is him. And many people believe that he really is the best ever, believe it or not. Ironically, Sugar Ray Leonard in his picks, he excluded himself. But Floyd puts himself as THE BEST FIGHTER EVER. Is it humbleness for Leonard? Is it arrogance for Pretty Boy Floyd? You guess. Floyd said that he is the greatest ever because, (not in this order):

1. He never lost a fight.

2. He beat 15 World champions in a shorter amount of time.

3. He was the best fighter for two straight decades (2000s and 2010s)

4. He made the most money. (About almost $900 million dollars in earnings)

5. He sold more PPV sales than any boxer, dead or alive

6. He beat every significant fighter of his era from jr Lightweight to jr Middleweight

7. He was champion for 18 years out of 19 years in the ring. And he was champion in 5 different weight classes.

8. The rule of the game is to hit and don't get hit. He said that he was the best at that and people should recognize him for that. That he took the sport of boxing to another level. And that his mental and physical condition are still intact. And he is rich for life.

Your thoughts in Pretty Boy Floyd's selection?

[Ambling Alp II]

1 for 5, and it isn't the the quitter that deserves to be in there.

[Wee Tommy]

Floyd is without doubt the most successful boxer of all time by any and all measures. I personally don’t rate him as the best fighter ever but he is up there and I appreciate him more as the years go by. It’s possible Pernell, Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Ray Robinson, Duran, Armstrong and other greats would have beaten him, especially in 15 round fights. None of them enjoyed the success he had and only Leonard has came close to staying as healthy mentally physically and financially.

[drunkenpiper36]

I have no problem with Floyd calling himself #1. And I agree with his comments in Pernell Whitaker. Very underrated fighter

[IKSRTFO]

Now, on ESPNDeportes and ESPN First Take and other ESPN boxing history-related programs, the great Floyd Mayweather, Jr picked in his view the top 5 greatest boxers ever just like Sugar Ray did his ranking when Ray was asked.

This was Pretty Boy Floyd's perspective and personal opinion list: I am going to start from #5 to #1.

5. Muhammad Ali: Floyd credits Ali for all what he did in boxing. He said that Ali and all the great fighters before him opened the door or paved the way for him. The reason he said that he is better than Ali, (and some people also think like Floyd about that), that Ali took too many shots to the head. That Ali also lost to Ken Norton 3 times, (I thought that I was the only one that thought so), and that he lost to a guy with just 7 fights in Leon Spinks. He credits Ali because he was the first black athlete to stand up for black Americans rights. But, he said that boxing is to hit and don't get hit. And Ali's condition at the time before he died in 2016 was the fact of too many blows.

4. Julio Cesar Chavez: Chavez according to Floyd was something else. A special fighter in his view. He said that Chavez was 80-0 (actually, it was 87-0), before he even got his first loss. All the Mexican people in the audience applauded. Did he mention that to please the Mexicans in the audience? I don't know. But, Chavez won 3 World titles in 3 weight classes. And he beat, according to Floyd, his uncle Roger twice.

3. Pernell Whitaker: Floyd says that not many people gives this great master of boxing much credit. The rule of boxing to him is to hit and don't get hit. And Pernell was one of those great masters at that. Floyd said that he, Whitaker, completely dominated and beat Chavez. And that Sweet Pea was robbed blind. Floyd also mentioned that Whitaker in his prime NEVER LOST A FIGHT. He started losing at the end of his career.

2. Roberto Duran: And the commentators in ESPNDeportes raised eyebrows like always. It looked like they couldn't understand that pick. Floyd said that Roberto was a special fighter that fought from Lightweight to Middleweight and won 5 World championships in 4 different weight classes. A remarkable fighter that in the beginning, he was unstoppable and beat the great Sugar Ray Leonard. Now, the commentators were trying to reason with him that Leonard beat him in the second match in the famous "No Mas". Floyd's answer was that look at the beginning of his career. He jumped 2 weight classes and whupped Leonard. He had underrated boxing skills. After the "No Mas" he redeemed himself winning two more world titles. That's why he said that he, Floyd, is the greatest because he never lost and never made up mistakes.

1 Floyd Mayweather, Jr: If course, in his view, the best ever is him. And many people believe that he really is the best ever, believe it or not. Ironically, Sugar Ray Leonard in his picks, he excluded himself. But Floyd puts himself as THE BEST FIGHTER EVER. Is it humbleness for Leonard? Is it arrogance for Pretty Boy Floyd? You guess. Floyd said that he is the greatest ever because, (not in this order):

1. He never lost a fight.

2. He beat 15 World champions in a shorter amount of time.

3. He was the best fighter for two straight decades (2000s and 2010s)

4. He made the most money. (About almost $900 million dollars in earnings)

5. He sold more PPV sales than any boxer, dead or alive

6. He beat every significant fighter of his era from jr Lightweight to jr Middleweight

7. He was champion for 18 years out of 19 years in the ring. And he was champion in 5 different weight classes.

8. The rule of the game is to hit and don't get hit. He said that he was the best at that and people should recognize him for that. That he took the sport of boxing to another level. And that his mental and physical condition are still intact. And he is rich for life.

Your thoughts in Pretty Boy Floyd's selection?

This must be a reiteration as it's pretty old news. He's done this exact list years ago.

[Ambling Alp II]

He is nowhere near the top 5. No reason at all to even consider him.

[gilgamesh]

Him putting himself at the top of his own list is just kinda part of his schtick at this point.

I don't think too many other Boxing experts rank him in the Top 10 all time. I don't think it's crazy to have him Top 15 or Top 20 though.

He's definitely the most successful. Least as far as in-ring earnings. I'm sure George Foreman could give him a run for his money if you factor in endorsement deals and sh*t.

[DrDuke]

Floyd was real deal. Of couse, not #1 p4p, but I don't have a problem with fighters boast about themselves. You gotta believe, that you're the best, if you're an pro-athlete.

[Ambling Alp II]

I don't care if he says it either. We don't have to believe it though.

[Ruthless-RKO]

FMJ will be more appreciated in 10-20 years time.. just not by hardcore fans who will look into everything like his opponents prime years, fights he should have lost etc.

[elmersalsa]

FMJ will be more appreciated in 10-20 years time.. just not by hardcore fans who will look into everything like his opponents prime years, fights he should have lost etc.

He could. Or he could be overrated with time.

[Ambling Alp II]

FMJ will be more appreciated in 10-20 years time.. just not by hardcore fans who will look into everything like his opponents prime years, fights he should have lost etc.

There will be less hard core fans in 15-20 years. Most modern fans seem to far too easily fooled by the win/loss records and WBS titles. The hardcore fans now know he was not as good as the "Floyd" fans make him out to be.

People who really understand the sport do look into everything like his opponents prime years, fights he should have lost etc.

It will be interesting in the 15-20 years though. By then, there will be so many fighters with great win/loss records that he won't stand out.
Many newer fans won't know who Mayweather is will dismiss him because he was before his time.

[goose 5]

Roy Jones had Salvador Sanchez in his top 3 all-time; that's a really bad choice also.

[Tevfik1907]

I don't care about him calling himself as the No.1, because all champs can think that way, but not even considering Ali as second? And talking about losing to Norton and Spinks, and getting hard blows? What the hell... He sure works hard to lowball the greatest. Floyd couldn't last 2 rounds against the heavyweights that Ali faced and he thinks he can lowball him?

And he also mentioned that Whitaker in his prime never lost a fight, and after his prime he started to lose? What kind of hypocrisy is this after mentioning Ali's defeat against Spinks? He can't actually believe that Ali was in his prime when he lost to Spinks? (and he avenged that defeat anyway)

First of all, competition in heavyweight > competition in other divisions.

There is a reason why some of the cruiserweights doesn't stay in cruiserweight and chooses to continue in heavyweight (such as Holyfied and Usyk) and Holyfield also didn't have any loss in cruiserweight, just like Usyk didn't have. We will see if Usky can keep up with his undefeated record in heavyweight or not.

Second of all, Evander Holyfield is right about this;

"My whole thing [is this], he is a great fighter. But to actually say that [he's beaten everyone], you've got to be the undisputed. You need to get all the belts at one time and let everybody know that I beat everybody who had a belt and I am undisputed. You can't just say 'I got this WBC belt, I got this WBC belt and I got this WBC belt,' and all of them are WBCs and you don't got the rest of the belts to say you are undisputed," Holyfield told Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports. "The whole big thing is, its not just this one belt - its all of these other belts. I wanted to be undisputed, where you can say that I am the undisputed champion of the world.

Ever since [Muhammad] Ali left, there wasn't an undisputed champion until [Mike] Tyson was the first one to be made undisputed, then Buster Douglas, then me, then Riddick Bowe and then Lennox Lewis. Lennox was the last one [at heavyweight]. That was five guys who took the time and said 'I don't just want to be one of the champions - I want to be undisputed where everyone knows at that time that I was the very best. "That's the only thing that Floyd is missing, because he was never the undisputed world champion in any weight division."

Floyd always picked his fight carefully, and docked some of them in the right time, and he wasn't the undisputed like Ali, Holyfied, Tyson, Lewis etc.

[Onetimeonly]

Chavez at 4 is worse than himself at 1.