BoxRec

1976 Olympic Games (Montreal, Quebec, Canada):

Can anyone envision a scenario where 1976 Olympic JWW gold medalist Ray Leonard (at his Olympic JWW or professional SMW/LHW pinnacle) can reasonably compete against (four weight divisions higher) 1976 Olympic LHW gold medalist Leon Spinks (at his Olympic LHW or professional HW pinnacle)? Does it make any sense to then try to match Ray Leonard against the first to professionally defeat Leon Spinks – 36-year-old Muhammad Ali? [Note: Is it even reasonable to match Ray Leonard against (three weight divisions higher) 1976 Olympic MW gold medalist Michael Spinks (at his Olympic MW or professional LHW/HW pinnacle) – or Michael Spinks’ first conqueror – 21-year-old Mike Tyson?].

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Categ ... _Olympians

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title ... ext=Search

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title ... ext=Search

1984 Olympic Games (Los Angeles, California, USA):

Can anyone envision a scenario where 1984 Olympic LW gold medalist Pernell Whitaker (at his Olympic LW or professional JMW pinnacle) can reasonably compete against (four weight divisions higher) 1984 Olympic MW silver medalist Virgil Hill (at his Olympic MW or professional LHW pinnacle)? Does it make any sense to then try to match Whitaker against the first to professionally defeat Virgil Hill – 32-year-old Thomas Hearns? [Note: Is it even reasonable to match Pernell Whitaker against (three weight divisions higher) 1984 Olympic JMW gold medalist Frank Tate (at his Olympic JMW or professional MW/LHW pinnacle) – or Tate’s first conqueror – 25-year-old Michael Nunn?].

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Categ ... _Olympians

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Virgi ... mas_Hearns

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title ... ext=Search

If none of the above scenario matchups appear rational (or if one wonders what is the point), please explain the below examples.

1996 Olympic Games (Atlanta, Georgia, USA):

Can anyone envision a scenario where 1996 Olympic FW bronze medalist Floyd Mayweather Jr. (at his Olympic FW or professional WW/JMW pinnacle) can reasonably compete against (four weight divisions higher) 1996 Olympic JMW gold medalist David Reid (at his Olympic JMW or professional JMW pinnacle, winning a world JMW title, in a declining system, eight years prior to Floyd Jr.’s world JMW title win)? Does it make any sense to then try to match Floyd Mayweather Jr. against the first to professionally defeat David Reid – 27-year-old Felix Trinidad? [Note: In 1999, when David Reid is a reigning/defending world JMW titlist, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a reigning/defending world SFW titlist – four weight divisions lower. Additionally, why is Floyd Jr. never matched against (three weight divisions higher) 1996 Olympic WW bronze medalist and professional world WW/JMW titlist (southpaw) Daniel Santos – or the last conqueror of Santos’ first conqueror (unbeaten WBO MW titlist Dmitry Pirog)?].

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/1996_ ... _Olympians

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Welte ... _Medalists

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/David ... x_Trinidad

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title ... ext=Search

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Dmitr ... fi_Jantuah

Furthermore, can the 1996 Olympic FW bronze medalist and 5-division world titlist Floyd Mayweather Jr. do what the 1976 Olympic JWW gold medalist and 5-division world titlist Ray Leonard and the 1984 Olympic LW gold medalist and 4-division world titlist Pernell Whitaker cannot feasibly do (i.e. defeat much higher weight division Olympic medal winners - from their own Olympic years – at Olympic or professional pinnacles)? If so, one wonders why Floyd Jr. does not win Olympic gold (at FW or higher in 1996) and has not yet become a 6 or 7-division world titlist – more than a decade and a half later (as Ray Leonard and Pernell Whitaker win their highest weight division world titles within twelve years after their individual Olympic gold medal wins)?

Now, if one acknowledges that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is massively overrated (in actual fighting ability - as an all-time great), check these out!?

At a 168 lb. catchweight, Ray Leonard wins his highest professional weight division world titles (SWM/LHW) by second career stopping (TKO 9 – in 1988) defending world LHW titlist, the nearly four years younger Donny Lalonde.

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Donny ... ay_Leonard

In defense of his NABF LHW title (at a 175 lb. weight limit), Willie Edwards first career stops (TKO 9 – in 1985) Canadian LHW titlist and future world LHW champion, the four and a half years younger Donny Lalonde.

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

Just a one-hit-wonder (in Edwards), you say?

The previously unbeaten, future NABF LHW titlist Willie Edwards first professionally defeats (UD 10 – in 1982) OH State LHW titlist and future world CW champion, the four years younger Jeff Lampkin.

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

Just a two-hit-star (in Edwards), you say?

In defense of his NABF LHW title, Willie Edwards fourth professionally stops (TKO 11 – in 1984) former 2-year world LHW titlist and only fifteen months older Matthew Saad Muhammad.

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

Now, the next ‘all-time-great’:

Pernell Whitaker wins his highest professional weight division world title (JMW) by (in a world title bout) first defeating (UD 12 – in 1995) future 2-time/defending WBA JMW titlist, the two and a half years younger Julio Cesar Vasquez.

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Julio ... l_Whitaker

In his first world title bout, 1988 Olympic WW silver medalist, 2-time EBU JMW champion and future 3-year WBA JMW titlist Laurent Boudouani first professionally stops (KO 5 – in 1996) 2-time/defending WBA JMW titlist, age-peer Julio Cesar Vasquez.

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Julio ... _Boudouani

Just a one-hit-wonder (in Boudouani), you say?

In a challenge for the EBU JMW title, future 3-year WBA JMW titlist Laurent Boudouani first professionally stops (TKO 9 – in 1995) defending EBU JMW titlist and future 2-division world champion, the fifteen months younger Javier Castillejo [in a 1996 EBU title rematch, Boudouani again defeats (UD 12 – winning every round on all three judges’ scorecards) Castillejo].

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

Note: Five years later (2001), defending WBC JMW titlist Javier Castillejo loses (UD 12 – Castillejo is knocked down once) to future 6-division world titlist, the nearly five years younger Oscar De La Hoya. Five years later (2006), Javier Castillejo becomes the first and only (to date) to professionally stop (TKO 10) future 3-time/defending world MW titlist, the almost eleven years younger Felix Sturm.

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Javie ... De_La_Hoya

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Felix ... meeting%29

Is there more (in favor of Boudouani), you ask?

In his final successful world title bout/defense (and second to last professional match), WBA JMW titlist Laurent Boudouani fourth career stops (TKO 9 – in 1998) former 3-time WBC JMW titlist, in his final professional bout, the six months younger Terry Norris.

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Laure ... rry_Norris

Note: 1988 Olympic WW silver medalist, 2-time EBU JMW champion and 3-year WBA JMW titlist Laurent Boudouani’s final world title/career bout is a decision loss (UD 12 – in 1999) to 1996 Olympic JMW gold medalist, the almost seven years younger, previously unbeaten David Reid.

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Laure ... David_Reid

How many of the above mentioned pugilists can (objectively) --- in a declining system --- be viewed superior in actual fighting ability (pinnacle vs. pinnacle – not a career resume comparison) to Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

I see where you are going with this. Another one to think about. In 1982 I hit a triple off of Troy Aikman in a summer league baseball game. Troy Aikman then played with Too Tall Jones on the Cowboys in 1989, Too Tall beat Abraham Meneses in 1979, then Meneses beat Ladislao Mijangos in 1981 and Mijangos won a tough split decision from Leon Spinks in 1987 and of course Leon Spinks defeated Muhammad Ali in 1978.... so is there really any doubt that I could beat Muhammad Ali? Or at least that I could hit his fastball?

Based on the logic above I'm convinced DaveyMac could hit Ali's fastball.

DaveyMac wrote:I see where you are going with this. Another one to think about. In 1982 I hit a triple off of Troy Aikman in a summer league baseball game. Troy Aikman then played with Too Tall Jones on the Cowboys in 1989, Too Tall beat Abraham Meneses in 1979, then Meneses beat Ladislao Mijangos in 1981 and Mijangos won a tough split decision from Leon Spinks in 1987 and of course Leon Spinks defeated Muhammad Ali in 1978.... so is there really any doubt that I could beat Muhammad Ali? Or at least that I could hit his fastball?