BoxRec

Two modern great fighters, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr beat at least 17 world so called champions.

Let's see really their careers, who was the legit champion when they beat their respective foes and what was the significance for their careers.

Because, I see now that boxing is totally diluted. Is not like before 1990 that to become a world champion, you had to be very good.

And even before, let's say 1970, it was much harder to become world champion because the talent was great and plenty, let alone to become a triple crown division World champion.

Today, we got less rounds, 17 weight classes, and 4 "world champions" per division. Who's the real champion? I don't know. What I am mean is that an average good boxer, that doesn't have to be A-level fighter, could easily become champion because there are more choices.

Some of these called world champions wouldn't make it before 1990, let alone before 1970.

How many legit champions did Pacman and Pretty Boy Floyd/Money did they really beat?

Would they had so many belts in any era before 1990?

Your thoughts.

Would they have had so many belts before in an earlier era is an easy question to answer.

No because those belts didn't f*cking exist

So that one is obvious on the face of it.

Floyd beat Diego Corrales at 130 who was definitely legit as he proved by winning the Lightweight title, and continuing to be a top guy for a while against the others in that weight range. I don't consider his first win over Castillo legit as everyone knows, but nevertheless Castillo was considered THE GUY at the weight. Gatti's WBC was the only title he picked up at 140. While it's a shame we never got Floyd vs Tszyu, Floyd basically barely stayed at 140 opting instead to jump up to 147 to take out the vulnerable and limited Champion Carlos Baldomir who was at the time the lineal Champion at Welterweight.

I don't remember if Oscar had a belt or not when they fought. I assume so.

Floyd would've always been good. I don't know if he could've gotten by with being such a crafty matchmaker in other eras.

Pacquiao beat the sh*t out of THE GUY at 126 and 140 for sure. He was only at 135 for a cup of coffee, but he looked amazing there. I never counted every single titleholder he beat, and frankly I don't care, but the names Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Margarito, Keith Thurman just to name a few on your victim list means you were definitely legit.

The versions of these guys we knew would've been a handful in any era.

Floyd won titles in 5 divisions, 4 of them were lineal/consensus(the only exception was at 140), and Manny won titles in 8 divisions also with 4 of them lineal/consensus. Floyd beat Genaro Hernández(130) José Luis Castillo(135) Carlos Baldomir(147) and Canelo Álvarez(154), and then won the lineal title at welterweight a second time when he beat Shane Mosley. Manny beat Chatchai Sasakul(112) Marco Antonio Barrera(126) Juan Manuel Márquez(130) and Ricky Hatton(140), plus some places list the third Bradley fight as for the vacant lineal title so if you count that then that’s 5 lineal titles. That’s more than any other fighter in history, so even if you strip(hah) the sanctioning body stuff you still have two genuinely remarkable careers.

(For some points of comparison with other modern super-champions/P4P kings:Sugar Ray Leonard was a 5 division champ with 3 of them lineal/consensus, Thomas Hearns was 5 with 1 lineal/consensus, Oscar De La Hoya was 6 with 3, Canelo is 4 with 3, Vasiliy Lomachenko is 3 with 1)

We could say that Pac and Pretty Boy Floyd beat lineal world champions, but were they the real champions? Not necessarily.

That addition of more weight classes (now 17), and 4 world champions per class, somewhat doesn't fit in as legitimate title wins.

I remember in 1981 when the greats Wilfred Benitez and Alexis Arguello were only the 5th and 6th triple crown division World champions. Now, in the year 2023 and 42 years later, we probably have more than 30 triple crown division World champions. It's insane and ridiculous! It doesn't have enough value as back then. Or does it?

There should go back to one champion per weight class if these boxers cry for greatness. Too many champions per weight class is ridiculously ridiculous. The talent pool is very diluted.