As a study in contrast. We didn't get all the answers, but the ones we did get were more educational than anyone else in this era has been able to provide.
Its good. People will say hes ducked so and so, but it takes two to tango at the end of the day. When you go through it he has either fought the number 1 in the division, or belt holders or high ranking fighters (never the cab drivers in the division). Its disappointing he dosnt fight more often, I guess im in the minority who find his fights very entertaining. Obviously he is missing Pac at 147, but that fight for whatever reason was impossible to make. People say health came first but obviously he was talking about fighting someone who dosnt do his extra testing... People say Pac was scared, but doubt Pac is scared of anyone. Lets all blame Arum for taking advantage of Pac. At 154 its good as well, if he gets Canelo or Martinez in there then its very good, Martinez hype train aside both are winnable fights for him. We see what happens in the future. If he retires today, its not as good as it could be, but still very good.
He should have fought twice in 2010 and 2011 That's my main beef as a fan of his. I'm not mad that he didn't fight Cotto(e) and Mosley earlier since neither of them wanted it back then either.
As a good one 130 to 140 he made his legacy 147 up he is making his Money. He is one of the best ever enjoy him while you can.
Well with out Pac, with out Canelo history wont pay attention to his career at 147-154 that will be viewed as smart business decisions and great match making. He did some **** at 135... that can not be ignored... Probably one of the best at 135. But in terms of letting the pac fight get away from him regardless what his fans say about taking the test, history will not remember it that way, they will view it as the oddest stipulation made that blew the biggest payday he would have ever had.
Some of the very biggest names and P4P best of his era: Oscar - biggest draw in boxing in the twilight of his career, though at Oscars' weight Hatton - 43-0 Hatton moving up after one tough close decision over Collazo Marquez - never fought above 135 before, sandwiched between Pacquiao SD and MD L's Mosley - inactive for 16 months but universally regarded as the #1 welterweight Cotto - after stoppage defeats, at a weight where he looked re-established Some of the styles that were said to surely beat him: Judah - younger and a southpaw Oscar - bigger physically and a great jab Mosley - power puncher Ortiz - bigger physically, power puncher, much younger, and a southpaw Cotto - bigger physically and a great jab Fights which left the public wanting more of Mayweather: Mitchell - pointless first fight at welterweight which really does and proves nothing Judah - one fight removed from the welterweight lineal champion Baldomir - lineal champion, but no doubt better competition was available Marquez - for failing to meet the contract 144 lbs when JMM never fought above 135 Ortiz - some questionable people will pretend it was a 4 round technical decision win --- I think history will remember Mayweather very kindly. When fans in future years look back at these threads, they will be stunned at how vastly underrated Mayweather was by his own eras' fan base (much of this is a result of the lack of respect for his 130 lb days, and the dismissal by many of his 135-140 lb days). In just a couple decades people will not care about how degrading or annoying he was in interviews or how he didn't fight quite often enough. As far as his 147-154 legacy goes, he will not have enough fights at either weight to be an ATG at the weight class, but I do think he will be seen as a highly ranked H2H fighter at both weights.