The mentality was different on a deeper level down to the marrow in there bones. I agree. I know you don't do this sort of thing usually but which do you think had the more outstanding career? money not being a factor.
Well, in my spare time when I want to watch a fight for fun, I have never, ever watched a Floyd Mayweather fight.
First, see @greynotsoold post #31. I read the OP this morning prior to leaving for work but thought about it on the drive to and from work. Like Grey said, both men were incredibly skilled in the throwback sense and established themselves as old school fighters. And as they're careers progressed both men hit turbulence that would define them almost as much as their skills did. For James, getting schooled by Roy Jones on the biggest stage and rumors of laziness and gluttony proving true over the years, he would be dogged by the question of, "How great could he have been if he had the discipline of Mayweather or Hopkins?" Floyd would be dogged by the question of, "How great could he have been if he had the balls of Toney, and not the vulva of Jenna Jameson?" Two men who showed the stuff of ATGs early in their careers but both also having a sense of "If only they had..." As I thought these fighters I realized they reminded two of the greatest actors in hollywood history: James Toney / Marlon Brando and Floyd Mayweather / Robert DeNiro. Early on in his acting career Brando established himself as a bona fide star in A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront and several others; but then he tanked for awhile, got fat and was no longer an adonis. Then 10-15 years later he reappears as Vito Corleone in The Godfather and cements his position as one of the greatest actors ever. This is James Toney up through his fight with Jirov. After that, both men would under and overperform and fans would hope that they'd see the brilliance of old but there was never a guarantee they would. Both Marlon and James brought a zero-f&cks-given attitude to their profession and even if they were fat as hogs you still had to admire them. Robert DeNiro earned his rep as great actor early on in Taxi Driver and carried through the years with Raging Bull, Goodfellas and Casino. This would be Floyd with his wins over Hernandez, Corrales and up through Gatti. It's after that both men seem to go into cruise control and were no longer able to carry a movie or a fight on their own. They no longer seemed natural and fans knew that DeNiro and Mayweather were just playing parts for money. Unlike Toney and Brando, Floyd and Robert both aged well but fans never really held out hope that they'd see greatness that they'd shown when they were young. In conclusion, Marlon Brandon and James Toney became tragedies as they aged. Robert DeNiro and Floyd Mayweather became parodies. Ultimately, Floyd had the better career while simultaneously having less steak than sizzle.
