Myth: Roberto Duran has a better resume than Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

These posts on here get more and more ridiculous. Younger guys staunchly defend the newer crop, "purists" recite records and stats to sound sophisticated...

 

I'm not going to rain on your parade. It was masterful how you kept drawing them in again and again and again until mission half accomplished.

 

The statman cometh

 

You cannot compare Hearns, Benitez, Leonard, Hagler to the guys Mayweather and Pacman fought. Duran fought a much much higher level than Floyd and Manny and he did not hankpick. Manny did not handpick much, but the divisions were much more watered down years later. and then the weight agreements for titles in more recent years. Duran fought guys moving up who would have been on the list of greats in all the divisions he fought. I am into facts. I never was big on the excuses Roberto made, but the fact is he fought everyone and his resume is better than Floyd or Manny. He was fortunate and unfortunate to have fought in a great great era as was Hearns and Leonard and Hagler and Benitez. Hearns is in the same boat. Is it better to have fought such a high level that some losses come out of it, or to fight in a lesser era and have the wins? I like fighting the best and having memorable fights and that is a greater resume as Hearns, Duran, Benitez, Hagler and Leonard had.. Anyone can handpick. Duran's resume is better than Manny and Floyd. Duran did not handpick. In his era he could not, which is why that era he fought in will always be so special to us all.. This will upset Manny and Floyd fans, but other eras will come and eclipse thier eras, but they cannot eclipse the era with Duran or Hearns or Benitez or Leonard or Hagler, and the guys like Cuevas or Palomino etc. You cannot argue facts.

 

The thing differing their wins,is that Duran had less but near-legendary quality wins,plus he lasted longer than most of them, Floyd is fighting exhibitions at 50, Duran would've kept strong if not for that car accident.
I don't believe getting competitive with Marvin Hagler, who's two natural weightclasses above him is not better than getting competitive with a quite drained Canelo and a catchweight vs Antonio Margarito.

 

Duran moved up to Welterweight and defeated Sugar Ray Leonard for the title.
Mayweather moved up to Welterweight and defeated Carlos Baldomir.

Duran went up to 160lbs and won the title beating Iran Barkley. Mayweather never attempted to win the Middleweight crown.

It's not Floyd's fault that he didn't fight the same level competition. You can only fight who is there at the time.

Mayweather certainly was more committed to the sport and his performances consistent compared to Duran especially post prime. His discipline was admirable. He just doesn't have the same caliber of opponent.

 

Canelo win is meaningful, but it's not quite what it could've been had Floyd not decided to drain the younger guy. As it is, with the catchweight, the fight has major asterisk over it.

 

Fighters often agree to fight in sub-optimal conditions.
It's not about having sympathy for Canelo who made a lot of money, but it's unlikely He was at his best having to cut 2 more pounds while already pushing his body to it's limits by cutting down to 154. Floyd did not put that clause in place for no reason either.

In similar vein, Andre Ward beating Chad Dawson at 168 is obviously not the same as beating him at 175 around that time would've been - and whether Dawson agreed to it or not is not particulary relevant.
Fighters are not dragged into the ring in general, so it's kind of a given...

 

i see i posted in this thread before but i don't remember what i said.

floyd is the best fighter.

duran has the best resume.

manny doesn't win either of those but was an incredible fighter.