After reading a good thread about Mayweather's weak resume I thought I would look at the light welterweight fights of Mayweather. I remember how he crowed about "wiping out anther division", namely light welterweight so let's look at the BIG title win-yep there was only one win for Mayweather at this weight. And it's Gatti. So let's see who Gatti beat: Gianluca Branco-good record but never won a World title (0-2) and all-around average at best fighter-no quality wins. Leonard Dorin-good amateur but never won a thing at light welterweight, did win a split decision (hell it was a loss, but let's not split hairs) at lightweight to get the over the all-time great Raul Horacio Balbi (LOL) Jesse James Leija- Gatti beat the 40-year old Leija but Leija never was a champ at light welterweight. Again Gatti was 3-1 at light welterweight, but yet Floyd Mayweather said by beating him Gatti proved he had just "conquered another weightclass". You be the judge.
Gatti was an exciting fighter that gave us all great fights, but I don't think he was ever a great fighter. He lost every time he stepped up in class (Oscar, Mayweather), and sometimes lost when he didn't (Robinson, Ward, Manfredy). He was an exciting fighter that gave us everything and we should appreciate him, but he was never great, in my opinion. Mayweather doesn't know what he is talking about. He called Gatti every name under the sun, and clearly expressed how he thought he was average at best.
Well put. I am NOT putting down Gatti for the record. I was just surprised where this bit of history led when I went back and refreshed my memory. Gatti was rare in that he was (I fear) one of the last few willing to go out on his shield everytime.
Mayweather called him a 'C-' fighter at best during the fight build-up, and a 'great' champion and fighter after the fight. atsch
