If Floyd never fights Shane........

That sure is an interesting wrapup of a time span that included the complete obliteration of a fighter almost universally thought to be unknockoutable.

 

He's written his own legacy's epitaph: "I fight for money, not bragging rights".

I think it'd be of historical significance to walk away from a legendary champ when you're in your prime despite the fact the fight would be easy to make and make very good money. In a way, it'd be as fitting a cap to his career as could happen.

Combined with his "retirement" at the peak of the division's strength in his generation, it paints Floyd as probably the most cynically disingenuous great fighter in a long time. (Pardon the mellowdrama, but who comes close? Leonard and waiting for Hagler to age + the Lalonde mess? Dempsey's inactivity and dodging black fighters? Ok.. Dempsey takes this... but it's still significant.)

 

Yup, that's what I'm saying. The only reason people thought it was better before was because all of those guys hadn't fought so there was more excitement, whereas now the pecking order for the division has basically been established. Regardless of what you think about Cotto, I don't think he's damaged goods and the Pac fight will answer whatever questions are left. He's only looked weaker because he stepped up in competition. Which is my point.

Likewise, Mosely looked better in his last fight than he did two years ago. And Clottey may be a step below, but he is a tough fight for any welterweight. No shame in fighting a guy like Clottey at all, even for Floyd.

When Floyd retired the division had four unknown commodities. Things are much clearer now. Like I said before, the only fighter that's really missing is P.W. and that's unfortunate, but Floyd wasn't going to fight him anyway (nor were Mosely or Cotto).

 

as a BIG PBF fan I will lose a LOT of respect 4 Floyd...Im my opinion I feel Floyd is a bit intimidated by Mosley especially after when he seen Shane do to Margarito

 

What made the division stronger then than it is now? Which fighters in particular made it stronger, and why are the unavailable to fight now?

It wasn't any stronger, it was just unsettled.

 

Just because Floyd will school him they shouldn't fight? By that reasoning Floyd shouldn't fight anyone else anymore because he'll school everyone in the welterweight division and below. He will school Pac so they shouldn't fight. He will school Cotto so they shouldn't fight. He would have schooled Margarito so who cares that they didn't fight. That's just the wrong way to look at it. Those aren't reasons why fights shouldn't be made, they're excuses. Boxing is not a sport of would have, should have and could have. It's a sport of what did happen.

When Pacquaio-Hatton was signed, a lot of people were saying Hatton was already past it and Pac fans were saying that if Pac won decisively then people would call Hatton past it and overrated and take away from Pac's win. True enough, Pac demolished Hatton and noweveryone is calling Hatton overrated. But it still enhanced Pac's legacy. Would Pac have been better off not fighting Hatton because of what people think of Hatton now? Of course not.

Same case for Mosley. You guys are saying that he doesn't need Mosley but that fact that so many people want this fight shows that he needs the win to enhance his legacy. The only people who think that his current resume is enough are the die hard fans. And the strength of a boxer's legacy is powered by general perception, not by the perception of a few die-hard fans. Sure people will say that Shane is old or shot. But I'm 100% sure that a win over Shane will only enhance Floyd's legacy. Out of all the possible opponents for Floyd, Shane's scalp has the most weight.

Floyd has a reported 4 fights left with GBP. I can't think of any reason why Shane shouldn't be one of those fights.

 

Excellent post.

 

He's been fighting once a year as of late. Would you call that active based on the fact that he beat up Margarito in his only fight this year?

 

Well ok, that's actually a very good reason for Floyd to not fight Mosley (and maybe a reason Floyd would want to fight Mosley? :think)

Still, if Mosley loses to anyone, it would be better for both parties if it's Floyd he loses to first.

 

It all depends. Things can change quickly in boxing. What if Pac looks spectacular against Cotto and Shane gets beat and looks bad,against Berto? Nobody would want to see that fight anymore. Now if Shane looks good against Berto, it's a worthwhile fight again. However, if beats Cotto and looks good, that has to be the fight that Floyd goes after next.

 

So you're saying since most of these guys have fought each other, mainly in very physically taxing fights, and now some of them are not around anymore, being replaced by lesser talented, or guys moving up 2 weight classes, that welter is better now?
So you're saying that Floyd not getting into the mix 2 years ago when there were more contenders to the throne, maybe what you would call unknown quantities at the time, is better for the sport?
Floyd not helping clarify his place is better?

 

No. But isn't it a little silly to hold activity against a fighter when Mayweather is part of the discussion? When was the last time he fought three times a year?

 

Wow, suddenly every question in the universe is settled because...you said so?

Marquez is also not prime, age-wise and at a weight he wasn't even anything in when Floyd fought him, who cared about that fight? Yet Floyd took it.

 

He doesn't necessarily need to fight Shane. If Cotto beats Pac-Man, then Floyd beats Cotto then isn't that bigger than a fight with Shane? Would Shane even matter at that point? If Manny wins he should definitely fight Shane tho, after he fights Pacquaio.

 

Too long for someone who's 37. My point being, Floyd went on hiatus when the division was at its strongest point in a while. When it was hot, he got the **** outta the kitchen. I personally am a fan of Floyd's skills, but all the real competitive fights he deprived the fans of would have been made then, not as much now.