Fighters who are often lauded as all time greats.....

Well thats how I do an ATG list, both Manny and Floyd are a similar standard and as you say to the victor the spoils, yet most people would say Mannys resume is better, therefore Manny should be ranked higher, even if Floyd beats him in a fair fight, you have agreed with this line of thinking, resume, resume, resume the be all and end all {concerning other boxers anyway} up until now it seems .

 

Marquez can definitely constitute poor competition, of course he can. Any fighter jumping two weights can constitute poor competition, especially when that man was already well above his natural weight class, when he was inexperienced at the weight he was currently at, and when he failed dismally to increase his weight and carry it properly.

Floyd cannot continue as a professional and not fight Pac or Mosley. There simply is no-one else. Unless Hatton beats Marquez and calls for a Mayweather re-match.... :yikes

 

In fairness to Floyd, it was a tune-up fight and pretty much by his own admission. He did have 2 years out, and to come back and handle Marquez like that is good news for him.

If he rematches Hatton...Marquez, or fights anyone other than Mosley or Pacquiao, he'll have zero credibility left. I might even contemplate removing him from my active P4P list altogether.

 

A lot depends on how the fight goes. If Floyd destroys Manny, he has a better win than any of Manny's on his res. If Floyd ekes out a dull and unconvincing SD then refuses a rematch, would it really add much to his resume? You can't make definitive statements about how you'll rank someone until the event has actually happened. I wouldn't have a problem with anyone ranking Floyd over Manny IF Floyd beats him, but right now I don't think having Floyd higher is justifiable, as Addie said.

 

It's not really good news for him to handle Marquez like that. I'm surprised a midwife didn't come to JMM's corner during rounds to see if his waters had broken. Any decent ww, a Clottey or a Berto, would have laid waste to that version of JMM. The whole fight reflected badly on Floyd.

Who knows who Floyd will fight next? No-one from 135-140 is safe!!

 

You're being nice about the whole thing if you ask me. Ranking Floyd above Pacquiao is about as ridiculous as ranking Calzaghe above Hopkins.

 

Well I'm going to give Floyd a bit of credit, because I sure as **** didn't envision a shut out.

...Nah, in all honestly, Floyd knows he has no choice. He's got nowhere to go. Thing is, I think he beats both Mosley and Pacquiao, but what I think means **** all...he has to prove it.

 

I am being nice! And you're pissing on my bonfire!!

My final word on the subject: If Floyd beats Manny, I will accept people ranking Floyd higher in a way that I would not find acceptable now.

 

Not even when you saw Marquez waddling down the stairs outside an ante-natal clinic the night before the fight??

 

I think Manny and Floyd are relatively close in p4p terms, and I could see an argument for Floyd being ranked higher if he wins conclusively, as a dominant win over Manny would enhance Floyd's resume to a great extent.

This is not the same thing as saying "the man who wins always ranks higher if they are both of a similar quality", it is not the same at all, because as we have seen in your own thread, there are many examples where this is dead wrong.

 

:good:good:good

 

I find it difficult to accept that Mayweather will leapfrog Pacquiao by beating him but it is definitely something I could be brought around to accept. I am an enormous, enormous Mayweather fan but I find it very difficult to call him an ATG at this point given his resume. He doesn't deserve that tag because he played it safe his entire career. I don't like to think he can mend all of that just by beating Pacquiao. I also don't think a win over Mosely would guarantee it because I saw the version of Mosely that fought Mayorga and regardless of the performance vs. Margarito I just can't accept SSM right now as anything but past-prime.

Mayweather skills-wise is a legit top 20 ATG guy. Maybe higher. But he threw his place in the pantheon away by not challenging himself. He has maybe 3 notable wins on his resume. Pac has a plethora. And he deserves the ATG tag not just for the wins but for the fact he took his opportunity in the sport of boxing to challenge those guys in the first place. If Pac loses to Mayweather (not that I think he will) his resume and his contribution to boxing is still stronger.

I'm trying to think who Mayweather can beat now to ensure his ATG status and I guess you have Pac, SSM and Paul Williams? I guess that's it? You might say it is unfortunate for him because there are few fighters at his time, in his weight class who might give him a resume that would make him an ATG. But the thing is, if SRR were alive today do you think Mayweather would fight him? I think Manny would.

 

An addendum: maybe if Mayweather demolishes Pac, accepts a rematch, and then demolishes him again. That would do it.

 

There will be no need for a rematch if either fighter is demolished, much like we'll never have to see Pacquiao vs Cotto again.