Could Mayweather Jr make it undefeated fighting at Ray Robinson's schedule vs the same opposition

No

 

Lol yes he was a Idiot wasn't he? And no absolutely not he would be undefeated if he fought during Robinson's era. Or Walkers era, or Curry's era, or Napoles era, Or Leonards era, or Deloyhoya, or Cuevas, or Benitez, or Hearns, Get my point. Hell, if he dared fight the best fighters during his OWN era when they were at the top of their game, he wouldn't be undefeated. He's one of the biggest frauds in boxing history.

 

Respectfully disagree with the last sentence - there's nothing fraudulent about his skillset, his athleticism and his in-fight adjustments and overall boxing IQ. He played the game and won - whilst I won't put him up there with the Gods of War, I respect him as one of the most talented fighters to lace up gloves.

By the way, he's 49-1 for me. Lost to Castillo, just like Ali lost to Norton, Chavez lost to Whitaker, Holyfield lost to Lewis etc.

 

When those boxers back in the day fought every couple days or once a week or three times a month, they tended not to do any or very little sparring at all. You can compile a ton of wins by doing no sparring and just fighting someone/anyone every week - or a couple times a week.

Take, for example, Buck Smith. He fought on ESPN way back when any time they needed someone. He basically never sparred. He just drove around fighting people every week. And he had decent skills. He was never really more than ordinary. And he managed to rack up tons of wins.

At one point, in 1995, Smith flew to Sydney to fight a prospect there, Shannon Taylor. And Smith came in with a record of 172-7-2. And Smith was "just a guy." (Taylor stopped him on cuts.)

I'm NOT saying Robinson fought the same caliber of guys Buck Smith did. Of course he didn't, for the most part. Robinson fought a lot of greats. But he also fought his share of no-names because he fought a lot.

If Floyd Mayweather, instead of spending eight weeks in camp in Vegas before fights sparring with guys like Zab Judah and Chop Chop Corley and Errol Spence, had just taken a non-title fight on the West Coast every week against top 25 or top 50 fringe guys, he'd probably have another 150 wins to go along with the 50 wins he has now.

So, I'm going to say, yes.

 

Of course not. Nobody can fight that many fights and go undefeated. Floyd was not invincible - he's one of the best ever no doubt - but his undefeated record has something to do with hand picking a large number of his opponents (or fighting them when they "got old"). He lost to Castillo the first time anyway and the De La Hoya fight was close (and Oscar was basically finished by that time).

Not trying to throw shade by saying these things either - Floyd you can argue is the GOAT (I don't think so but he's near the top for sure) but I can't see him fighting an additional 170 or whatever fights in his career without someone either being better than him on the night or running into a bad style match up.

 

Robinson was fighting alot of ltop 20 or top fringe 50 guys, but for the most part he was fighting legends, a win over a prime Kid Gavalin imo is better than any win Mayweather has so far (we'll see how the Canelo and Pacquiao wins age) and Robinson has 2 and there arguably not even his best wins. Don't get me wrong I have no doubt Floyd could beat almost all of Robinson's opponents in 1 off H2H fights, but to fight with that schedule I think he definitely picks up more losses than Sugar did.

 

What? A win over Kid Gavilan isn't better than a win over Pacquiao or Canelo NOW.

Gavilan lost plenty of times.

 

I don't get this logic at all. Yes, he would have more wins with more fights (some against subpar competition) but he would also have more chances to lose, even in a fight against weaker opponent. When you fight a few times per month, it's much easier to be bad prepared or to have an off-night than when you fight twice in a year.

 

Especially being a naturally smaller man who has shown hand and shoulder issues - this susceptibility with a SRR schedule, remembering the weight advantages given away to the likes of La Motta in an era of rougher fighters and more lenient referees to grab and maul tactics - who says that Floyd lasts as long as a top fighter in this era?

 

Yeah I was exaggerating, and at Jr.light he was a helleva talent. But at welterweight where Robinson fought, and if you noticed all the fighters I named fought he was vastly overrated in my opinion.

 

A prime Kid Gavalin is, he definitely ranks higher than Canelo pfp. If Mayweather beat him after his two wins over Ike Williams (LW legend) then immediately after go on to beat Rocky Castellani and Beua Jack and after that get wins over Billy Graham, Johnny Bratton, Bobby Dykes (all multiple times) and Carmen Basilio, that would represent Mayweathers best win

 

Mayweather wasn't Ali, who let guys beat on him in the gym. Dundee always said Ali was a terrible gym fighter. Mayweather didn't lose many rounds in the gym or in actual fights.

Look, I was never a fan of Floyd Mayweather. I'm well known as a fan of power punchers. And Mayweather wasn't that. I usually always rooted for him to lose.

But the guy was an exceptional fighter. And the majority of the time Mayweather was sparring better guys than Robinson was fighting when Ray was fighting on a weekly or semi-monthly basis.

Like I said, if Mayweather had gone to Seattle or L.A., or Portland once a week while in camp and faced some top 25 welter in a 10-rounder and instead of sparring 20 or 30 rounds with Errol Spence, I'm sure Floyd would've had another 100 wins.

Robinson didn't spar anyone for eight weeks before fights. He'd just fight. I think Mayweather was perfectly capable of doing the same thing. Those guys back then weren't supermen by fighting so often (as guys like Buck Smith more than proved in a modern era). They just fought instead of sparred because the got paid for fighting, not sparring.

 

Agreed - overrated in terms of achievement, but talent wise, in a one fight shootout, he could stand up there and give a good account of himself with almost anybody ever IMO.

I think that PBF could have been an absolute monster at 140lbs but alas, he is a victim of his own self and his comparative era. If he had been around during Duran, Leonard, Hearns and Hagler, he doesn't compete at WW whilst Ray and Tommy are the alphas let alone venture upwards to consider a fight with Hagler.

 

This.