you don't get things much do you? the article's whole point was that de la hoya looked dead in hindsight. that's the whole point. before the fight, everyone said it was a farce because oscar was too big. and barrera retired after the pacman fight? um, which fight? the first one (after which he picked up another title)? or the second one years later (after which he fought khan)? let's say your second last statement is true, it's also fact that those fighters he beat were the best of the best of this generation. over-the-hill or not, they were still the best and he still beat them. and don't even say his legacy will be more solid if he had fought valero, baby fat diaz, or soto. you can **** off if you think so.
safe to say around 20... if he beats floyd maybe top 5-10. i know it's a big jump, but beating floyd in most peoples eyes is the closest thing to impossible.
Top-level ATG. It's really hard to get a fair evaluation as he is still active but judging his body of work to date compares to ATG of the past. Pac will never be included when listing the 10 best fighters in each weight class he has fought, but his overall accomplishment more than makes up for it.
at this point, a contemporary fighter (who is still active) cracking the top 50 ATG is an INCREDIBLY awesome achievement. People rating him at top 20, 15 or 10 already? at this point? before a fight he will likely lose (styles)? speaks volumes about how INSPIRING he is. Imagine 50 years from now (if boxing is still major), when the nostalgic will remember the hardest name we'd ever learned to pronounce/spell in the sport of boxing... Paaacccqquiaooo...
steroids or no steroids he's the most overrated boxer in the history of the sport clearly not even TOP 1000
I respect everyone's opinions, but I don't respect this one. The notion that Pacquiao doesn't even deserve to be in the top 100 ATG is so utterly ridiculous, that I have to assume that you jest, or are an alt trying to get a rise out people.
Since when in the blue hell was Duran considered a great 'welterweight'? I think the majority of posters in this thread have no clue about boxing history.
He is within top 10 ATG now. If he loses to PBF, he goes down to top 15 - 25 depending on how badly he lose. If he beat PBF (assuming PBF beats Mosley), then he is within top 5 ATG.