After the Keith Thurman upset, is Manny Pacquiao a greater fighter than Muhammad Ali?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by mark ant, Jul 30, 2019.


  1. Glass City Cobra

    Glass City Cobra H2H Burger King

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    Frazier was considered a great fighter before he beat Ali. No one would be hyped up about them fighting if he was mediocre champion. Plenty of people think he'd always give Ali problems due to the style matchup. Same with Norton.

    It's complete nonsense to say Ali wouldnt have had any real competition if he wasnt banned 3 years. His prime would have lasted longer but he'd also have more wear and tear from constsnt training/sparring/fights during those 3 years. So by the time he faces guys like Norton/Foreman/Lyle he might have lost an upset. Foreman proved he was good enough to retire for 10 years and win the title again at 45 so no he wouldn't have just been another challenger with no hope. Same thing with Larry Holmes.

    Tyson, Lewis, Wlad, and Holmes didnt rule their divisions with an iron fist the way Ali did. Tysons peak was very, very short and once he lost his career spiraled out of control. Holmes had a long run but be went to the IBF and missed several good fighters in the 80's like Thomas/Tubbs/etc. Lennox Lewis fought a lot of guys who were past their prime...just like Pacquaio. I'll give you Wladmir since he had such a long reign and was the clear #1 for years, but when his brother was active and co champion it wasnt so clear. Joe Louis is the only other heavyweight to dominate the division for years and be seen as the clear top dog like Ali.

    In terms of h2h, several Ali opponents are favored over fighters from other eras. Im not even saying I agree with all the picks, but you've been living under a rock if you werent aware of this. It happens on this site all the time, like the classic section and even this section. You're implying Ali's opponents were only considered great to prop up his legacy, which tells me you're obviously very ignorant of the history of the division. Liston for example was the baddrst man on the planet, a true boogeyman and was "Tyson before Tyson". People actually did the oppposite and attempted to discredit these wins for Ali because they didnt want to accept it. You dont know what you're talking about.
     
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  2. Pound4PoundGG

    Pound4PoundGG Well-Known Member Full Member

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    it wasnt an upset. Pac was favourite.
     
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  3. Pimp C

    Pimp C Too Much Motion Full Member

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    Excellent well thought out post!
     
  4. dangerousity

    dangerousity Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Frazier was considered a great fighter because Ali was retired he allowed the spotlight to shine on Frazier and grab the belt. Otherwise Frazier would have never been a champion as Ali was. Then Ali Frazier wouldn’t have been stripped champion vs champion, it would have just been champion vs contender and the contender would have lost handily.
     
  5. The Professor

    The Professor Socialist Ring Leader Staff Member

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    This is exactly what the complete nonsense I was attempting to highlight. Ali fought in the best era of HWs ever and beat a who's who of top level HWs. Pacquiao couldn't even beat a past prime Floyd Mayweather, and also lost to several other top level fighters, including getting starched by Marquez, as well as losing to lower tier fighters. His era is hardly the best either.

    That this is even being discussed shows the utter ignorance of some boxing fans today.
     
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  6. tinman

    tinman Loyal Member Full Member

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    In his prime Pacquiao lost to only Erim Morales. A prime that stretched 7 years from 2003-2009. Victories included Barrera, Morales, Marquez, Hatton and Cotto.

    It's a miracle Pacquiao could even compete with Mayweather. Why wasnt he destroyed? A former Flyweight should have been demolished by Mayweather.

    Manny has the better resume.
     
  7. Glass City Cobra

    Glass City Cobra H2H Burger King

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    I repeat you are clueless. Frazier would always be a huge stylistic problem for Ali even in his prime. And Frazier was a superb fighter and rated very highly BEFORE he became champion. He was a gold medalist and demolished the entire division before he fought Mathis. Show me a contender with those credentiald who is just written off?