Classic Forum's Reaction to Mayweather's Retirement and ATG Status

...........Oh I'll dare say it; things look better here in black and white, there's no doubt about that.

 

anyone hold it against him that hes ducking out of a rematch with Oscar, now that oscar has a better gameplan training with floyds father, and the fact the fight was ALREADY SCHEDULED?

 

I did indeed. It's just that I think that what he 'learnt' wouldn't entirely be effective when faced against fighters in the vicinity of which you and I suppose the majority of others here rank him. Like I said, I can't see him using that strategy succesfully against the likes of Beau Jack, Carlos Ortiz, Julio Cesar Chavez etc.

 

Hardly anyone here is denying he's great. It's the extent of his greatness that is really being debated. That some of the more knowledgable posters on here don't hold him in the ultimately highest of high regards is more illuminating to me than the 'majority' that do.

 

............Fair enough. I suppose I'm at a bit of a disadvantage as I don't rank fighters, so it's impossible for me to say he sneaks in between so-and-so because of this or that factor. My mind just doesn't work that way. As a result, I tend to speak in far more general terms.

 

Mayweather is great, but he should never be rated above a prime oscar de la hoya.

 

why you think cotto margarito williams quintana can beat a 35 year old oscar de la hoya? I don't. Even past his prime, oscar's jab combinations experience boxing skills are too much for the young studs. Cotto struggled greattly with a badly diminished shane.


Floyds great, but his legacy to me is gonna suffer that he didnt clean out a tough welterweight division

 

Haha dream on. Cotto could only beat a horribly diminshed 36 year old shane mosely by 1 point. Cotto is a very good fighter, I am impressed with him as a boxerpuncher with alot of heart, but Oscar would give cotto a boxing lesson. cotto never faced a boxer like oscar de la hoya before. oscar has too much experience and pure boxing skills and durability for cotto. Cotto struggled with a experienced old former great like mosely, but oscar is better than shane and has more left than shane. Cotto doesnt match up well with oscar and his combination punchers with good jabs. Cottos whole style is built on seek and destroy, he will not be able to blast away oscar, nor will he be able to wear him down. oscar will smothy calculate his plan and jab cotto in the early rounds as he feels cotto out and allows cotto to exploit his weakness. as cotto opens up and lets his hands go, cotto's aggresive rushes will be trampled by oscars fluid combinations and accurate pinpoint shots. Cottos youthness and will allow him to outwork an old tired oscar down the stretch but it wont be enough.


as for oscar not going anywher near him, thats laughable. Oscar is one of the few fighters in history who fought essentially all of the best most dangerous contenders at/around his weight class for a full decade. All oscar does is take on dangerous fighters! even manny steward commented on this, oscars fearless. He has balls.

 

I'm more disappointed Floyd didn't clean out 135 and 140 than I am with him not fighting guys at 147.

By moving out of 135 and 140 as quick as he did he never faced the likes of Stevie Johnston (who I thought beat Jose Luis Castillo twice), Paul Spadafora, Joel Casamayor, Kostya Tszyu, Miguel Cotto or Hatton at his best weight.

That he didn't face welterweights like Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, Carlos Quintana and Paul Williams doesn't really phase me that much, since he's not really a welterweight himself. Would have been great to see him clean out the welterweight division, but I don't really blame him for not doing it.