How great is floyd really?

Louis
Ali
Duran
Hagler
Hearns
Leonard
Armstrong
Robinson
Pep
Monzon


It's really easy to keep going. Floyd is an ATG but don't get
outlandish.

 

I answered your question specifically so no I'm not just calling out names, that is an objective list. If you take a random poll of boxers, journalists, and knowledgeable boxing fans that are actually educated in the sport, 95% of them will rank everyone that I mentioned higher than Floyd. Your assumption that Floyd's accomplishments are superior to all of them is extremely subjective.

 

Tyson higher than Ali?
How on earth has Mayweather (or Pacquiao for that matter since they are pretty much even achievement wise, head to head is different) accomplished more than Ali, Leonard, Duran, Robinson and Armstrong? Some even suggest Hopkins is equally as viable as Mayweather or Pacquiao or Calzaghe being up there in the top 50.

 

Greatness is relative to the level of competition and talent available to compete against. But it's safe to say that he has been a level above the competition, in many different weight classes, and in 2 different eras really.

Very few boxers in history you can say that for.

He is consistent, and is extremely well at winning in the "sport of boxing".

where as someone like Pacquiao is a slightly different kind of great. He is not so consistent, and is not so great at winning in the "sport of boxing". However he has had more moments of greatness and awe.

Mayweather is the greatest "athlete" the sport has seen since maybe Roy Jones. And by "athlete", I don't mean most athletic. I mean competing within the parameters of their sport, and winning.

 

:deal

 

I will definitely agree on competition available and looking outstanding with a few blips, he's struggled on a handful of occasions and got down in the trenches so we've seen some of that deeper character that all greats show, he just has not had the competition to bring that out of him as we all know his cautious, outstanding technical approach to gathering the points and cheques. Pacquiao had the mexican warfare triangle and the comebacks from Morales and KTFO6, this no doubt paints a colossal swathe of his legacy and papers over the cracks of Mosley, Hatton and De La Hoya who were in nowhere near the form Mayweather fought them in.

It's the tiring old question; if Mayweather fought in the 70's/80's what would his record be?
If Leonard, Hagler, Hearns and Duran fought Mayweather or Pacquiao's resume - would they compare favourably?

Now the weights would be a little off so it'd take some imagination and it's all a ****shoot anyway, is Mayweather really that much better except for if someone's pressure gets to him or has he not fought the perfect kryptonite ala Marquez vs Manny? I believe he's fought everybody, Margarito was a possibility, Williams, Martinez at a cw which would've been tainted either way...
Take away the 'end of the road' losses and losses to fellow greats, you'd find the other resumes aren't exactly flagging behind Mayweather. His ability is easily up for GOAT, but ability and accomplishments aren't a mirror are they?

 

So that means he has lost before, which means he's taken on challenges and doesn't always take fights he knows he can win. Right? :think

 

I don't have time for these atg lists, this guy is #6, this guy is #14 etc... A waste of time unless you are getting paid for it. I just go by what I see, what is on film. Records don't really mean all that much, they can be manufactured. I like Floyd, he amuses the hell out of me, but I just don't see these great performances that supposedly have elevated him to this TBE status. He really doesn't even try to hurt the opponent, just play defense and try to steal rounds and run out the clock. No real memorable moments to discuss or anything like that. He is a hustler who knows how to play the game and make the money, and he is a great fighter, no doubt, just not my cup of tea

 

The most important point in this whole thread. :deal

In answer to the title question rather than the nonsense in your post: he is GREAT, incredibly good.

Depending on how much longer he goes and who he fights (I imagine he will go 50-0 and bow out) off the top of my head I think he'd fit in nicely somewhere in the top 15-30 ATG's, maybe pushing top 10.

 

I think he will fall between 15-25.....top ten would require extensive work....I think he has a case though for 15-25...I don't see him lower than 30 at the very least