How should Mayweather-Marquez affect both fighters' legacies?

Floyd would have beaten Marquez even if they were both 135 fighters at the time. Marquez's weakness was that he never liked being the aggressor in his fights which he would have to be in order to beat a fighter like Floyd.

 

And it's a shame ...by not meeting the catch weight he tainted a masterpiece . Here's a guy who always talks about a "level playing field"

 

He beat a little guy who had never competed over 135 before (and only a couple of times there) at a catchweight of 144, which he attempted to change at the last minute to suit him so he could come in at 146, which he did.

Juan Manuel Marquez was a featherweight, if we're honest. He was still fighting at the 126 limit at age 33, just 3 years before facing Floyd.

The Marquez who weighed 143 a few years later and KO'd Pacquiao was on something, let's face it. Anabolic JMM.
The one who fought Mayweather was the normal JMM.

 

It was an impressive comeback performance from Floyd Mayweather Jr, but the facts suggest fighters who clearly belong in different divisions competing against each other, under conditions that were further skewed by the larger fighter's decision to further strengthen that advantage.

 

Marquez was dramatically undersized. He doesn’t have the style to beat Floyd but that’s irrelevant when discussing the merits of this win. Marquez was barely a lightweight and then bulked up overnight with pudge and Floyd even didn’t make weight and had nothing to even think about.

It’s a nothing fight and was a waste of time.

 

Yea, but Marquez destroyed Manny at 147 lbs so he can't be dismissed in that division. Floyd wasn't a natural 147 pounder either.

Floyd was just a cut above both guys pound for pound.

Floyd and Marquez were both great fighters - Floyd was just greater.

I don't think their fight hurts Marquez's overall standing.

It may elevate Floyd's a little bit.

 

As far as a comeback fight goes it's not too bad. But there isn't an awful lot of credit deserved for this fight.

 

Marquez was physically "built up" when he destroyed Pacquiao though. The difference in his lean mass, in his physique, was remarkable and attracted loads of comment at that time, especially since he was in his late 30s. Anabolic steroids (or something similar) is the likely reason.
Against Mayweather he was more normal, just an inflated featherweight.

If Floyd "wasn't a natural 147 pounder" either, it's even more shameful that he didn't make the 144 weight. In fact, if he's a small guy too, he should have come back to 135 or 140. He obviously considered himself too large to make 144 even.

Truth is, he was clear significantly bigger than Marquez.
Marquez was fighting at 126 pounds until he was 33 years of age. A featherweight at a mature age.
Mayweather last fought at 130 pounds when he was 24 years of age.

 

If im being honest the first thing I thought when I saw them in the ring was god look how much smallers JMM is then Mayweather .

 

And that 3rd PAC bout should be thrown out-JMM was jucied to the gills .