How Would You Rate Mayweather, H2H, at Each Weight?

There’s zero logic in predicting that a guy wouldn’t fight Canelo at 154, would have signed to have fought a guy like Hearns.

It’s just laughable.

 

2lbs. A large **** approaches that.

 

Yeah why not? You think elite fighters just allow other fighters to impose themselves and wait for the 'inevitable' early knockout? Blockbuster boxing bouts hardly ever go that way. How many people had Holyfield beating Tyson twice before it happened? You think Mayweather can't make Hearns think twice with those laser counters and impenetrable defence? This isn't a video game.

When a fighter has that kind of accuracy at the elite level, it's a game changer. Why do you think Pacquiao was hesitant? Why did Canelo do **** all for 12 rounds pretty much? It happens.

 

We’ve done this to death man.

During the 5 year saga, Roach said many things.

Nobody ran anywhere. They both went their separate ways when they couldn’t reach a compromise. But the fact remains, the fight still took ages to make, even after Manny had agreed to everything.

That proves that the testing issue wasn’t the sole reason for the fight not having happened sooner.

Then after years of slandering Manny with zero evidence, we then found out that Floyd had an illegal IV which the governing body had zero knowledge of, until nearly a month after the fight.

So yes, the criticism of Floyd is more than justified.

 

toss whitaker in there. Thatd be a chess match and whitakers jab would carry the day.

 

You’ve clearly missed the point.

 

154: toss winky wright in there

 

I think Mayweather can impose himself on Whitaker and has a speed advantage but I respect Whitaker's skill level and won't decry anybody picking him.

 

Not really. Canelo had enough of a size advantage in there, admit it. Did you want to see Mayweather in there against Ward or something? Just bigger and bigger men until he eventually lost, I guess. I like Canelo, but this was too soon.

 

Nah, out of all the guys listed, i favor whitaker. Whitaker would just outland him and control him with the jab.

 

OK. I think Mayweather is faster, has an ATG jab and is an elite counter puncher. Is that Whitaker's nightmare or not?

 

You really think that Floyd would have had the confidence to have fought Hearns, and offensively, in order to have tried to have won the majority of the rounds?

Again, this is make belief.

A fantasy.

Even if we assume for the sake of argument, that he’d have been full of confidence and he’d have taken the fight, what realistically would have been his road to victory?

Yes, we know that excellent smaller boxers can beat much bigger fighters who were less skilled. There’s countless examples to note which have happened throughout the history of the sport. But this would have been a master boxer vs another master boxer. But one was 5’8 with a 72” reach, and the other one was 6’1 with a 78” reach, as well as also possessing a lightening jab.

Floyd’s laser right hand which you’ve noted, would had to have gotten inside of Hearns’ reach in order to have scored.

Now list me all of the guys who outboxed Tommy.

Leonard tried it and got bashed up.

Benitez tried it and it wasn’t enough.

Marvin didn’t even attempt it at all.

Hill tried it but it wasn’t enough.

Floyd simply didn’t have the size to outbox Tommy Hearns.

Yes, he could have outboxed a fighter of Tommy’s size. But not a guy of that size who also possessed Tommy’s boxing skills.

What other option did Floyd have?

He couldn’t have fought him toe to toe and knocked him out like Leonard and Marvin did. Because he simply didn’t possess the firepower at WW and JMW. In most of his fights there, he was a safety first fighter with hand issues.

The fight wouldn’t have been a toss up.

He didn’t have the size to have outboxed him, and he didn’t have the power to have stopped him.

It’s probably the worst stylistic match up for Floyd throughout the history of the sport.

 

In the early stages of his career, he faced Corrales (who was considered to be at least 50/50 to defeat him). He then faced JLC, who was considered the number one guy at 135lbs (with an injured shoulder, no less). Gave JLC an immediate rematch after winning the decision on the cards.

As for some of the other things you've mentioned...

Not sure what "sucker-punching" Ortiz has to do with anything, but y'know...Protect Yourself At All Times-especially after you spend four rounds intentionally headbutting your opponent.

Speaking of fouls, Maidana could easily have had points deducted for repeated fouls (including an attempted knee at one point) in the first fight. It's not like FMJ received preferential treatment then. Maybe Floyd played hardball in terms of the type of gloves in the rematch, but at the very least Floyd granted him the rematch when the first fight turned out to be closer than expected.

Manny's fear of needles was a contributing factor in the fight initially not being made. IV issue notwithstanding (and since the TUE was granted retroactively, it is considered to be legal), Floyd faced Manny when they were both in the P4P rankings and occupying the top two slots of the welterweight rankings. So, yes...Floyd fought and defeated the best available guy at the weight.

As for Canelo...Yes, it was a 152 lb catchweight, which was all of one pound less than what Alvarez weighed in the previous fight. No rehydration limit, either. As far as mitigating circumstances go, that's pretty marginal.

So, in his generation, Floyd still managed to face the number one guy in four of the five divisions he competed in, and granted rematches in the two fights where (some) observers disputed the result.

But, in a previous generation, where the circumstances are different, Floyd is probably more willing to face the best available guys in order to win titles. He's going to have to in order to get the paydays he wants at that point in boxing history.

And, I don't need a degree in psychology to understand that.

 

I never claimed Floyd is a clear favourite in this matchup. That's disingenous. But I take issue with you stating that Hearns was the same 'master boxer'. Great boxer, but he relied on freakish physicality, that's what makes this a toss up.

Mayweather could catch Hearns on the way in repeatedly and make it competitive, steal rounds and surprise people - who thought he'd **** Cotto and Canelo up in the pocket at a higher weight? Yes, if Hearns is at his best and controls the distance perfectly, uses his reach advantage and doesn't get carried away then obviously he can win the fight but when it comes to elite level boxing you can't say for certain that Fighter A beats Fighter B. Not at this level.

Let me ask you a question - do you give Pac a chance against Duran?

 

130.. can lose to Arguello
135... can lose to Duran, JCC, Whitaker
140... can lose to Duran (never fought there), JCC, Whitaker
147... can lose to SRR, Leonard, Hearns, Duran