Is it possible for a fighter to be.....

A five time world champion and has won eight world titles, yet not have ONE defining fight? Some of you already know where I'm going with this, and who I'm talking about but it needs to be asked. Today on ESPN Floyd Mayweather's new contract with Showtime was discussed on First Take and on cue was Skip Bayless to try and diminish Mayweather's achievements in boxing by referring to an article that a writer at ESPN wrote stating, the one thing Mayweather's resume lacks is that one fight to define his career. While it's obvious this writer is referring to the fight that hasn't happened, and probably isn't going to, it's this kind of standard that will always have Mayweather's accomplishments in boxing questioned. Discuss.

 

@jeffjoiner

I agree with you in part, I too believe that the earlier part of Mayweather's career is overlooked, when it comes to assessing his accomplishments. In terms of fights people want to see, other than Pacquiao and Margarito, I don't think there's been too many which didn't get made. Many people argue that he didnt fight a prime Cotto, but I think it's been well established that Cotto's handlers didn't want that fight. It's been argued that he didn't fight a prime Mosley, but it's been established that Mosley didn't really want that fight and moved up to fight De La Hoya for more money (which I understand). But if Mosley gets a pass for passing up Mayweather to fight De la Hoya for more money, why doesn't Mayweather get that same pass for passing up Margarito to fight Baldomir for more money?

 

@OnePunchko

Yes Pacquiao COULD have been that career defining fight, but I can't help but think if Mayweather would have fought and beat him, the bar would have been raised, much like it is now with the talk of him fighting Martinez and even Alvarez.

 

@QuincyK

No, not trolling and I'm definitely not going off of what Skip Bayless is saying. It's actually what a writer for ESPN wrote but Bayless referenced. Look its no secret that Bayless hates Mayweather based on conversations he's had on his show with Stephen A. Smith in which Bayless refuses to give Mayweather any credit unless he fights Pacquiao, which now, wouldn't mean much. My question was simply does this writer have a point. I'll be honest I was being a bit sarcastic simply because I think Mayweather has had career defining fights, Corrales being one of them, and even to a certain extent Castillo II, hell I even think Genaro Hernandez could be one of his career defining fights, but like some posters have already stated, we forget Mayweather is where he's at today, because of what he did yesterday.