Is Mayweather underrated ?

According to some people he isn't even top 100, which is pure comedy. You can pick apart his resume all you want, the facts of the matter are that he retired 50-0 and beat the vast majority of the best of his era. He is undeniably top 5 in terms of defense and has insane ring IQ and ability to adjust.

 

This is what makes him elite and yes, some denigrate him horribly out of the age old desire to protect the hero-like fighters of their youth, however, being top of his era doesn't necessarily make him top all time.

Undoubtedly, one of the best pugilists of all time - wouldn't call him a God of War - his being seen as favourite over guys who beat better competition and were better suited to the weight at WW all the way up to MW as some would argue would indicate that people have a hard time separating his ring record from his actual ability comparative to naturally bigger men, equally as fast, if not faster, stronger of punch and who demonstrated ability to concede natural size against liver opponents.

I would argue with anyone that Floyd, much like Roy Jones' ability from 160 - 175 lbs, could arguably beat anyone from 130 lbs - 140 lbs (he looked his best versus Gatti in terms of combination, power, speed and reflex - obviously factoring that Gatti was a punching bag in there, for me), but to make him favourite over the likes of a Hearns or both Rays at WW, to argue his credentials over a prime Hagler, as I have seen, based on his zero, as opposed to consideration of their natural advantages, skillsets and mentalities, means that he is gaining unwarranted elevation above prior greats who actually achieved/offered more in the ring at the weights that said fights would be contested at.

 

Overrated.
He lost to Castillo and needed the ref to constantly save him from Maidana even after he somehow had the power to force Maidana into wearing pillows while he wore Grants.

 

Agree he's very skilled, achieved a great deal and had one of the most rapid adjustment-brains I've seen, but there's an incredible amount of defensive savants in all of boxing history across all weights. Its so very crowded up there at that the top of that list.

I'm probably going over old ground but I think people bawk at how he was very selective about when he fought opponents...he didn't just a swathe taking on all comers the way eg. Toney did in '93. Its a big caveat to his achievements....and an important one as if he'd not been so selective then its certain we'd have seen him pushed more ala Maidana I. We might have a less stellar view of his defensive abilities if he'd taken the best at their best and been pushed more.

 

Mayweather wasn't selective at all at in terms of fighting the best at 130 and 135, which would compare to Toney.

The other fights at higher weights weren't all that selective either. Mosley wouldn't fight him earlier, ditto Arum blocking the Pac fight. He fought Oscar at the first chance he got. Hatton was at his peak and Cotto was close to it.

I can't see it unless you want to die defending Margarito.

 

Mayweather didn't do anything like what Toney in the early 90's....it was pretty incredible and was a throwback from an era 40 years earlier. You might have needed to have been alive at the time to know that. Mayweather was selective...I mean, pitching a period when that is more debatable doesn't change how carefully he allowed himself to be matched at the higher weights...which interestingly is when he began to be really applauded for his defensive skills. There's obviously an inter-relationship there...like when a skilled prospects moves up in caliber of opponents and started getting tagged a lot?

C'mon man, weren't you alive then? He was very careful about who he fought and especially when...christ, he retired to dodge one fighter's peak. If you can't concede that there's no point continuing this.

I don't know what you mean here. I think your confusing me with someone else's post.

 

Thank you for your complete lack of specifics. I have no idea whose peak he retired to duck. It couldn't be Williams who lost right around the time Mayweather retired and was at 160 six months later.

 

mayweather isnt a classic boxer why is this mentioned here!

 

I got papke as a better infighter ,your main stands though!

 

Yeah, I think he's a bit underrated. To stay on top for as long as he did, be undefeated and very rarely run even close is the mark of a true ATG. I can see him in the top 10 with no real trouble, maybe even top 5.

 

Not even top 20.

 

I agree. Anyone who has him outside the top 10 h2h for 130-140 is lying to themselves. Resume and personality have nothing to do with it. People can't separate their dislike for him from their assessment of his actual boxing ability.

 

I agree he should have taken on more styles and fighters.

I would give Whitaker footwork he was like a snake on ice. Very hard to pin down and very flashy yet effective. Mayweather had great footwork but it was fairly straightforward in some fights.

I do agree Mayweather was more well rounded in terms of defense. Had more tricks and abilities up his sleeve.

 

Who are the 20 you would have in front of him?

 

This is completely false.

Plenty of people on forums, (this one included, check the general section anytime there's a Mayweather thread involving joker or CJ), YouTube/facebook comment sections, and in person blast Mayweather's defense and call him a "runner" or a "chicken" who has "boring fights".

You must be living under a rock or have only skimmed through very select Mayweather threads. He's been dealing with harsh criticism of his style for more than a decade.