I'll be the first to admit that my boxing knowledge is as deep as a kiddy pool, but when something perks my interest I look deeper into it. I would say this applies to all sports. I've been looking at the current boxers and where they should and shouldn't rank in the All Time Greats list. I've been looking at peoples arguments who is better or not base on there losses or lack there of. I feel that people are putting too much weight and emphasis on a fighter's loss column. I might even say that a fighter's career isn't complete without one... I was looking over various lists of analyst's top 10 ATGs. I looked over their careers. Nearly all of them had pivotal losses in their careers. BUT managed to bounce back and dominate. Often we have the momentum to keep going, but when the wind gets knocked out of your sails do you have the heart to bring yourself back up to speed? I'm sure there are many up and coming fighters out there that people thought would dominate, but ended up fizzling out. I wouldn't apply this to all of them, cuz heck sometimes you are just born at the right time and there isn't anyone there to beat you. Heck even Michael Jordan (considered the best of all time, let's not get into that). Didn't even get into the Finals until his seventh year. So I feel that many ATGs aren't there just because of their record, but also the story of how they got there inspired. In some cases you might be fighting to get yourself out of a hole. Or in others you might have been bread from the start.
Some good points. Obviously to be good fighter you must have the mental attributes. And to be on the ATG list you must challenge the best and sometimes even take impossible challenges. When you do this you inevitably loss somewhere on the road. And when you are a true champion you know how to get back on the road without listening to all the armchair critics.
I agree that the ability to come back stronger from your losses is often what seperates the very good from the special. Of course you still don't want TOO many losses to keep coming back from! Marciano is the exception to the rule since he never lost. But he did have tough times when he was close to losing, like the Walcott I fight and the Charles fight with the cut.
I think in the end most of the want to be top fighters who have lost come back and attain notoriety. They can't all be Kobe, Lebron and MJ. The boxers that are constantly brought up are only like a few percent of the whole fighters list. So in the end PBF, PAC, and all the other top names thrown around today are put under a microscope. Really when Pac lost to Morales the first time, he could have folded and never become the noted fighter he is today. I think people want to see PBF lose, show he's human and see what he does after. Maybe prove he wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
I know it's corny, but that quote goes along way toward describing the difference between the very good, and the very best. The best can lose rounds, lose fights, sustain injuries, become wealthy, go broke, or whatever, and keep moving forward. In my mind Alexis Arguello is THE premier example of this. Go over to Box Rec and check out his first 20 or so fights, and then stop to think about that fact that this man went on to become a legend, and one the the most respected ATG's in history.
