I never found this to be true at all. Either Manny or no one of consequence, after fighting the older legends at the lower weights.
I don't think they declined him as much as knew he would not generate the money need to fight someone that good. He really was not around when they were in a prime sense. Leonard,Duran,Hearns and Hagler wanted to fight each other. I don't think fighting someone that good outside that group was interesting to them, similar to why would any of them fight Nunn or Kalambay at that point.
Dude went to Light Heavyweight and said that making weight there was a struggle as well... Ward had ZERO intentions of fighting Golovkin.
Yes. El Terrible was my choice. Kept fighting Pac until he lost.....and trading with Pac as a suicidal act to prove he didn't just need to outbox him.