What would it take for a fighter to eclipse SRR at # 1

For people, like those in this forum to wisen up.

 

I admire your grit, ChJ, but you might have an entirely different POV had you seen SRR fight live as a welter. I suspect you'd feel much as you do about Joe C.

 

In a modern career...lasting approximately 50-60 fights, one would either have to absolutely obliterate a talented division, and move up to win titles against a respected champion at higher weight divisions, and cleaning out those divisions as well, in order to have any hope of eclipsing the likes of Armstrong, Robinson, and Greb (the three who have the greatest claim to the number one slot, imo.)

If Mayweather continues to defend his welterweight title against capable opposition, (Hatton, Cotto/Mosley winner, Cintron, Margarito/Williams II winner, and lets throw Clottey in as a solid contender to round out the list), and then retires undefeated, he'll probably earn some consideration (he'll probably land in my Top 10 if that happens). If he defeats the lineal middleweight champion to round off his career, then he'll earn more consideration.

It probably won't happen, though...but if this does come to pass, then I'll understand why some people might consider rating him over the likes of SRR or Homicide Hank.

 

Why does Mayweather need to go from 130-160? When Armstrong only went from 126-147? Mayweathers already gone from a smallish 130 to 154 (against an ATG weighing). Armstrong was a natural lightweight (only fought 13times at the 126 limit) and won his welterweight title from a light hitting natural lightweight that was past his prime.

Then we could go into how Robinson and Armstrong never faced Burley and the black murderers row crew and therefore never faced the best competition of their times.

 

I think there are a number of fighters who have an equaly strong claim to the No1 p4p slot.

Dixon, Langford, Greb, Wlaker, Armstrong to name a few.

 

IMO it´s almost impossible for a fighter today to break that record, they´re just way too passive and fight simply not often enough...

(I can only perhaps immagine someone, who won at the Olympics the gold medal and turns pro at the age of 25 or so, and faces than immediately very good opposition, and when he fights often enough aagainst the best outthere, than maybe, but I doubt it)

 

I think SRR is a tuff act to follow. When we look at all the areas of specialty in the history of our civilization, there are names that are permanantely engraved in them. Einstein for example, will always be thought of when the subject of physics is brought up. Babe Ruth and Baseball are tightly linked together as well. Leonardo Divinci, Michael angelo, Amedeus Motzart, numerous others. This is how I view Sugar Ray Robinson.

 

Well, we could also go into the fact that Mayweather never faced KT for the lineal title at 140lbs, or that he never faced Casamayor/Frietas to truly obliterate 130lbs (he's still my #1 all time at that weight, btw.)

The fighter that Mayweather did beat for the welterweight title, sadly, isn't nearly as accomplished as the fighter that Armstrong beat, or even the fighter that SRR faced to win the welterweight title (Tommy Bell was a damned good fighter). That's not to say that PBF can't eclipse those two, but it does mean that he's got a fair amount of work to do in order to make that happen.

In order to really make a case for being the all-time best, Mayweather is going to have to do something truly excpetional, given that he more or less bypassed the best fight he could have made at 140lbs. Cleaning out a talented weight division will certainly help his cause...but beating the 160lb champion (whomever that might be) on top of that would be the exceptional accomplishment needed for someone to stand up really take this claim into account.

 

I think robbie could be overtaken and several in history have a claim anyway. (armstrong,greb,ray leonard,duran.)
It would take a guy to take on and beat all his best opposition at two or three weights,and for this opposition to be atg status...Just think if ray leonard had not suffered the deatched retina and then he beat prime don curry,rematches prime hearns successfully at 154,then outpoints the marvelous one in 84,then beats mccallum,jackson,nunn,toney,hopkins and then monsieur jones is outgritted....I can envisage that scenario....
sometimes the talent is there but either **** happens or the opposition is not around to prove your real worth. (eg jones in his prime.)

 

Klitschko KO7 to go with Mormeck KO4; Sultan KO2; Valuev KO10; Holyfield KO3; Lewis KO1 and then to get a Hagler/Hearnsesque war out of Ruiz.... then he may be top 3

 

Well,

Mayweather has won some 7 titles in 5 different divsions, and has won all of his pro fights thus far. There is very little to almost no padding on that record. If he manages to beat Ricky Hatton in December, it will be a huge step towards placing him along side the sport's elite.

 

Agreed, for the most part.

A victory over hatton would certainly enhance his legacy. So would a victory over the winner of Cotto/Mosley.

But...one can discount the title at 140lbs as relatively meaningless. So, for that matter, is the title at 154. Mayweather was stellar at 140lbs, and a victory over DLH, regardless of a title, is quite an achievement.

Still, he's really only held championships in three divisions...which is quite an achievement in its own right.