if he was to fight the exact same guys as Mayweather has how would he do? Would he also be undefeated? Which foes give him the most issues? Let's assume whitaker is relatively active for these fights and isn't retiring or falling victim do drug addiction etc etc.
Floyd's best opponents Hernandez Corrales Castillo*2 De la Hoya Hatton Marquez Cotto Alvarez Pacquiao I see prime Whitaker beats them all without any doubt, some by KO, and beats Castillo easily twice. Hovewer, in the real life Whitaker wasn't nearly as dedicated as Floyd and didn't have healthy lifestyle so he would've started to decline by 34-35 and by 38 he would be a shot fighter.
Floyd Mayweather fought these opponents over a 19-year period. He's 38 years old. Do you want to compare how Whitaker would do against the same guys if Whitaker was the same age Floyd was when he fought them? Or do you want a "prime" Whitaker fighting all Mayweather's opponents? (Which doesn't seem too fair since Pernall didn't have a 19-year prime, and neither has Floyd.) For instance, Whitaker began slowing down and struggling with guys like Rivera as early as 1996 - when Pernell was 32 years old. By the following year, at age 33, Pestryav was giving Pernell a hard time. When Mayweather was 32, he was owning Marquez and, at 33, he was beating Shane Mosley. By the age of 35, Whitaker was a shell of himself against Trinidad. When Mayweather was 35, he was winning 10 rounds against Cotto. By the age of 37 ... when Mayweather was fighting Canelo ... Whitaker was losing to the likes of Bojorquez on Tuesday Night Fights. If Whitaker had to fight Floyd's opponents at the age Floyd was when he fought them, I'd say Pernell LOSES to: * Mosley * Cotto * Alvarez * Pacquiao Hell, I don't even know if a 34-year-old Whitaker beats Ortiz or a 36-year-old Whitaker beats Guerrero. I'm not sure if a 32-year-old Whitaker (the guy who fought Rivera) beats Juan Manuel Marquez. Rivera wasn't exactly a world-beater himself, whereas Marquez was THE reigning lightweight champion. So FOUR LOSSES for sure if Whitaker fought the same guys at the same time. And maybe as many as SEVEN. I also think Zab Judah would've given Pernell a rough night. For what it's worth.
Yeah, let's say Whitaker doesn't have any of these fights past the age of 34... Which makes a little sense because Floyd wasn't as active as Whitaker.. retirement etc etc. So let's say he's just a little more active and follows the same lineup as Floyd fought.. he just fights them a little earlier. So Whitaker fights Pac at age 34
Well Ortiz ain't beating even drug-addicted Whitaker, Ortiz is a joke and has no heart and no chin. Rivera would KO Ortiz in Collazo style. Mosley a hard call, too. He was old and shot and couldn't beat average Sergio Mora in his next fight and lost 120-107 to Pacquiao a year later. So I can pick 33 y.o. Whitaker over Mosey
The Ortiz who fought Collazzo was coming off back-to-back KO losses. And he was stopped a third time. The Ortiz who fought Mayweather was coming off a fight of the year victory over Andre Berto. I think that Ortiz gives the aging Whitaker a hard night, moreso than Rivera did. And I think that Ortiz handles Rivera just fine. Rivera was a skinnier, less powerful version of Ortiz. I was never impressed with Rivera. He lost to everyone. Yet, he gave Pernell two tough fights.
I agree that Rivera was nothing special and Pernell was far from his best (cocaine, lack of motivation etc). But Ortiz is IMO Floyd's weakest opponent since Sharmba Mitchell, and his claim to fame is a win over C level Andre Berto. Guerrero was far better than Ortiz as Floyd and Berto fights showed Baldomir was better, Judah was better, old Mosley was better. Ortiz has the talent, but zero heart and chin
I'm not buying that, sorry. Whitaker wasn't "more active" than Mayweather. By the time he was 37, Whitaker had been a pro 17 years and engaged in 45 bouts. By the time he was 37, Mayweather had been a pro for 18 years and engaged in 47 bouts. Mayweather took off two years. Whitaker took off two years at one point, and a year at another. Mayweather has been more active than Pernell was.
I agree, Ortiz wasn't strong opponent. But neither was Rivera. And he gave Whitaker two hard fights. That's why I said I thought Ortiz would give Whitaker a hard fight, too. Rivera didn't beat Whitaker. Ortiz probably doesn't either. But the Rivera-Whitaker fights were so close, never know.
They are relatively close I agree, but to me more active is also seeking the tougher challenges and moving up faster. Active doesn't just mean fighting whoever... active also means actively trying to prove yourself against the toughest challenges. Whitaker crushes Floyd in this area, and it's not even close really. So while they might have had the same number of fights near the same amount of time... I consider Whitaker schedule tougher because of the fights he took. Which is tougher fighting 4 scrubs a year or fighting 2 of the toughest guys in whatever division you're complaining in? One is very active, the other is just "active"
He would've lost some of the recent fights as he was done at a younger age, but prime for prime i favor him over all Floyd's oponents...
I'm not even sure the "age/decline" arguments for Whitaker are valid. He arguably beat a prime Oscar De La Hoya at 33 years old. He lost to a prime Trinidad at 36. (There was also his last fight where he got injured against some guy I forget his name, and, yes, Mayweather has never had that kind of performance or the alleged crack cocaine habit.) But - people might have forgotten - prime Trinidad was a fierce fighter. Better than the men Floyd's been facing lately. I think an OLD Whitaker beats the 36 year old Pacquiao anyway. And Maidana.
