Why is PBF semi retired when there are so many good boxers that would challenge his

Theres a littel more to it than that.

Mosley fought fighters no one else wanted to, because he couldnt get the biggest fights in his division because he was competing with Oscar.

Oscar gets so much credit for not ducking anyone (except for Winky Wright and Vernon Forest of course!!), yet HE is the big draw. Any fight he takes is going to be a HUGE payday. So how do you know that fighting the best wasn't only his goal because his PRIMARY goal (getting the most money he could) was aleady completed?

Same situation as Oscar.

Hagler COULDN'T get big money fights, so he fought the best (like Mosley) to get noticed. When he finally got big money fights it was against guys sometimes as small as ROBERTO DURAN moving up in weight! The same thing people criticise Floyd for doing when fighting Hatton.

Same situation as Mosley.

Same situation as Oscar.

SAME situation as Mosley or Hagler or Hearns.

Mike Tyson was the biggest boxing draw in the history of the universe for a looong time. And DID he really fight the best? When he got out of prison, he fought lots of bums before stepping up to fight real competition. When he did eventually fight the Holyfields and Lewsies it was for HUGE money.

Towards the end of his caree Mike freely admitted that he as fighting purely for the money!!

Maybe all of those boxers only cared about fighting the best - but just having fought the best doesn't mean that MONEY wasn't your PRIMARY goal!

Hell, think about Sugar Ray Leonad and Thomas Hearns - two fighters on your list. They held off their fight for money months to let the hype and anticipation build. Sound familiar?

 

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The path of least resistance? People love saying that, but its not really true. Look at Floyds last fight. People say its the path of least resistance because he could have fought a top welterweight instead. But WHY is he obligated to fight a top welterweight? What is wrong with the P4P #1 fighting someone out of his weight class?

And Floyd HAS shown interest in fighting Cotto. He said after a fight, on HBO, that he would love to fight Cotto, and that he wants Cotto to build his name a bit more first so they can BOTH make more money.

And 'live' opponents is pretty subjective... BEFORE he fought Hatton, people on this forum felt Hatton was going to knock Floyd out. Same for Oscar. Hell people even thought Baldomir might have stood a chance.

****, I remember some boxing fans thinking that GATTI was going to knock out Mayweather. >>pause for laughter<<

Anyway, you get what I'm saying.

As for who he ants to fight now...you say that he is only caring about money, taking the path of least resistance, etc etc., by fighting Oscar instead of Cotto. But didn't Cotto himself say that he would rather fight Oscar than Floyd?

In my experience, if a boxer CAN get the biggest money fights, they pick the big money fights!! If they feel like they can get a big money fight in the next couple fights, they take a soft opponent while they wait. If their chances of getting a huge fight are slim... then they take on a tough opponent to try to ATTRACT a big money fight.

 

Everything you just talked about is speculation. The facts remain, Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya have a far superior resume to Mayweather. In the event that both Mosley and Hoya fought the same opposition as Floyd, I'd make an educated guess and say they'd both be undefeated also.

Like I said before, the money excuse is a great one. But if you come out and say you are the greatest of all time, then at least try and prove it. Mayweather's resume is thin considering how highly regarded he is by his fans and some critics. I'm not out to get Mayweather but he needs to start stepping to the plate and clearing out his division.

Stop talking about money now. I'm talking about boxing.

 

I honestly think at this point, considering Floyd Mayweather's accomplishments (quite a few, one of the best of this era, despite "haters" insistance), I think Floyd Mayweather is more concerned with staying undefeated than moving up the ATG P4P rankings of people like us here on ESB.

I see him taking on De La Hoya, maybe a couple more big money/low risk affairs, and walking away. I never thought of Mayweather as terribly competitive, just a truly great talent with fantastic speed and skill.

At this point, if Mayweather wants to be GREAT (I'm talking SRR and Ali great, not just one of the best of his era) he's going to have to face the winner of Margarito-Cotto. I'd also like to see a Shane Mosley fight, because that would be fantastic. I just doubt those fights will take place (he's more likely to take a Mosley fight than a Margarito/Cotto fight).

 

Mayweather hasn't fought the best opposition out there. That is undisputable. For whatever reason, it is factual. That is why I don't think Mayweather is as good as the fighters he claims to be better than.

 

Of course its speculation. But its also speculation to say that their resume is the only story there! Saying Floyd isn't interested in fighting Cotto is speculation as well. See here this is going?

Its also speculation to say that if Oscar and Mosley had fought the same fighters that Floyd had, they'd be undefeated.

Mayweather isnt really considered to be great because his competition. Its because of the skills that he demonstrates in his fight, that anyone can see.

And why not talk about money? Its a professional sport, therefore the atheletes get paid.

 

Which opposition should he have fought when, specifically?

 

:deal well stated. :good

 

Indeed. All of that is speculation. But Floyd not fighting the best opposition out there..isn't. That is the bottom line essentially. If Floyd wants to coast his career fighting Ricky Hatton and old Hoya, that is fine by me. He'll still be an ATG. Just nowhere near comparable to the fighters of the past, who fought the best of their era.