Floyd Mayweather Jr – Number 1 boxer on the planet?

jabandmove · Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 996 Location: Telford, England

Floyd Mayweather Jr û Number 1 boxer on the planet?

After the recent matchup between Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya many proclaim the winner, Floyd Mayweather, to be pound for pound the best fighter in the world today. Difficult to argue against this I know, but as I am writing this I find myself wanting more, needing more from my number 1, itÆs a difficult thing to explain, but IÆll try.

I watch Floyd fight and at times I am dazzled by what I see, the movement, the speed, the accuracy of the shots and his amazing ability to avoid being hit cleanly. He is able to dominate fights almost at will and although against De La Hoya he didnÆt dominate the fight he did enough, and there lies my problem, he did enough. From my number 1 fighter I want to see them dominate, I want to see them use all the skills at their disposal and not just do enough, not just back away and score on the counter and maybe that is just my selfishness as a fan taking over, bottom line û itÆs all about winning and winning is what Floyd Mayweather does.

To make a sporting comparison û Floyd reminds me of the Chelsea football team, an unusual comparison to make I know but Chelsea have a lot of resources at their disposal, in the same way as Floyd has with the skill set he brings to the boxing ring. Chelsea were recognised as number 1 in English football (until very recently) as was Floyd in the fight game and both are recognised as winners, but with all the talent and resource available, both fail to impress in my opinion, maybe impress is the wrong word, maybe entertain is the correct word but either way I am left wanting, expecting more. Both do enough to win and the entertainment seems to go by the wayside which can leave the fans with unanswered questions and frustrations.

I canÆt speak for everyone but in general football fans probably donÆt care that much about how their team wins just as long as they win but at a top club like Chelsea who have spent hundreds of millions of pounds in assembling their team, some sort of entertainment along the way might be nice instead of the do enough to win mentality. This is the same way I feel when I watch Floyd fight, I know what he is capable of because IÆve seen it from him before, he keeps telling everyone how good he is and comparing himself with the all time greats so come on Floyd show me, please.

I watched the Oscar v Floyd fight with a group of friends, 2 of whom are casual boxing fans and donÆt tend to stay up to date with boxing unless itÆs a British fighter in for a world title, but I told them the best fighter on the planet was fighting in a huge fight so they were interested. While the fight was on there was mumblings of he just keeps going backwards, he doesnÆt seem to be doing anything and he's only throwing single punches. Obviously I was trying to talk up the sport I love and trying to talk up its number 1 exponent, by the end I realised I was not going to convince them they were watching greatness. I myself was not convinced I was watching greatness.

You canÆt please all of the people all of the time but you can at least try to.

Anyway, what do I know? ItÆs all just my opinion that has been eating away at me since the fight; itÆs now out of my mind and here in black and white for everyone to read and probably disagree with on numerous levels.

Jabandmove.

Seer · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Posts: 11681 Location: Alba

Really good post, Jab..
I don't mind the football comparison at all either!... If we try and take the anti/pro Mayweather feelings out of the equation, I think we are left with more central reasoned thinking.
My own view is, Mayweather is good, very good... one of, if not the best out of the current crop...
All time great? I'm not convinced... There are too many questions still to be asked IMHO! I think tomorrows historians will say the same!

To use your 'football theme'....

Celtic were the first British team to win the European cup (Now known as the Champion's league)... They did that with a team of home-grown Scotsmen...

So, my point being... By comparison, Chelsea are the better team by a country mile... But there are so many questions unanswered!

Who will history remember?

(PS. I'm a Rangers fan, so it pained me to say the above, but credit where its due :wink: )

kerrminator · Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 5552 Location: Scotland

Hats off to Seer for recognizing the UK's best team :whistle: ;) :lol:

Great post too Jab n Move and in reply to your post I reckon Floyd could probably dominated Oscar had he opened up and went to town but I reckon he was being wary due to the fact that Oscar is a lot bigger and more powerfull than the opponents he's used too. Had he went out to totally over power DLH he might have been caught with a big counter and ended up on the seat of his pants so in contrast to your post perhaps the fact he was using his speed to defend rather than attack could also be portrayed as using some of the skills he has at his disposal.

jabandmove · Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 996 Location: Telford, England

Thanks a lot guys. It felt good to get that off my chest :)

lacollier883 · Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 685 Location: Manchester

Good post

I agree that FMJ is probably the best P4P fighter in the world today but isn't exactly the most thrilling to watch.

Mayweather will always use his strengths and doesn't need to get into a inside fight were he could get pounded.

This may not make him the most exciting fighter in the world but his record speaks for itself

Hopefully he will carry on and fight the best available to really prove himself

Moofo · Joined: 26 Nov 2005 Posts: 7536

Shame you used Chelsea as a comparison when Man Utd are Clearly the best british football team Currently.... and of the last 20 years.

As for Floyd being P4P I don't think he is.
Undoubtedly he has skills but he continues to use them against old men and skips the weights.
I really don't understand why people are fooled.
Floyd is good , but not great.
To be great he needs to fight the younger hungrier fighters out there.
No matter what anyone says, he skipped the true champ at 140 and the other contenders.
I am not saying Hatton would defo beat him but this is Floyds legacy for me.......
We will never know how good he is if he retires without fighting the best of HIS generation and not those of the generation before his prime.
Fighters before him who are held as great, fought , lost and beat the best of their era's.
For me this is where Floyd falls short.
His 6 weight "World Champion" status is flawed , bearing in mind he didn't fight the best of each division.
Floyd has achieved , but also underachieved.
I feel he has gained his Degree without doing the full course work.

chris75 · Posted: May 13 2007, 13:17 PM Post subject:

Floyd can be criticised for his downside just like all boxers can.No one is the perfect fighter.I just think some are overly critical of Floyd.

Moofo - You say that Floyd is not p4p in your eyes.Well thats fair enough if that your opinion.I would be very interested who you consider better than Floyd right now then.You also say that Floyds world titles in 5 weights is flawed.To some degree you are right.Their is no question imo that he has been "the man" at 3 weights (130,135,147) and a paper champ at 2 weights (140,154).Surely you can't argue with that.As for the other fighters that have won titles at 5 weights (Hearns, Leonard, De La Hoya), well they definately weren't "the man" at all of those weights either.The only real soft option Floyd took to win a world title was undoubtably fighting Gatti at 140.Imo no way was fighting Oscar at 154 a soft option.

I like most fans would like to see Floyd fight Mosely or Cotto at welter if he continues and i think he will.
No boxer in history has had the perfect flawless career and neither has Floyd.

Just my opinion though!

jabandmove · Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 996 Location: Telford, England

Moofo wrote: Shame you used Chelsea as a comparison when Man Utd are Clearly the best british football team Currently.... and of the last 20 years.

As for Floyd being P4P I don't think he is.
Undoubtedly he has skills but he continues to use them against old men and skips the weights.
I really don't understand why people are fooled.
Floyd is good , but not great.
To be great he needs to fight the younger hungrier fighters out there.
No matter what anyone says, he skipped the true champ at 140 and the other contenders.
I am not saying Hatton would defo beat him but this is Floyds legacy for me.......
We will never know how good he is if he retires without fighting the best of HIS generation and not those of the generation before his prime.
Fighters before him who are held as great, fought , lost and beat the best of their era's.
For me this is where Floyd falls short.
His 6 weight "World Champion" status is flawed , bearing in mind he didn't fight the best of each division.
Floyd has achieved , but also underachieved.
I feel he has gained his Degree without doing the full course work.

I think you may have missed the point of me using Chelsea to compare Floyd to mate. I know Man U are the best team in England at the moment (although Chelsea have been for the last 2 seasons - the league table doesn't lie) but Man U play attractive, attacking, stylish football which in my opinion isn't comarable to Floyd Mayweather, whereas Chelsea are more methodical, they are happy do enough to win without exciting as much, which I feel is comparable to Floyd. Thats why I used Chelsea and not Man U.

Moofo · Joined: 26 Nov 2005 Posts: 7536

I know mate I just wanted to point out , quite rightly that Man utd are the best team of the last 20 years.

BringThePain · Joined: 19 Oct 2005 Posts: 5525

ive got no idea what the football comparison is about but in regards to floyd IF this is it, then his career does leave some questions to be asked, moof people aren't fooled its just some see it differently to you, i def agree with your term'Floyd has achieved , but also underachieved.
I feel he has gained his Degree without doing the full course work.
imo he needs to mop up a few (2 or 3) real top fighters in and around 147 to let him retire (with me) as fulfilled as he could be