Pacquiao and Mayweather are the best boxers in the last several years. Who was the last boxer equal or better than either one of them, in any weight class?
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Pacquiao and Mayweather are the best boxers in the last several years. Who was the last boxer equal or better than either one of them, in any weight class?
What do you mean? Fighters who they have been in the ring with or in history?
I think in the ring Morales was the last one to beat Pac but some might say Marquez re match he got beat.
Mayweather hasn't really been in trouble or near loosing since Castillo one other than that no one.
Sorry had a few beers I just re read it lol
I think the last superstar of boxing before these two would probably be RJJ or Oscar Dela Hoya.
The current Ring/IBF/WBO/IBO Heavyweight Champion is on pretty good run right now a case could be made for him as dominant as he's been.
Roy Jones Jr. to the point where he beat John Ruiz was a fighter who rarely lost a second of a round he fought vs top competition.
Bernard Hopkins up until when he fought Jermain Taylor was pretty dominant
There are plenty of fighters that have been seemingly unbeatable
Easily RJJ, BHOP, and maybe Lennox plus neither drained their opponent. Also roy and Bhop's only close fight were against each other.
RJJ is the most likely candidate and probably a greater physical talent than either PBF and Pac, but unfortunately he fought at a time of relatively low-level competition. Its no fault of his but to be among the greatest you need fellow greats...like Ali with liston, frazier, foreman, etc. And against the best available, ie Hopkins and Toney, he produced unremarkable performances...though he clearly won. I also deduct points for PEDs.
PBF and Pac have put on great performances against the best available, like ODLH and Hatton. I think you have to go back to Sweet Pea, who is easy to compare with PBF, for an equal. He had great completion--Chavez and Nelson and McGirt--and performed in a great manner when he fought them. He almost beat a red-hot prime ODLH too, when he (Sweat Pea) was already in decline.
Its much harder to compare Sweat Pea with PacMan, Apples and Oranges and all that. JCC was a similar fighter though, but I think Pac is clearly superior. Duran would make an interesting case however. Similar furious style and a great defensive fighter too, with a lot of head movement. While it appears Pac is more dominant than Duran was at the higher divisions, Duran did fight better competition...defeating the great SRL at welter and facing monsters like Hagler and Hearns.
Yeh I vote Roy aswell! He was the first person to come to mind and I think for his tym he was just as dominant as Pac.
Pernell Whitaker, never truly lost a fight or looked bad in his prime from 135-147. The 1st Ramirez fight and the Chavez draw was a travesty.
Will there be another Roy Jones ? Probably not. Stopped Virgil Hill with a body shot. :cool:
Roy Jones Jr no doubt.
I don't think you can say Roy Jones Jr, he never beat the same caliber of guys as Mayweather or pacquiao. Floyd actually going up to 154 and Manny fighting at 150 easily match or surpass Roy going to heavyweight consdering where they started and who they have been fighting. Roy honestly doesn't have the career to back him up if he was to be compared to these two, and I think if they met p4p he would lose because he never trained like these two do, he simply relied too much on things that these two have to almost equal degree as him which is speed, coordination and reflexes. Mayweather would outbox him, and Pacquiao would outfight him in an amazing fight. I mean just listen to people who have seen all the fighters of the past 30 plus years and they all say that nobody has been like Manny offensively. And statiscally nobody even Whitaker and Roy Jones have even come close to comparing to Floyd's defensive skill. I think you would honestly have to look at the very top guys ever to find guys in the same league as Floyd and Manny, and though I have Roy pretty high on my list in his prime, I don't think he or Whitaker truly had the opposition or all roundedness these two have developed. Whitaker didn't have that great speed, and he got hit a lot more than Floyd does, and he didn't have the offensive ability to dominate the same way Manny has. Roy has all the physical gifts, but he was more in there to put on a show than truly get down to business and I think his level opposition allowed for that, but it didn't force Roy to be the fighter he was capable of being, and it showed against some of the guys he faced.
if in terms of athleticism and skill and not accomplishments i will agree roy jones jr. is definitely it in my opinion.
Easy. Roy Jones!
boxing is about more than just speed and skill though, and Roy doesn't have the skill of Mayweather and he lacked the tenacity of Pacquiao. Without one or the other he's missing something that puts them on a different level, also the fact they work way harder than him in the gym.
RJJ was so dominant that he made it look as if the guys he was fighting shouldn't have been anywhere near a ring. Even though over half of them went on to hold at least one of the major belts which should count for something. Someone also said some bullshit about RJJ not working hard in the gym or being as good defensively.
Who was the last fighter to go an entire round without being hit? Roy Jones Jr.
Also I think you can count one hand how many times Prime RJJ was hit flush.
Not working hard in the GYM? Nobody stays p4p 1 for as long as Roy did without putting in serious gym time. But that's irrelevant to the question because no matter how hard one works in the gym, both pac and floyd would be kayoed inside of 6, p4p vs RJJ because he had way more power and speed.
No one in recent history has done what Pacquaio is doing, which is tear through the weight classes crushing the best fighter in each division with an exciting style. I cant believe people are even bringing up B Hop. There is a reason when Hop was middleweight no one cared about him. He had the worst style and most boring fights. For RJJ, he didnt always fight the best. I cant really think of another fighter that is doing what Pac is doing. If he moves up and beats the winner of martinez/williams I would have him as best fighter of all time.
Well, after last night David Haye takes that accolade. In 3 ferocious rounds he only got hit once by the 'always dangerous' Audley Harrison. What a hero.Quote:
Originally Posted by JonesJrMayweather
Its his ferocity and way he fights while being dominate. I'd say early Jones as far as reflex,Hopkins on length, Mayweather on caring about his "0". But they never faced what Manny has,biggest threats available. More so Mayweather and Jones jr .
"No one in recent history has done what Pacquaio is doing, which is tear through the weight classes crushing the best fighter in each division with an exciting style."
This--"crushing the best fighter in each division"--is not yet true of Welter and JrMW. Clearly, PBF and Mosley were the best WWs available, other than Pac himself, during his time spent in that division. For a while Williams was right behind them. Reasonable people can differ on who is to blame for Pac and PBF not yet fighting, but its fairly clear that Mosley and Williams were desperate for a Pac fight at welter.
I don't recall Margarito ever being listed as the "best fighter in" the JrMW division, so I don't see how PacMan can be credited with such an achievement. If he fought Williams or Sergio your point would hold though.
Beating Margo was a formidable achievement given the size difference....similar to what the Ruiz fight is to RJJs resume. But it would be an exaggeration to say Jones beat the best HW around. I mean, no one blames Jones for not fighting Lennox Lewis, and Pac should be given the same consideration, but such consideration shouldn't translate into him being considered the best in the very divisions where he's excused from fighting the biggest.
Ray Leonard. He would even find a way to beat Roy Jones at 160. Thats why they used to say never bet against him. Even judges favored him, look at the Hagler fight?
While Ray Leonard was extremely talented I HIGHLY doubt he could handle Roy Jones Jr. at 160...MAYBE 154 but the pop that RJJ had plus the speed and accuracy...I just think RJJ would have been too much for him. If Tommy Hearns gave Ray fits then RJJ would have been hell for him.Quote:
Originally Posted by boba
Good post.Quote:
Originally Posted by El KabongWhile Ray Leonard was extremely talented I HIGHLY doubt he could handle Roy Jones Jr. at 160...MAYBE 154 but the pop that RJJ had plus the speed and accuracy...I just think RJJ would have been too much for him. If Tommy Hearns gave Ray fits then RJJ would have been hell for him.Quote:
Originally Posted by boba
I agree 100% Ray Leonard is one of the very few I would consider in the same league as Jones p4p but a straight one on one at 160?? Jones takes him apart IMO.
In answer to the thread question, I'd say RJJ and the prior to that Pernel Whitaker, I would arguable have all 3 as p4p top 10 all time.
Oh yeah deffo Sweat Pea, one of the greatest lightweights of all time!Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG H