Quote Originally Posted by Lyle
....why wouldn't you just compare Floyd to the greats in his weight class?

Why does Ali always have to be brought up? Who gives a crap...he's got his biopic and a bunch of mindnumbed followers touting him as #1 the Greatest of All time without ever thinking "Hey what if he isn't the greatest of all time?" I'm not saying you need to not have him #1 but just think about it for a F****** second before you get caught up in the crowd.

MAIN POINT he doesn't need to be compared to WELTERWEIGHTS and welterweights need not be compared to him, as he was a heavyweight and never came close to being a professional welterweight and therefore is not relevant to this discussion!


If you're going to compare Floyd Mayweather Jr to anyone let's start a list:

Ray Robinson
Ray Leonard
Benny Leonard
Tommy Hearns
Roberto Duran
Emile Griffith
Henry Armstrong
Kid Gavilan
Jimmy McLarnin
Barney Ross
Harry Lewis
Carmen Basilio
Felix Trinidad
Pernell Whittaker
Oscar De la Hoya
Shane Mosley
Joe Gans
Lou Ambers
Beau Jack
Tony Canzonari

discuss
First of all Ali fought better competition than anybody who has ever lived and has come out on top. In comparision the guys who gave Robinson hard fights were nothing. Lamotta, Basilio, Fulmer ... they were good but they weren't Frazier, Foreman, Patterson, Liston... and Ali did as well or better against some of them than Robinson did against his guys. Look at the win to lose ratio of his opponents and you will see how great he was... I personally believe he right up there with Robinson maybe little behind because he didn't have the same power, but Ali was something special.

Also who has Carmen Basilio who wasn't a puncher ko'ing Mayweather is nuts. Also why would Mosley be able to ko Mayweather at 135 when Castillo who was a mad puncher at that weight, Oscar Dela Hoya at 154 and Zab Judah at 147 couldn't do it? I think Judah hits as hard as WW MOsley, and he hurt Cotto more than Mosley ever did on a few occasions. Also why would Leonard be able to ko Mayweather yet RObinson wouldn't? Robinson hit like Hearns and he was a better offensive fighter than Leonard. Also Hearns wasn't really able to beat any of the ATG's he fought in their prime, I don't see any reason why he would be able to beat Mayweather. Like Steward said a lot of Hearns' power came from nobody seeing that right hand when it landed because it was too quick, but Leonard who was fast enough to see it was able to handle it, and Mayweather would also be able to handle it. Leonard tried to box on the outside too long against Hearns, and I doubt Mayweather would make that mistake, and I truly believe if he can stun Oscar a few times he can hurt Hearns at WW. Besides these guys I see Henry Armstrong giving Mayweather a tough fight by swarming him, I see Mayweather-Leonard a toss up because look at a slower, less powerful, much less balanced and technically inferior FLoyd Snr's style gave Leonard hard times at certain points, but the difference is that you put a superior athlete into that system and Leonard is in trouble, especially if he can't hurt Mayweather with any one or two punches. I also see Duran being a problem because he was so smart and powerful, but at lightweight he was little more chinny than he was later on as he was ko'ed by a good counter puncher, and Mayweather might not ko him, but he certainly would get Duran's respect, and at 147 Mayweather would outslick Duran in a close fight. I see the only guy really beating Mayweather is Robinson because his jab was longer, he had about equal speed, the height, and that Roy JOnes Jr. like left hook with that Hearns cross and those Meldrick Taylor smooth combinations, but I still see that being a tough fight.