De La Hoya/Mayweather

[Hawkins]

All of whom he beat with ease. Castilo twice.

Angel Manfredy, Victorian Sosa, Philip NDou, DeMarcus Corley and Carlos Baldomir could also be added to that list.

Gatti,Mitchell, Hernadez, Rios and also De La Hoya were also still regarded as respectable fighters at the time he fought them as well.

I think that he can claim to be the best ever, which fighters would you say have a record that can compare to his?

Nobody has been able to lay a glove on the guy, his defense work is outstanding and his is a tremendous techinical. Unbeaten in 38 fights against quality oppostion, multi time champ at 5 different weights.

Not like for example to compare with somebody modern like Calzaghe who has hand picked his opponents and is happy to coast along defending against nobodys for the most part.

Truely a great boxer.

[diceman]

I had Oscar ahead by one. To be honest Mayweather didnt do enough to take a title away from the champ. His hide and seek tactics were just outmatched by Oscars desire and work rate.

The fight showed why one earns $25m and the other $10m, without Oscar it would have been a snoozeathon.

Rematch please and quickly so Oscar stays sharp to win more easily.

[Derby_steve]

I wouldn't say Mayweather beat Castillo with ease. In their first fight he won a controversial decision, a fight in which Castillo landed over 100 more power punches than Mayweather.

As for Manfredy, Sosa, NDou, Corley - they are all good fighters that have fallen short at the top level. Carlos Baldomir has good wins against top class fighters, but had already lost 9 times before he fought Mayweather.

As for being the best of all time, in my opinion Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Louis, Marvin Hagler, Henry Armstrong, Roberto Duran, Willie Pep, Pernell Whitaker, Carlos Monzon & Rocky Marciano all deserve a place above Mayweather in an all time list.

Like Calzaghe, a lot of Mayweather's opponents have been hand-picked to suit his style, or when past their prime. On the few occasions that he has fought anyone dangerous he has used an effective, yet very boring defensive style to win a 12 round decision. In his last fight with Baldomir many people at ringside actually left before the end of the fight.

While Floyd is undoubtedly the best fighter in the world right now, he falls way short of being the all time best.

[Hawkins]

Take the point about Roy Jones but I am tlaking about loking at the career as a whole not just a time period, Jones has tarnished his rep by being expose as his went on. Mayweather has not.

Steve out ofthe anmes you have mentioned looking at their careers as a whole I would say only Marciano and Louis you could argue rank alongside Mayweather, if he has indeed hung up the gloves. The rest have suffered plenty of defeats.

[eduardo]

Mayweather's style is a bit of a throw back to 30 years ago and more when he would have been considered a really great boxer.

The problem is that we now live in the age of the made for TV fighter where many fighters have had to adjust their style to make themselves popular to TV executives and therefore fans so as to get the opportunity and big bucks. Boxing is part of the entertainment business after all.

Mayweather never changed his style and did it his own way and whereas I personally admired his skills he never really excited me.

The Baldomir fight was what Colin Hart called a masterclass and it was an exceptionally skillful display. The problem was I was bored by it all. Maybe he was just too good and therefore it become too easy but I expected a bit more from someone who was supposed to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world than box on the outside and coast to victory.

He is a top fighter but the best ever? I reckon there's 15 or 20 in the history of the sport better than him.

[Derby_steve]

I appreciate what you are saying Hawkins, but you can't say a fighter isn't one of the all time greats because he has suffered defeats. A fighter's greatness is judged on the people he fights, the victories he achieves & the manner in which he wins.

To say that Sugar Ray Robinson or Muhammad Ali aren't on the same level as Mayweather because they both suffered several defeats is unbelievable. Ray Robinson may have lost 19 times, but he also had 173 wins, including 108 knockouts. Even Ali, Ray Leonard & Joe Louis have all stated that Robinson was the pound-for-pound greatest of all time.

[Hawkins]

Yeah I get what your saying as well steve. Robinson was a great fighter no doubt.

I was looking at it from the point of view of all fighters mentioned having taken on the best fighters around in the weight classes during there careers like all the names mentioned have.

When you look at it like that, all save for Marciano and Mayweather have suffered setbacks along the way.

Mayweather is reagrded as possible the greatest defenseive boxer ever and although he has no real power and his KO percentage is not great, he was come through every test he has faced.

It seems hes going to continue to box on, a fight next up with Margaritto should really give him the chance to prove that he belongs at the top.

Can you see anybody beating the guy right now?.

[Welshman]

Great fighter yes, greatest - no way! I'll give you just one name (other than those already mentioned) - Marvelous Marvin Hagler. He was, Mr Hawkins a great champion in the greatest weight division and he dominated for nearly 8 years - including wins over Minter, Antuerfermo, Duran, Hearns and Mugabi. He'd have eaten Mayweather for breakfast. As would Hearns, Duran, Leonard, Pryor etc.

[Ace]

yes, Mavelous Marvin was the greatest pound-for-pound fighter who ever climbed in the ring.
Had muscles on his ears!
I recall the sound was picked up in one of his opponents corners, and a hapless fighter about to come out for a beating , his corner man simply said 'Watch out pal, here he comes'.
A real gentleman out of the ring as well, and totally robbed when Sugar Ray Leonard fought him.
The 3 rounds with Thomas Hearns is still the best I ever saw, and I've seen a lot of boxing.
He'd have closed Mayweather down and given him a good hiding, make no mistake