Just KC
11-24-2006, 07:55 AM
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/5646/mayweather02homegermanfn7.jpg In the days before Floyd Mayweather fought Carlos Baldomir, the “Pretty Boy” was telling anyone who would listen that he was not only the best pound-for-pound boxer in the sport today but that he was greatest who ever pulled on a pair of gloves. He said those words with a champion’s conviction, and he stood firm even when his listeners openly challenged him.
When fight night came at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, it was time for Mayweather to offer another piece of proof that what he said was the truth. The ringside area was dotted with several people who are considered the very best their professions has ever produced:
Michael Jordan: A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player who played on six championship teams with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan is considered by many experts to be the best at what he did. In fact, ESPN’s SportsCentury series named him the 20th century’s greatest athlete. His accomplishments run a mile long, but some of them include 1985 Rookie of the Year, 10-time All-NBA First Team, nine-time All-Defensive First Team, six-time NBA finals MVP, 11-time All-Star, all-time leading scorer in playoff history and third all-time leading scorer. He also won a NCAA title with North Carolina and earned two Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1992.
Pete Rose: No matter what one thinks about Rose’s actions off the field, many still believe “Charlie Hustle” deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame on his statistics alone. Though not blessed with great natural talent, Rose worked himself into greatness. In his 24 seasons, Rose became the league’s all-time leader in hits (4,256), singles (3,215), at-bats (14,053) and games played (3,562). He was the 1963 National League Rookie of the Year, the 1973 NL MVP and played on three World Series champions with the Cincinnati Reds (1975-76) and Philadelphia Phillies (1980). Plus, he won two Gold Gloves, won three batting titles and made 17 All-Star Game appearances at a record five positions (first base, second base, third base, right field and left field).
Earvin “Magic” Johnson: The 6-9, 255-pound Johnson is unquestionably the greatest big-man point guard in NBA annals and may well be the best point man of any size. Like Jordan, he won the NCAA title in 1979 at Michigan State, beating Larry Bird’s Indiana State team in the final. As a rookie in 1980, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to the first of five NBA titles. Johnson was a three-time NBA MVP, a three-time NBA Finals MVP, a 12-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-Star MVP and a gold medalist in 1992. He, like Jordan, was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history.
Tiger Woods: At age 30, Woods has already elevated himself into the rarest of rarefied air and some commentators have already deemed him superior to the man who currently carries the mantle of the game’s best, Jack Nicklaus. The statistics provide evidence that Tiger is on his way to replacing “The Golden Bear” as king of the jungle…or of the woods, if you prefer. Woods is second all-time in majors won with 12, only six behind Nicklaus’ 18 and at 24 was the youngest to complete the career Grand Slam (a feat he has since repeated). The level of his game was such that designers sought to “Tiger-Proof” their courses, yet in 2006 he enjoyed one of his best years as a pro as he captured the British Open and PGA Championship on his way to winning six straight PGA-sanctioned tournaments. He was the youngest golfer to reach 50 tour wins, reaching the mark three years faster than Nicklaus did. With 55 victories, he has a very real chance of surpassing Sam Snead’s all-time record of 82 – and he has not yet reached what many consider a golfer’s peak years.
Denzel Washington: While Washington is not regarded as the greatest singular actor who has yet lived, he certainly ranks as one of the most accomplished of this era. Washington won an Oscar for best actor for his role in the 2001 film “Training Day” and for best supporting actor in the Civil War film “Glory.” He was nominated for a supporting actor Oscar for “Cry Freedom,” and earned acclaim for his roles in “Philadelphia,” “The Preacher’s Wife,” “Crimson Tide,” “Malcolm X” and the TV series “St. Elsewhere.” What, you may be asking, has Washington got to do with boxing? The answer: His portrayal of middleweight contender Rubin “Hurricane” Carter in “The Hurricane” earned Washington another Oscar nomination in 1999.
There are two reasons why I bring up these men and their professional biographies. The first reason is to illustrate what one must accomplish if he wants to make a legitimate claim to be the greatest at what he does. By definition, one must surpass the deeds of the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, who have ever engaged in a specific activity. That is an extremely tall, if not impossible, mountain to climb and if one wants to declare himself as such, he’d better have the goods to back up his claim. And second, greatness knows greatness when it sees it, and if media reports are correct, some of these greats walked out of the arena before the final bell had sounded. Now, it could be that their respective security people advised them to depart to fend off autograph seekers, but if Mayweather had given them a compelling reason to stick around they would have said, “thanks for your concern, but I’d rather take the risk and watch this man perform.”
Taking a risk and succeeding in the face of it time after time is one of the things that separate the great from the GOAT, which is now the common shorthand for “greatest of all time.” The first time I saw the acronym was when Jerry Rice’s agent, seeking suitors for his forty-something client, sent out press releases offering the services of the GOAT and the Denver Broncos took the bait and signed him. Though it didn’t work out with Denver, Rice left the game with an unquestioned legacy of greatness: Most career receptions (1,549), yards receiving (22,895) and touchdowns (197). No other receiver is even close.
Floyd Mayweather declares himself the GOAT of boxing with the absolute certitude that has carried him throughout his boxing life. The question to be addressed today is this: Is he right? Is he indeed not only “Pretty” but the “Prettiest” of them all? To determine whether he has a case, let’s break down what Mayweather has done inside the squared circle:
* As an amateur, Mayweather was a bronze medalist in the 1996 Olympic Games and finished with a record of 84-6.
* Over his 10-year professional career, he is 37-0 with 24 knockouts.
* He is one of only eight men to have won titles in four weight classes. He captured the WBC super featherweight title, the WBC lightweight belt, the WBC super lightweight strap, the IBF welterweight belt and, by beating WBC king Baldomir, the linear welterweight title. The other men to have won four divisional belts were Thomas Hearns, Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Pernell Whitaker, Leo Gamez, Oscar de la Hoya and Roy Jones. With the possible exception of Gamez, all of these men are either Hall of Famers or will be someday.
* He was named Ring Magazine’s 1998 Fighter of the Year.
* He made his deepest historical impact as a 130-pound champion, winning the belt from – and retiring – the well-respected Genaro Hernandez by eighth round TKO. At 21, Mayweather became boxing’s youngest champion at the time. He registered eight defenses, with his better victims being Angel Manfredy (KO 2), Gregorio Vargas (W 12), Diego Corrales (KO 10), Carlos Hernandez (W 12) and Jesus Chavez (KO 9). While champion, he stopped Emanuel Augustus in nine rounds in a non-title encounter.
*At 135, Mayweather twice beat Jose Luis Castillo, first to lift the belt then to defend it. The first fight was as close to defeat as the “Pretty Boy” had come and while the second fight was scored more closely (115-113, 115-113 and 116-113), Mayweather never really surrendered control. In subsequent fights, Castillo has proven himself worthy of Hall of Fame consideration, so Mayweather’s victories look better now than they did at the time. In Mayweather’s other two defenses, he decisioned Victoriano Sosa and stopped the dangerous Philip N’dou in seven rounds.
* Mayweather made a pit stop at 140, decisioning DeMarcus Corley and stopping Henry Bruseles in eight before stopping Arturo Gatti to lift the WBC belt. The spectacular victory over Gatti, combined with Bernard Hopkins’ first loss to Jermain Taylor, elevated Mayweather in most eyes to the top of the pound-for-pound lists. Mayweather immediately gave up the 140-pound belt to pursue a title at 147.
* At welterweight, Mayweather has fought three times, stopping a faded Sharmba Mitchell in six rounds and scoring decisions over Zab Judah and Baldomir. In all, Mayweather is 16-0 (8 KO) in title fights and to his credit he achieved several of those victories while fighting through the pain of injured hands.
What can be gleaned from the above resume? It’s fair to say that Mayweather has already secured his ticket to Canastota and he should be elected the first time his name appears on the ballot. That’s more than most fighters could say – especially one who will turn 30 in February – so in that respect he has achieved a measure of elite status. His physical skills are undeniable and though his opponents have rarely tested him, he has successfully negotiated the few situational roadblocks that have come his way. If the argument for his greatness ended here, no one is in a position to dispute him.
But Mayweather is claiming to be much more than just an elite fighter. He’s saying he’s the man who stands at the very tip of boxing’s mythical pyramid and there’s not enough room for even one other person to occupy his domain. Think about the depth and breadth of that concept for a moment.
If Mayweather makes good on his promise to retire after his next fight with Oscar de la Hoya on May 5, then it would be safe to say that his resume would be ready for historical scrutiny. But even if he knocks off “The Golden Boy” and wins a slice of his fifth divisional title, his claim of ultimate supremacy would still be one thing and one thing only in this writer’s opinion – one step too far. Allow me to explain why.
Thirteen months ago, I wrote a two-part article detailing my personal all-time top 10 pound-for-pound list, and the names here are listed in reverse order. Here are the highlights of each man’s accomplishments.
Harry Greb – 106-8-3, 48 KO, 170 no-decisions: This former middleweight champion fought outstanding opponents in four “old-school” divisions and beat most of them while virtually blind in one eye. His foes included Billy Miske, George Chip, Jack Blackburn, Tommy Gibbons, Jack Dillon, Al McCoy, Battling Levinsky, Frank Klaus, Mike McTigue, Gunboat Smith, Leo Houck, Bill Brennan, Willie Meehan, Gene Tunney, Johnny Wilson, Tommy Loughran, Mickey Walker, Jimmy Slattery, Maxie Rosenbloom and Tiger Flowers. Most of these fighters represented competitive risks for Greb, yet he emerged victorious over most of them. The record of success against high quality opposition counts heavily when considering the greatness of a fighter, and one look at Greb’s record will tell you that he certainly fulfilled that criteria.
Carlos Monzon – 89-3-9, 61 KO, one no contest: The great Argentine registered 14 middleweight title defenses in a six-plus year reign before retiring with the championship and setting a defenses record that would stand for more than two decades. Over the final 13 years of his career, Monzon was unbeaten in his final 82 fights, avenging all three previous losses, the no-contest and eight of the nine draws that occurred during the streak. The only thing preventing a clean sweep was that Marcos Bustos didn’t fight Monzon a second time.
Jimmy Wilde – 132-6-2, 101 KO, 13 no-decisions: At 5-2 and 100 pounds, Wilde is by far the smallest member of the 100 knockout club, which consists of only 10 men. Wilde usually gave away more than 10 percent in body weight to his opponents because there was no one else his size to fight. Imagine Ricardo Lopez knocking out Rafael Marquez to win the bantamweight title. That’s the scope of what Wilde did time and again. During one four-year stretch from 1911 to 1915, Wilde went unbeaten in 85 fights.
Joe Louis – 63-3, 49 KO: His time as heavyweight champion remains the standard by which all other title tenures are measured, even 55 years after he last stepped into the ring. He notched 25 defenses over a reign that lasted more than 11 years, and World War II took away three of his best years. It would not be inconceivable to imagine a 30-plus defense reign had it not been for the war. Those who do not rate Ali as the greatest of all big men grant this honor to Louis. Incidentally, Mayweather once said he wanted to beat Louis’ defenses record when he was 130-pound king, which tells you how much respect he has for “The Brown Bomber’s” historical standing.
Muhammad Ali – 56-5, 37 KO: “The Greatest” was the quickest, most mobile heavyweight champion of all and in three reigns that spanned 14 years he amassed 20 defenses against a top-notch group of contenders and champions. Victories over Sonny Liston (twice), George Foreman, Joe Frazier (twice), Oscar Bonavena, Ken Norton (twice), George Chuvalo (twice), Earnie Shavers, Floyd Patterson (twice), Henry Cooper, Cleveland Williams, Zora Folley and Jerry Quarry (twice) cemented his legacy inside the ropes. Meanwhile, his political stance against the Vietnam War and in favor of his religious beliefs made him a hero (and a villain) outside the ring. Though he has been retired for nearly a quarter-century, he still remains one of the most recognized and beloved men on Earth.
Julio Cesar Chavez – 108-6-2, 87 KO: The only man, in my opinion, who has made a credible run at boxing’s Mount Olympus in the past 50 years. Had he achieved his stated goal of four divisional championships and a 100-0 record, more than a few people would have granted him ascendancy over all other boxers. Though he didn’t accomplish his ultimate goal, Chavez was a three-division champion who holds the record for most title fight wins (32), including nine defenses at 130 and 16 over two reigns at 140. As it was, Chavez won his first 87 starts, the second longest winning streak from the beginning of a career in the 20th century behind Fred Dyer’s 94 from 1908 to 1912.
Roberto Duran – 103-16, 70 KO: Along with Benny Leonard, Duran is considered the greatest lightweight champion of all as he knocked out 10 of his 11 challengers en route to winning the undisputed title in his last fight at 135. Immediately after reaching his zenith in his first fight against Ray Leonard, Duran’s record stood at 72-1 with 56 knockouts. He went on to win belts at 147, 154 and 160 and his championship arc spanned an incredible 17 years (1972-1989). His ring savvy was so advanced that he managed to outpoint Jorge Castro (who was just four fights removed from the middleweight title) two days before his 46th birthday – and four months after their first encounter that saw Castro win a 10-round decision.
Sugar Ray Robinson – 174-19-6, 109 KO: The consensus pick as boxing’s all-time pound-for-pound king. As an amateur, Robinson was 85-0 with 69 knockouts, 40 of which ended in the first round. During the four-plus years he was welterweight champion, Robinson was 46-0-1 with 29 knockouts, and entering his first fight with Randy Turpin his record was 129-1-2 (84 KO). So if one adds in the amateur record, Robinson was an unbelievable 214-1-2 with 153 knockouts in his boxing life up to that point, which only magnifies the scope of Turpin’s accomplishment. Robinson would go on to win the middleweight title on five different occasions and wasn’t hesitant to take on the best the division had to offer. Had it not been for the 104-degree heat, and light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim’s decision to wait Robinson out, the original “Sugar Ray” would have been a triple champion during an era when that feat was much more difficult to achieve.
Henry Armstrong – 145-20-9, 98 KO: Armstrong is the only man to hold the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight titles simultaneously and, incredibly, he won the welterweight title before adding the 135-pound belt. In 1937 alone Armstrong went 27-0 with 26 knockouts, all but two of which lasted six rounds or less. From January 1, 1937 through September 23, 1940, Armstrong went 59-1-1 with 51 knockouts. He defended the welterweight title 20 times, including five times between October 9 and October 30, 1939.
Willie Pep – 230-11-1, 65 KO: Pep won more fights than any champion in history and is the only fighter to rack up two unbeaten streaks of 60 fights or longer. He began his career by winning his first 63 fights, including the featherweight title from Chalky Wright, before losing a 10-round non-title fight to Sammy Angott. Pep then proceeded to go unbeaten in his next 73 (including one draw). That means Pep was 136-1-1 at one point in his career. Pep fought many of his fights in his opponents’ hometowns, and his lack of punching power prevented him from bailing himself out from sticky situations. As a result, the man acclaimed as boxing’s consummate defensive wizard had to be on point in every round of every fight to earn decisions in hostile territory. That takes a level of skill that is simply unimaginable.
Look at the accomplishments of these men, then re-read those of Mayweather. A powerful self-belief is a great weapon for a fighter to have, but as Clint Eastwood once said, “a man must know his limitations.”
Mayweather has gone 37 for 37, and no one can ask for better, but one must pack in many accomplishments and quality wins if one is serious about getting into the GOAT conversation. To illustrate, Ray Leonard is considered to be among the best of the best despite fighting only 40 times. But in those 40 fights he won five divisional championships (though two of them came in the same night against Don Lalonde, somewhat cheapening the feat). His defining stretch came between September 28, 1979 and September 16, 1981 when Leonard fought Wilfred Benitez, the 33-2 Dave “Boy” Green, Duran twice, Larry Bonds, unbeaten WBA junior middleweight champion Ayub Kalule and Thomas Hearns to unify the 147 pound title. Of that group, which includes three Hall of Fame caliber fighters, only Bonds was seen as having absolutely no chance to win and only Duran in the first fight was able to emerge victorious. It would remain Leonard’s only loss as a pro until he made ill-advised comebacks against Terry Norris and Hector Camacho in his final two bouts.
Mayweather began his career in tremendous style, and after his 1998 season it appeared he was on his way to becoming a truly special boxer poised to fulfill his unlimited potential. But between then and now, his run toward ultimate greatness has slowed. It would have helped his case had he beaten names like Kostya Tszyu and Ricky Hatton before stepping up to welterweight.
Should Mayweather emerge victorious against De La Hoya, it would be nice if Mayweather would change his mind about retirement. That way he could add to his resume by taking on, and defeating, Shane Mosley, Kermit Cintron, Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto, Luis Collazo and Paul Williams, fighters that present real challenges either in terms of style, strength or anatomy. These are men that Mayweather has the capacity to beat, but if one wants to be the greatest he can be he should do what he can to transform supposition into fact.
The bout with Baldomir was seen as a risk because of Baldomir’s size, but in retrospect his plodding style was tailor made for the “Pretty Boy.” Even when it became apparent that Mayweather was going to win convincingly, he continued to go about his work with extreme care. HBO commentator Emanuel Steward criticized Mayweather’s caution during the 10th round, saying, “even though he’s winning the fight it’s not that overly impressive. When he’s comparing himself to be greater than Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns, there’s no way in the world those fighters would have been able to hit a man as easily as he is hitting Baldomir and not have sat down and tried to get him out of there with some good combinations.”
When reminded by Jim Lampley that Mayweather was not only quoted as saying he was greater than Leonard and Hearns but that he was greater than Robinson, Steward verbally recoiled in horror and said, “oh my God, I know he didn’t do that! No, no, no!” But when Lampley assured him Mayweather had made that declaration, Steward followed up with “right now, what he’s showing is that he has speed over a slower opponent and that’s all it is. There is no way in the world that a great fighter like he’s saying that he is would be performing this way, especially with this audience and this great situation.”
Another strike against Mayweather in the GOAT argument is one of attitude. In the late 1970s to late-1980s, the group of Leonard, Hearns, Benitez, Cuevas, Duran and Hagler became legends because they fought one another, many times more than once. They fed off each other and built their collective stocks because they didn’t shy away from the stiffest challenges. By taking on the toughest opponents and succeeding, they established enough clout to demand the biggest dollars. When they were at a point in their careers when they needed to prove their worth, they didn’t let political considerations or a “who is he to deserve a fight with me” elitism stop them from taking on whoever stood in their way, whether they meant big money or not.
Bernard Hopkins addressed this concept in an interview that appeared in the June 1998 issue of Ring when he said, “champions take risks.” Fighters fight, and those who are willing to take high-risk fights on a consistent basis are the ones who will rise to the top of boxing’s pantheon. In fact, an excellent case can be made that Manny Pacquiao has just zoomed past Mayweather in the pound-for-pound rankings because of his superior strength of schedule over the last three years as well as the thrilling way he handled his opposition.
Consider the gauntlet Pacquiao has walked in recent times: Marco Antonio Barrera (KO 11), Juan Manuel Marquez (D 12), Erik Morales (L 12, KO 10) Oscar Larios (W 12) and Morales (KO 3). This lineup is the epitome of high-risk and high-reward. Contrast that with Mayweather’s slate of opponents during the same stretch: N’dou, Corley, Bruseles, Gatti, Mitchell, Judah and Baldomir. Only the N’dou, Judah and Baldomir match-ups had some elements of suspense on paper, but there was never the feeling that Mayweather was taking the type of gamble that measured up to what Pacquiao was doing.
Plus, Pacquiao’s exciting style makes for compelling fights, and while he gets hit more he also gives the fans a performance worthy of a pound-for-pound king. Mayweather, on the other hand, is technically brilliant but his brand of dominance doesn’t stir the juices the way Pacquiao’s does. Pacquiao’s blowout of Morales this past Saturday was greeted with resounding, wall-shaking cheers befitting a true, possibly transcendent superstar.
To sum up, one can’t become a legend by self-declaration. Only others can bestow that label. Sportswriters created the concept of “pound for pound” to pay homage to Robinson. Robinson didn't order those writers to coin the term; his performances inside the ropes moved them to do so.
The “Pretty Boy” can choose not to listen to me, and that’s his prerogative. But he would do well to consider the reaction his effort against Baldomir received from the crowd and compare it to the reception Pacquiao received. His past exploits and his current standing in the sport prompted the legends to shell out their money for ringside tickets, but some of them left before the final bell. Once the fight ended, the crowd showered the ring with resounding boos, hardly the sound a man who wants to be the best that ever boxed wants to hear.
I am not a “hater” by any means. After all, I had nothing but complimentary things to say about Mayweather’s dominance over Gatti, Mitchell and Judah in my CompuBox analysis preceding the Baldomir bout. I admire and appreciate his speed and highly advanced ring intelligence, and at his very best he is very, very good. His love for the sport and his tireless devotion to fitness should serve as a model for others to follow. But facts are facts, and the facts say that while Mayweather is worthy of Hall of Fame enshrinement someday, his claim of being boxing’s GOAT should be treated as just that, a claim.
Floyd Mayweather has walked through every door so far, but ultimately history will not grant him entry into the room that is labeled “Greatest of All Time.” For him, that door will remain closed.
credit:maxboxing
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When fight night came at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, it was time for Mayweather to offer another piece of proof that what he said was the truth. The ringside area was dotted with several people who are considered the very best their professions has ever produced:
Michael Jordan: A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player who played on six championship teams with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan is considered by many experts to be the best at what he did. In fact, ESPN’s SportsCentury series named him the 20th century’s greatest athlete. His accomplishments run a mile long, but some of them include 1985 Rookie of the Year, 10-time All-NBA First Team, nine-time All-Defensive First Team, six-time NBA finals MVP, 11-time All-Star, all-time leading scorer in playoff history and third all-time leading scorer. He also won a NCAA title with North Carolina and earned two Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1992.
Pete Rose: No matter what one thinks about Rose’s actions off the field, many still believe “Charlie Hustle” deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame on his statistics alone. Though not blessed with great natural talent, Rose worked himself into greatness. In his 24 seasons, Rose became the league’s all-time leader in hits (4,256), singles (3,215), at-bats (14,053) and games played (3,562). He was the 1963 National League Rookie of the Year, the 1973 NL MVP and played on three World Series champions with the Cincinnati Reds (1975-76) and Philadelphia Phillies (1980). Plus, he won two Gold Gloves, won three batting titles and made 17 All-Star Game appearances at a record five positions (first base, second base, third base, right field and left field).
Earvin “Magic” Johnson: The 6-9, 255-pound Johnson is unquestionably the greatest big-man point guard in NBA annals and may well be the best point man of any size. Like Jordan, he won the NCAA title in 1979 at Michigan State, beating Larry Bird’s Indiana State team in the final. As a rookie in 1980, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to the first of five NBA titles. Johnson was a three-time NBA MVP, a three-time NBA Finals MVP, a 12-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-Star MVP and a gold medalist in 1992. He, like Jordan, was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history.
Tiger Woods: At age 30, Woods has already elevated himself into the rarest of rarefied air and some commentators have already deemed him superior to the man who currently carries the mantle of the game’s best, Jack Nicklaus. The statistics provide evidence that Tiger is on his way to replacing “The Golden Bear” as king of the jungle…or of the woods, if you prefer. Woods is second all-time in majors won with 12, only six behind Nicklaus’ 18 and at 24 was the youngest to complete the career Grand Slam (a feat he has since repeated). The level of his game was such that designers sought to “Tiger-Proof” their courses, yet in 2006 he enjoyed one of his best years as a pro as he captured the British Open and PGA Championship on his way to winning six straight PGA-sanctioned tournaments. He was the youngest golfer to reach 50 tour wins, reaching the mark three years faster than Nicklaus did. With 55 victories, he has a very real chance of surpassing Sam Snead’s all-time record of 82 – and he has not yet reached what many consider a golfer’s peak years.
Denzel Washington: While Washington is not regarded as the greatest singular actor who has yet lived, he certainly ranks as one of the most accomplished of this era. Washington won an Oscar for best actor for his role in the 2001 film “Training Day” and for best supporting actor in the Civil War film “Glory.” He was nominated for a supporting actor Oscar for “Cry Freedom,” and earned acclaim for his roles in “Philadelphia,” “The Preacher’s Wife,” “Crimson Tide,” “Malcolm X” and the TV series “St. Elsewhere.” What, you may be asking, has Washington got to do with boxing? The answer: His portrayal of middleweight contender Rubin “Hurricane” Carter in “The Hurricane” earned Washington another Oscar nomination in 1999.
There are two reasons why I bring up these men and their professional biographies. The first reason is to illustrate what one must accomplish if he wants to make a legitimate claim to be the greatest at what he does. By definition, one must surpass the deeds of the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, who have ever engaged in a specific activity. That is an extremely tall, if not impossible, mountain to climb and if one wants to declare himself as such, he’d better have the goods to back up his claim. And second, greatness knows greatness when it sees it, and if media reports are correct, some of these greats walked out of the arena before the final bell had sounded. Now, it could be that their respective security people advised them to depart to fend off autograph seekers, but if Mayweather had given them a compelling reason to stick around they would have said, “thanks for your concern, but I’d rather take the risk and watch this man perform.”
Taking a risk and succeeding in the face of it time after time is one of the things that separate the great from the GOAT, which is now the common shorthand for “greatest of all time.” The first time I saw the acronym was when Jerry Rice’s agent, seeking suitors for his forty-something client, sent out press releases offering the services of the GOAT and the Denver Broncos took the bait and signed him. Though it didn’t work out with Denver, Rice left the game with an unquestioned legacy of greatness: Most career receptions (1,549), yards receiving (22,895) and touchdowns (197). No other receiver is even close.
Floyd Mayweather declares himself the GOAT of boxing with the absolute certitude that has carried him throughout his boxing life. The question to be addressed today is this: Is he right? Is he indeed not only “Pretty” but the “Prettiest” of them all? To determine whether he has a case, let’s break down what Mayweather has done inside the squared circle:
* As an amateur, Mayweather was a bronze medalist in the 1996 Olympic Games and finished with a record of 84-6.
* Over his 10-year professional career, he is 37-0 with 24 knockouts.
* He is one of only eight men to have won titles in four weight classes. He captured the WBC super featherweight title, the WBC lightweight belt, the WBC super lightweight strap, the IBF welterweight belt and, by beating WBC king Baldomir, the linear welterweight title. The other men to have won four divisional belts were Thomas Hearns, Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Pernell Whitaker, Leo Gamez, Oscar de la Hoya and Roy Jones. With the possible exception of Gamez, all of these men are either Hall of Famers or will be someday.
* He was named Ring Magazine’s 1998 Fighter of the Year.
* He made his deepest historical impact as a 130-pound champion, winning the belt from – and retiring – the well-respected Genaro Hernandez by eighth round TKO. At 21, Mayweather became boxing’s youngest champion at the time. He registered eight defenses, with his better victims being Angel Manfredy (KO 2), Gregorio Vargas (W 12), Diego Corrales (KO 10), Carlos Hernandez (W 12) and Jesus Chavez (KO 9). While champion, he stopped Emanuel Augustus in nine rounds in a non-title encounter.
*At 135, Mayweather twice beat Jose Luis Castillo, first to lift the belt then to defend it. The first fight was as close to defeat as the “Pretty Boy” had come and while the second fight was scored more closely (115-113, 115-113 and 116-113), Mayweather never really surrendered control. In subsequent fights, Castillo has proven himself worthy of Hall of Fame consideration, so Mayweather’s victories look better now than they did at the time. In Mayweather’s other two defenses, he decisioned Victoriano Sosa and stopped the dangerous Philip N’dou in seven rounds.
* Mayweather made a pit stop at 140, decisioning DeMarcus Corley and stopping Henry Bruseles in eight before stopping Arturo Gatti to lift the WBC belt. The spectacular victory over Gatti, combined with Bernard Hopkins’ first loss to Jermain Taylor, elevated Mayweather in most eyes to the top of the pound-for-pound lists. Mayweather immediately gave up the 140-pound belt to pursue a title at 147.
* At welterweight, Mayweather has fought three times, stopping a faded Sharmba Mitchell in six rounds and scoring decisions over Zab Judah and Baldomir. In all, Mayweather is 16-0 (8 KO) in title fights and to his credit he achieved several of those victories while fighting through the pain of injured hands.
What can be gleaned from the above resume? It’s fair to say that Mayweather has already secured his ticket to Canastota and he should be elected the first time his name appears on the ballot. That’s more than most fighters could say – especially one who will turn 30 in February – so in that respect he has achieved a measure of elite status. His physical skills are undeniable and though his opponents have rarely tested him, he has successfully negotiated the few situational roadblocks that have come his way. If the argument for his greatness ended here, no one is in a position to dispute him.
But Mayweather is claiming to be much more than just an elite fighter. He’s saying he’s the man who stands at the very tip of boxing’s mythical pyramid and there’s not enough room for even one other person to occupy his domain. Think about the depth and breadth of that concept for a moment.
If Mayweather makes good on his promise to retire after his next fight with Oscar de la Hoya on May 5, then it would be safe to say that his resume would be ready for historical scrutiny. But even if he knocks off “The Golden Boy” and wins a slice of his fifth divisional title, his claim of ultimate supremacy would still be one thing and one thing only in this writer’s opinion – one step too far. Allow me to explain why.
Thirteen months ago, I wrote a two-part article detailing my personal all-time top 10 pound-for-pound list, and the names here are listed in reverse order. Here are the highlights of each man’s accomplishments.
Harry Greb – 106-8-3, 48 KO, 170 no-decisions: This former middleweight champion fought outstanding opponents in four “old-school” divisions and beat most of them while virtually blind in one eye. His foes included Billy Miske, George Chip, Jack Blackburn, Tommy Gibbons, Jack Dillon, Al McCoy, Battling Levinsky, Frank Klaus, Mike McTigue, Gunboat Smith, Leo Houck, Bill Brennan, Willie Meehan, Gene Tunney, Johnny Wilson, Tommy Loughran, Mickey Walker, Jimmy Slattery, Maxie Rosenbloom and Tiger Flowers. Most of these fighters represented competitive risks for Greb, yet he emerged victorious over most of them. The record of success against high quality opposition counts heavily when considering the greatness of a fighter, and one look at Greb’s record will tell you that he certainly fulfilled that criteria.
Carlos Monzon – 89-3-9, 61 KO, one no contest: The great Argentine registered 14 middleweight title defenses in a six-plus year reign before retiring with the championship and setting a defenses record that would stand for more than two decades. Over the final 13 years of his career, Monzon was unbeaten in his final 82 fights, avenging all three previous losses, the no-contest and eight of the nine draws that occurred during the streak. The only thing preventing a clean sweep was that Marcos Bustos didn’t fight Monzon a second time.
Jimmy Wilde – 132-6-2, 101 KO, 13 no-decisions: At 5-2 and 100 pounds, Wilde is by far the smallest member of the 100 knockout club, which consists of only 10 men. Wilde usually gave away more than 10 percent in body weight to his opponents because there was no one else his size to fight. Imagine Ricardo Lopez knocking out Rafael Marquez to win the bantamweight title. That’s the scope of what Wilde did time and again. During one four-year stretch from 1911 to 1915, Wilde went unbeaten in 85 fights.
Joe Louis – 63-3, 49 KO: His time as heavyweight champion remains the standard by which all other title tenures are measured, even 55 years after he last stepped into the ring. He notched 25 defenses over a reign that lasted more than 11 years, and World War II took away three of his best years. It would not be inconceivable to imagine a 30-plus defense reign had it not been for the war. Those who do not rate Ali as the greatest of all big men grant this honor to Louis. Incidentally, Mayweather once said he wanted to beat Louis’ defenses record when he was 130-pound king, which tells you how much respect he has for “The Brown Bomber’s” historical standing.
Muhammad Ali – 56-5, 37 KO: “The Greatest” was the quickest, most mobile heavyweight champion of all and in three reigns that spanned 14 years he amassed 20 defenses against a top-notch group of contenders and champions. Victories over Sonny Liston (twice), George Foreman, Joe Frazier (twice), Oscar Bonavena, Ken Norton (twice), George Chuvalo (twice), Earnie Shavers, Floyd Patterson (twice), Henry Cooper, Cleveland Williams, Zora Folley and Jerry Quarry (twice) cemented his legacy inside the ropes. Meanwhile, his political stance against the Vietnam War and in favor of his religious beliefs made him a hero (and a villain) outside the ring. Though he has been retired for nearly a quarter-century, he still remains one of the most recognized and beloved men on Earth.
Julio Cesar Chavez – 108-6-2, 87 KO: The only man, in my opinion, who has made a credible run at boxing’s Mount Olympus in the past 50 years. Had he achieved his stated goal of four divisional championships and a 100-0 record, more than a few people would have granted him ascendancy over all other boxers. Though he didn’t accomplish his ultimate goal, Chavez was a three-division champion who holds the record for most title fight wins (32), including nine defenses at 130 and 16 over two reigns at 140. As it was, Chavez won his first 87 starts, the second longest winning streak from the beginning of a career in the 20th century behind Fred Dyer’s 94 from 1908 to 1912.
Roberto Duran – 103-16, 70 KO: Along with Benny Leonard, Duran is considered the greatest lightweight champion of all as he knocked out 10 of his 11 challengers en route to winning the undisputed title in his last fight at 135. Immediately after reaching his zenith in his first fight against Ray Leonard, Duran’s record stood at 72-1 with 56 knockouts. He went on to win belts at 147, 154 and 160 and his championship arc spanned an incredible 17 years (1972-1989). His ring savvy was so advanced that he managed to outpoint Jorge Castro (who was just four fights removed from the middleweight title) two days before his 46th birthday – and four months after their first encounter that saw Castro win a 10-round decision.
Sugar Ray Robinson – 174-19-6, 109 KO: The consensus pick as boxing’s all-time pound-for-pound king. As an amateur, Robinson was 85-0 with 69 knockouts, 40 of which ended in the first round. During the four-plus years he was welterweight champion, Robinson was 46-0-1 with 29 knockouts, and entering his first fight with Randy Turpin his record was 129-1-2 (84 KO). So if one adds in the amateur record, Robinson was an unbelievable 214-1-2 with 153 knockouts in his boxing life up to that point, which only magnifies the scope of Turpin’s accomplishment. Robinson would go on to win the middleweight title on five different occasions and wasn’t hesitant to take on the best the division had to offer. Had it not been for the 104-degree heat, and light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim’s decision to wait Robinson out, the original “Sugar Ray” would have been a triple champion during an era when that feat was much more difficult to achieve.
Henry Armstrong – 145-20-9, 98 KO: Armstrong is the only man to hold the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight titles simultaneously and, incredibly, he won the welterweight title before adding the 135-pound belt. In 1937 alone Armstrong went 27-0 with 26 knockouts, all but two of which lasted six rounds or less. From January 1, 1937 through September 23, 1940, Armstrong went 59-1-1 with 51 knockouts. He defended the welterweight title 20 times, including five times between October 9 and October 30, 1939.
Willie Pep – 230-11-1, 65 KO: Pep won more fights than any champion in history and is the only fighter to rack up two unbeaten streaks of 60 fights or longer. He began his career by winning his first 63 fights, including the featherweight title from Chalky Wright, before losing a 10-round non-title fight to Sammy Angott. Pep then proceeded to go unbeaten in his next 73 (including one draw). That means Pep was 136-1-1 at one point in his career. Pep fought many of his fights in his opponents’ hometowns, and his lack of punching power prevented him from bailing himself out from sticky situations. As a result, the man acclaimed as boxing’s consummate defensive wizard had to be on point in every round of every fight to earn decisions in hostile territory. That takes a level of skill that is simply unimaginable.
Look at the accomplishments of these men, then re-read those of Mayweather. A powerful self-belief is a great weapon for a fighter to have, but as Clint Eastwood once said, “a man must know his limitations.”
Mayweather has gone 37 for 37, and no one can ask for better, but one must pack in many accomplishments and quality wins if one is serious about getting into the GOAT conversation. To illustrate, Ray Leonard is considered to be among the best of the best despite fighting only 40 times. But in those 40 fights he won five divisional championships (though two of them came in the same night against Don Lalonde, somewhat cheapening the feat). His defining stretch came between September 28, 1979 and September 16, 1981 when Leonard fought Wilfred Benitez, the 33-2 Dave “Boy” Green, Duran twice, Larry Bonds, unbeaten WBA junior middleweight champion Ayub Kalule and Thomas Hearns to unify the 147 pound title. Of that group, which includes three Hall of Fame caliber fighters, only Bonds was seen as having absolutely no chance to win and only Duran in the first fight was able to emerge victorious. It would remain Leonard’s only loss as a pro until he made ill-advised comebacks against Terry Norris and Hector Camacho in his final two bouts.
Mayweather began his career in tremendous style, and after his 1998 season it appeared he was on his way to becoming a truly special boxer poised to fulfill his unlimited potential. But between then and now, his run toward ultimate greatness has slowed. It would have helped his case had he beaten names like Kostya Tszyu and Ricky Hatton before stepping up to welterweight.
Should Mayweather emerge victorious against De La Hoya, it would be nice if Mayweather would change his mind about retirement. That way he could add to his resume by taking on, and defeating, Shane Mosley, Kermit Cintron, Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto, Luis Collazo and Paul Williams, fighters that present real challenges either in terms of style, strength or anatomy. These are men that Mayweather has the capacity to beat, but if one wants to be the greatest he can be he should do what he can to transform supposition into fact.
The bout with Baldomir was seen as a risk because of Baldomir’s size, but in retrospect his plodding style was tailor made for the “Pretty Boy.” Even when it became apparent that Mayweather was going to win convincingly, he continued to go about his work with extreme care. HBO commentator Emanuel Steward criticized Mayweather’s caution during the 10th round, saying, “even though he’s winning the fight it’s not that overly impressive. When he’s comparing himself to be greater than Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns, there’s no way in the world those fighters would have been able to hit a man as easily as he is hitting Baldomir and not have sat down and tried to get him out of there with some good combinations.”
When reminded by Jim Lampley that Mayweather was not only quoted as saying he was greater than Leonard and Hearns but that he was greater than Robinson, Steward verbally recoiled in horror and said, “oh my God, I know he didn’t do that! No, no, no!” But when Lampley assured him Mayweather had made that declaration, Steward followed up with “right now, what he’s showing is that he has speed over a slower opponent and that’s all it is. There is no way in the world that a great fighter like he’s saying that he is would be performing this way, especially with this audience and this great situation.”
Another strike against Mayweather in the GOAT argument is one of attitude. In the late 1970s to late-1980s, the group of Leonard, Hearns, Benitez, Cuevas, Duran and Hagler became legends because they fought one another, many times more than once. They fed off each other and built their collective stocks because they didn’t shy away from the stiffest challenges. By taking on the toughest opponents and succeeding, they established enough clout to demand the biggest dollars. When they were at a point in their careers when they needed to prove their worth, they didn’t let political considerations or a “who is he to deserve a fight with me” elitism stop them from taking on whoever stood in their way, whether they meant big money or not.
Bernard Hopkins addressed this concept in an interview that appeared in the June 1998 issue of Ring when he said, “champions take risks.” Fighters fight, and those who are willing to take high-risk fights on a consistent basis are the ones who will rise to the top of boxing’s pantheon. In fact, an excellent case can be made that Manny Pacquiao has just zoomed past Mayweather in the pound-for-pound rankings because of his superior strength of schedule over the last three years as well as the thrilling way he handled his opposition.
Consider the gauntlet Pacquiao has walked in recent times: Marco Antonio Barrera (KO 11), Juan Manuel Marquez (D 12), Erik Morales (L 12, KO 10) Oscar Larios (W 12) and Morales (KO 3). This lineup is the epitome of high-risk and high-reward. Contrast that with Mayweather’s slate of opponents during the same stretch: N’dou, Corley, Bruseles, Gatti, Mitchell, Judah and Baldomir. Only the N’dou, Judah and Baldomir match-ups had some elements of suspense on paper, but there was never the feeling that Mayweather was taking the type of gamble that measured up to what Pacquiao was doing.
Plus, Pacquiao’s exciting style makes for compelling fights, and while he gets hit more he also gives the fans a performance worthy of a pound-for-pound king. Mayweather, on the other hand, is technically brilliant but his brand of dominance doesn’t stir the juices the way Pacquiao’s does. Pacquiao’s blowout of Morales this past Saturday was greeted with resounding, wall-shaking cheers befitting a true, possibly transcendent superstar.
To sum up, one can’t become a legend by self-declaration. Only others can bestow that label. Sportswriters created the concept of “pound for pound” to pay homage to Robinson. Robinson didn't order those writers to coin the term; his performances inside the ropes moved them to do so.
The “Pretty Boy” can choose not to listen to me, and that’s his prerogative. But he would do well to consider the reaction his effort against Baldomir received from the crowd and compare it to the reception Pacquiao received. His past exploits and his current standing in the sport prompted the legends to shell out their money for ringside tickets, but some of them left before the final bell. Once the fight ended, the crowd showered the ring with resounding boos, hardly the sound a man who wants to be the best that ever boxed wants to hear.
I am not a “hater” by any means. After all, I had nothing but complimentary things to say about Mayweather’s dominance over Gatti, Mitchell and Judah in my CompuBox analysis preceding the Baldomir bout. I admire and appreciate his speed and highly advanced ring intelligence, and at his very best he is very, very good. His love for the sport and his tireless devotion to fitness should serve as a model for others to follow. But facts are facts, and the facts say that while Mayweather is worthy of Hall of Fame enshrinement someday, his claim of being boxing’s GOAT should be treated as just that, a claim.
Floyd Mayweather has walked through every door so far, but ultimately history will not grant him entry into the room that is labeled “Greatest of All Time.” For him, that door will remain closed.
credit:maxboxing
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