If we're talking about truly top echelon all time greats (top 10 all time guys) then Ali and Leonard are the best examples. Both guys were only in their primes for 3-4 years, 64-67 and 79-82, respectively. Then of course, Mike's an all time great who only had a 3 year prime, 86-88. These two aren't considered "greats" but Meldrick Taylor and Fernando Vargas both had extremely short primes, since their primes were ended by Chavez/Trinidad respectively. Taylor would almost certainly have been a great had there been no Chavez in his way. Donald Curry's prime was only 83-85. On the flip side, although Roy has been shot for 15 years now, we forget that the guy had a long prime. Roy's prime was roughly 94-00, or 93-01, depending on how you look at it. Obviously, Joe Louis had perhaps the longest prime of the ATG's.
Hopkins had a long prime as did mayweather. Tyson is a great example of a great fighter with a short prime. Prison did him in. Leonard had a short prime due to injury.
I think that's probably right though it is possible Leonard moves up anyway to 154 and eventually Hagler, thus still allowing for Curry to ascend to The mountaintop at 147
Here is the funny thing. As I was driving to Vegas last weekend, I saw a billboard on the outskirts of Vegas that reads “TMT. 50-0” Who the fuck does this?? Not only that, but he is bragging about getting to 50 by beating a 0-0 boxer??
Floyd is definitely annoying with his stuff. On Facebook today he bragged about getting a new Jet for his birthday. However, He's earned the right to face an 0-0 boxer for 50-0, methinks, after 20 years of dominance. Also, McGregor isn't just any 0-0 boxer, he's the darling on the UFC with decades of combat sports experience...so it's not the same as if he fought a guy that had only sparred in a gym before.
I disagree on him earning any kind of pass for his 50th. When you are claiming to be the goat, you don’t take the easiest touch possible for your record breaking bout, you do the opposite.
i dont get this logic. no one who knows anything about the boxing game considers mayweather jr calling himself the greatest as anything other than hyperbole. who gives a fuck?
So no one considers it as anything other than hyperbole? That is exactly what I am saying. So you are here to agree with me?
not at all. i dont give a fuck who he fought for his 50th fight. or his 40th fight. he could have fought golovkin and it would not have made me agree he is the greatest boxer ever. one thing has nothing to do with the other. the guy is entitled to fight who he wants. goofy fucks like you would not turn down a fight against a novice for 200 plus million dollars.
i disagree with you, shit bird. he "gets a pass" for fighting mcGregor because he can fight whoever the fuck he pleases. the hyperbole he has been spewing for years is completely irrelevant .
Thanks for clarifying that you disagree. Because your original response made absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Also Floyd won his second title in his fifth weightclass when he was in his late thirties against a young undefeated Canelo. So it’s not like he made a habit of fighting easy touches
Have to agree on Roy. His prime seemed to go on pretty ridiculously long.. went the better part of a decade 'without losing a round' (I know maybe he did but he pretty much dominated every second of every fight). Of course it culminated in an epic crash, which again seemed to drag on. You could even make a thread for fighter with the longest and most horrifying post-prime career and Roy makes that list with ease also.
Was Talyor prime really ended by Chavez? I know it's the usual narrative, but he looked really good against Davis, who was a very solid fighter himself
With all the punishment Mel took in that fight I don't think he was ever quite the same, though he was still close to his best against Davis. After Norris destroyed him is when he was TRULY never the same again.
Lol. Roy Jones is definitely the poster boy for the most horrifying post-prime career. It’s torturous and never ending.
On extended prime I can name Roberto Duran (1968-1980?). This guy was a freak and even when he was way past he prime he could surprise the world from time to time.
It was a combination I think of the punishment taken against Chavez, and also being at welterweight where he was always going to have trouble due to his limitations (short & stocky, modest power, too brawl happy) and the talent level at 147. I also imagine him taking a shitload of punishment in Philly gym wars. I think he would have always lost to Espana due to styles/size, but he was just completely dominated and was shot by then. As X said earlier, the Norris fight was when we really went down. I think his team saw the writing on the wall in his fight against Glenwood Brown (I don’t remember how he looked a couple months prior against Luis Garcia, I know the scores were close) and cashed out on him with the Norris fight before he lost to a lesser name. There is just a gigantic disparity between the Taylor in January 1992 against Brown and the Taylor of October 1992 against Espana. It was sad to watch. The Chavez fight sped up what was likely to be a short prime anyway, but I guess you can extend his prime to the Davis fight. He looked very good.
When exactly was Floyd’s prime? 2001-07? The decline he had when he came back was such a slight decline. I know it was partially due to styles, but he looked outstanding at 36 against Canelo.
Duran is a good candidate for both an impressively long prime (you could easily argue 71-79) and a depressingly awful decline (with the notable exception of the Barkley fight in 89-a very close fight, you could realistically argue that pretty much 1985 to his final hideous appearances as a fat 50-something in the early 2000s represents one of boxing's most awful and sad falls from grace)
