LEAST deserving of the title, Pound for Pound #1, HISTORY!

Of course I can't remember all of the fighters that had this title between Sugar Ray Robinson and the 1980s and as such I'm going to limit this to the last two decades: Since, and including, when Mike Tyson held the crown.

Including Tyson, these are the P4P number entrants of the last 2 decades:

Iron Mike Tyson
Julio Cesar Chavez
Pernell Whitaker
James Toney
Roy Jones Jnr
Oscar De La Hoya
Sugar Shane Mosley
Felix Tito Trinidad
Bernard The Executioner Hopkins
Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather Jnr


Who was, at the time, the LEAST deserving of the title.

(Sidenote: Roy Jones is the only guy in recent memory to "regain" this Mythical Title)

 

NO Gerald Tucker?

 

P4P rankings are something of a modern trend, so I think your scope is valid.

Still, Tyson would have to be the guy if you're looking solely at their careers as a whole. However, @ the time, ranking Jones #1 before his first fight with Tarver struck me as perhaps the most displaced.

 

So let me open the discussion:

Tyson:

Cleaned out the Heavyweight division, most exciting fighter in the world, youngest ever, first undisputed heavyweight since Ali, only undisputed champion in boxing at the time.

Chavez:

Tyson lost to Douglas. Chavez beat Taylor and had an incredible 80+ unbeaten record

Whitaker:

Arguably beat Chavez. Hadn't lost a single fight in the eyes of most. One of the most dominant (albeit not dangerous) champions of the late 80s early 90s.

James Toney:

First man to defeat THE GREAT Michael Nunn. Was undefeated at the time. Had added Barkley, McCallum, Prince Charles Williams and titles in two divisions

Roy Jones:

Embarrased Toney in a 12 round shut out. As dominant a fighter a pernell Whitaker: hardly losing a round.

Oscar De La Hoya:

Benefitted from Roy Jones' "loss" to Griffen by DQ. Undefeated, champion in a few divisions. Beat Whitaker, Chavez and Quartey among others

Shane Mosley:

Beat Oscar, first man to do it without controversy and jumped up two divisions to do it.

Felix Trinidad:

First man to defeat De La Hoya, unifying the Welterweight division. Added a unified title at Jnr Middleweight by being the first man to defeat Fernando Vargas. Won a title in a third division by wiping out long time Titlist William joppy.

Bernard Hopkins:

Benefitted somewhat from Roy Jones getting KOed by Tarver. Undisputed Middleweight champion having not lost in 12 years or so with the longest championship reign in boxing, a middleweight record. First man to hold the undisputed title in that division since Marvin Hagler

Floyd Mayweather:

Benefitted somewhat from Hopkins loss to taylor but generally regarded for a long time as the most talented fighter in boxing since Roy Jones. Champion of 4 divisions. Undefeated. Known for virtuoso performances.

 

yeah but at that point, it'd be hard to place Hopkins or Floyd ahead of him, considering Roy had been undefeated for several years and was beating everyone he fought without hardly losing rounds.

I think Mosley was the most undeserving of the lot, simply because his LW stuff never impressed me too much, and while his win over Oscar was awesome, he didn't put up the kind of display that would let me know that he was "the best in the sport."

 

shit I can't believe I missed Toney

ITS TONEY by a mile

 

I voted Mosley.

 

Yeah but remember...he had just won a version of the Heavyweight Title, after starting his career at 154lbs. Not to mention that he was still in many ways undefeated at the time...

 

FOUR votes for Mayweather!! :eeeek:

Lots of haters on this thread. ::

 

In retrospect, you can say Tyson, since he was p4p #1 when guys like Chavez and Whitaker were at or near their peaks.

Maybe Toney. Toney was fighting a lot of quality fighters, but at the same time, should've lost to Dave Tiberi in 1992, arguably lost the rematch to Mike McCallum 6 months later, and while he dominated Iran Barkley and had nice wins over Charles Williams and Tim Littles, was that enough to be #1? Regardless, I'm not sure how many considered him #1 and not #2 behind Whitaker.

 

You thought he was more deserving AFTER his fight with Tarver? :dunno:

 

I voted for Mosley ("Surprise Surprise" i hear you say) because IMO, all he did was beat Oscar De La Hoya and that was it. I guess he had a decent lightweight reign just prior to that but overall at the time when he was "awarded" the title, it was OBVIOUS to all that Roy Jones was undoubtedly the best fighter in boxing.

 

I think that Tyson was deserving of the title at the time he had it. We can look back and see his losses to Holyfield and Douglas...but that's not fair when evaluating what he was at that time (the late 80s).

IMO, he was the best in the game, considering the information we had at the time.

 

The P4P title has gotten too "important" in boxing when it's so subjective.

I guess you can attribute some of the blame for the sanctioning bodies for that.

 

He was deserving back in 1999-2000. He lost the mantle to Mosley and Trinidad and never actually earned it back, IMO. His run of poor opponents after this point and that win over Ruiz isn't the stuff to take you back to #1.

All the first Tarver fight proved, was that Jones made the right choice in stepping down his competition during those years and no go looking for the big challenges. He wasn't the same guy anymore and hadn't been for some time.

Thats just my view anyway.

 

I had to say Shame/ He looked great but seemed to hit a wall... this is something that p4p champs should not have happen in the prime of their careers.

 

He quickly found out that fighting Vernon Forrest was different to fighting Wise, Diaz, Taylor and Stone.....

 

well at least ultimately, Shane "did" take on the biggest perceived threat in his weight class. PBF has yet to do that since leaving 135. it's no wonder he remains undefeated and hugely over-rated.

 

Trinidad was my boy and all, but in truth he never seemed like the best fighter on the planet, even though he was undefeated. However, you couldn't argue with his resume at the time...

 

::

You're a clown at times, Loveland.

I guess Corrales wasn't his biggest threat at 130 and Castillo wasn't the biggest threat at 135 at the times when Floyd faced them?

Whether he has yet to do that since 135 is irrelevant...he DID IT at 135 and below, at his more natural weights.

Besides, at 147, Baldomir and Judah were as important names as your precious Margarito...and De La Hoya at 154, was the biggest Jnr Middleweight name at the time with Wright and Kassim Ouma having moved up to 160s.

 

when the hell was tito ever thought of as p4p#1 or oscar?

 

Oscar:

When Jones lost to Griffen

Tito:

When he beat Joppy. tito was actually 1a and 1b with Mosley until the Joppy fight, in most people's minds.

 

Cigar, did u even read his post. He hasn't taken on the biggest perceived threat since 135. What part of that did ur 12 hands tall ass not comprehend?

When u make excuses and suck the balls of a fighter, it hurts everyone, so stop.

 

::

 

i never had either of those cock suckers as number 1 p4p

 

All of them have their faults on why they should be listed as "Least" deserving for P4P.

But on that list it's too hard just to pick one,so I'll say-

Shame-Alway's overrated.
Hopkins-HORRIBLE competition,regardless of how long his title reign was.
Toney-For the reasons Erratic already pointed out.

 

Tito by a mile

 

Shane and Tito because Roy was the clear #1 during both of their reigns.

 

how in god's name is it irrelevant? explain that one. so if mormeck moves up to heavy-weight, and fights Jirov there, he'll have proved something because he has a win over Bell, the biggest perceived threat at cruiser-weight?

 

This is for past p4p title holders not future p4p champs like Gerald Tucker. :nono: