If you wanted PBF to go down as the greatest fighter ever

who would he have to beat right now?

I don't think he'll ever be the greatest ever, BUT he could definitely be in conversations if he beat the following

Mosely
Cotto
Hatton

 

He's never going to be the best ever, he may be mentioned with some greats if he sticks around right now while he is in his prime and cleans out 140-147. Today's fighters aren't active enought to ever be the greatest. You can't be the greatest ever fighting once or twice a year and retiring with 30-40 fights total.

 

That's an excellent point, however:
PBF still has the opportunity to stake a claim for greatness.
He has Cotto, Hatton, SSM, Margarito & Williams. If he beats all those guys. he has a strong claim. It's up to him.

PBF is a great talent, & as a boxing fan, I would like to see a truly talented fighter like PBF do all he can to put naysayers in a position where they have no choice but to recognise that claim.

I want to see what he's made of. I want PBF to stake his claim, not settling to see a great talent make excuses for not taking on the best around him, but trying to prove in every way possible that he's great.

When he has those fights out there, for me, as a boxing fan "he would beat them anyway" just doesn't cut it.

IMO as boxing fans we should demand more from a talent such as PBF.
We should ask ourselves questions:
Do we want to see PBF fight Cotto, Hatton, Williams, Margarito, SSM?
Who are the best fighters PBF has fought & how do you think his best opponents stack up against Cotto, Hatton, Williams, Margarito, SSM?

If PBF doesn't take the challenges available to him, he has no claim to true greatness IMO.

As a boxing fan, I would feel dissapointed & in a sense cheated to see a great talent, & potential great fighter like PBF retire at this stage.

If that was to happen I would invite any fan of boxing to examine very closely & critically any claim they may think he has to greatness, given the potentially challenging, career defining fights he would have failed to take, ( Cotto, Hatton, Williams, Margarito, SSM) & how his list of actual opponents stack up against them.

As I said, when he has those fights out there, as a boxing fan "he would beat them anyway" just shouldn't cut it.

Personally, I would like to see those fights made because, as a boxing fan I like the best possible fights, & as a boxing fan I like to see a great talent seek out the greatest challenges available to him, & in so doing, legitimately stake his claim as a great fighter.

 

No, Yes, No, No, No

 

if floyd had fought and beaten winky a year ago then yea, he could've arguably been the best fighter of all time. however, i think it was a wise move on his part not to take that fight because he would've gotten his ass kicked.

 

He's already great no doubt, but to be discussed with the very best he would have to beat Hatton, the winner of Mosley vs Cotto and whoever gets himself up as an elite fighter in the meantime (could be Williams) IMO.

 

i figured out why PBF "retired." it's so he can be completely removed from the rankings at 147, where his chances of beating the best are questionable at best. as a "retired" P4Per, he can cherry pick competition all over the scale and continue to perpetuate the myth that he's unbeatable.

 

He asked to keep the WBC belt at 147. Yeah, sounds like he wants to be removed from the rankings there you genius.

 

it's called negotiating. he'll have an easier time at the table as long as he keeps his belt. why wouldn't he keep it if they let him?

 

Because..

Bravo smartpants.

Thanks for proving yourself wrong.

 

:dunno:

leave the logic to adults. you're not ready.

are you trying to tell me he wants to remain in the rankings? and that his answer for doing so is to first announce his retirement, and then begin talks with the champion at 140? okay. makes perfect sense.

 

Well have you figured out yet why Oscar never gave Ike, and Whitaker rematches?

 

Stop with your bullshit.

If he didn't want to remain in the "rankings" he would've vacated the belt, saying he didn't need it. It's clear he knows 147 is where the big fights are.

 

If Floyd beat Hatton, Cotto, and Mosley, he wouldn't be the greatest EVER, but he would be an all-time great no questions asked. Let's see if it happens.

 

do you really not want to see him fight Cotto, Williams, Mosely, and Margarito? Why???:dunno:

 

Well, as said before, fighters nowadays are less active and fight less guys. It's pretty hard to compare to the old timers who fought a lot more.

Floyd has a chance to go down as the best of this era, depending on what he does in the near future in a very good welterweight division. That's all he can really do, comparing him to someone like Henry Armstrong is too difficult.

It's a matter of opinion on how you want to rank fighters, but I can't see modern-day fighters being above guys who fought so many more times and ultimately beat a lot more quality fighters of their time.

 

Because he can do only one fight at a time, and he should take on THE MOST DANGEROUS opponent available, who is, right now, clearly Ricky "Hitman" Hatton. Undefeated champion, who crushed Zoo, KOed Castillo, knocked out numerous other champions COLD.
PBF should fight Hatton, and worry about them other bums later.

 

I'm still trying to figure out how the hell PBF won an undeserving decision over Oscar in the first place.

 

Floyd's Probably MISSED that Window of Opportunity to Make a Case for Being THE Greatest Ever...

Floyd still has Unfinished Business w/Hatton,then there's the Matter of Cleaning Up 147...Floyd SHOULD have Spent the Last Couple Years doing this,but he Didn't...

Imagine if Floyd ALREADY had a WIN Over Hatton on his Resume & 2-3 MORE WINS Over ELITE Welters???...Then,after Beating DeLa,Floyd Could've Finished Off this Year w/a Fight Against Jermain Taylor... A WINNABLE Fight,No Less...

If Floyd was STILL Undefeated after All that,his Case for Being THE Greatest Ever would B STRONG...Unfortunately,by the Time Floyd Beats Hatton & Cleans Up Welter,Jermain Taylor will have Either LOST his Title to Pavlik Or VACATED it as he Moves up to 168...

REED

 

Ahh!!..:nono: ..yet you support ALL of his matchmaking decisions, and praise his resume to be anything other than drawn out and oppurtunistic!!:nono: .

 

If I want him to go down as the greatest fighter ever....I'd have to first erase the name of Sugar Ray Robinson from everyone's minds, because even if Floyd beat Hopkins folllowed by Calzaghe followed by Wlad Klitschko...people will still say Robinson is greater.

So if Robinson's name is erased from the minds of men, Floyd has to beat Hatton, Cotto, Mosley, Williams and then retire to be considered the greatest ever.

 

Dude,this is a "Greatest Fighter EVER" Thread...

CLEARLY,Floyd is the "Greatest Fighter of TODAY"..."Greatest EVER" Criteria is DIFFERENT...


REED

 

To become the greatest fighter today you've got to beat the greatest fighters around you,.. Fraud's split decision victory over De La Hoya is his greatest win,..:dunno: but Mosely's already in possession of the original mint, he's even got another backdated replica to spare, just incase he loses the original,..:dunno: what's Fraud to do with his 2007 anniversay 'free-sample' ,..?..

 

u cant be the best beating those bums, cotto, hatton, mosley and williams aint shit, those are all easy wins for floyd besides mosely, and i dont want to hear shit about no damn paul williams, or hook and hold hatton

 

It's simply Floyd's most high-profile win.

 

Robinson is not the only candidate and argument as being the G.O.A.T.

 

these are the posts that drive me fucking insane:doh:

to call any of those guys bums is just retarded. All of them are WORLD CLASS FIGHTERS/CHAMPIONS. If they are bums what the fuck is ALL of boxing then? The 147 division is probably the most stacked division and you just called the top of it all bums:notallthere:

Originally Posted by slystaff
If I want him to go down as the greatest fighter ever....I'd have to first erase the name of Sugar Ray Robinson from everyone's minds, because even if Floyd beat Hopkins folllowed by Calzaghe followed by Wlad Klitschko...people will still say Robinson is greater.

So if Robinson's name is erased from the minds of men, Floyd has to beat Hatton, Cotto, Mosley, Williams and then retire to be considered the greatest ever.

There is much truth in this, but we can't and the fact is fighters of that era were known to have 75-125 fights in a career. Now guys talk of retirement at 30-40 fights. But regardless, if Floyd fought and beat Hatton, Cotto, Mosely(or possibly the winner if cotto/mosely goes through) we would all have to put his name in GOAT conversations.

 

He is teh foremost regarded. Most people would be willing to accept an argument for another great fighter to be placed ahead of say...Duran, Pep, Armstrong...but NO ONE accepts anyoneelse to be placed above Robinson.

You know this to be true.

 

I get it, I get it. We are trying to sell the choice of Hatton over Mosely/Cotto/Williams. We all know he squeaked by Collazo, but hell we could pump Malignaggi up if Floyd was going to fight him, right?

Hatton is a good fight for Floyd. Not the best, but definitely a good choice.

And I love the fact you call the other guys bums:laughing: Two undefeated champions, and Mosely a former p4p top fighter and Oscar's daddy.:doh:

 

well i mean bums when your talkin names that will run off a resume, i agree when people call fighters bums i dont like it ether