I think it's unfair for any current boxer to compare themselves to the greats of old. No one engages in challenging fights in their prime now. I don't blame them - I'd take easy money too if I was out there having my brain rattled for entertainment. But I wouldn't have the audacity to pretend I was on the same level as Ali even if my record was 100-0 100% KO's.
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Floyd Mayweather says Muhammad Ali is fifth best boxer ever.
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AlphaSnake
...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
1.) ROCKY MARCIANO
2.) ROCKY MARCIANO
3.) ROCKY MARCIANO
4.) ROCKY MARCIANO
5.) ROCKY MARCIANO
Clarence: Oh, there they go. There they go. Every time I start talkin about boxin, a white man gotta pull Rocky Marciano out they ass. That's they one. That's they one. Rocky Marciano! Rocky Marciano! Let me tell you something once and for all...Rocky Marciano was good, but compared to Joe Lewis he ain't shit.
Old man: He beat Joe Lewis' ass...
Barber: That's right he did whip Joe Lewis' ass.
(...Joe Lewis' age + Frank Sinatra anecdote)
BadAss2961
Member
Joe Louis was 137 years old when they fought.
AlphaSnake
...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Man, I don't know how old he was...but I do know he got his ass whooped.
xDUMPWEEDx
Banned
Here's clips of the actual Marciano vs Louis fight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD5uOEpV3zE
*Bonus*
Top boxing knockouts compilation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Darq-Xxh6WM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD5uOEpV3zE
*Bonus*
Top boxing knockouts compilation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Darq-Xxh6WM
JasonUresti
Member
Dominant against complete bums and journeymen. Got beaten badly by any great fighter he went against, and even beaten by a decent one in Douglas and taken to decision by guys like Bonecrusher Smith.
Tyson's only notable wins were over a terrified cruiserweight in Spinks, and a victory over the ghost of Larry Holmes.
The guy who had the best shot of beating him is paralyzed now unfortunately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5VWCW5ZNv4
Paul Williams was a beast when he fought at welterweight, he bit off more than he could chew moving up to middleweight but I don't think anyone at 147 could beat him when he was focused. 6'1 southpaw with a 79" reach and really high output, Floyd beat taller fighters but I don't think he'd be able to beat Paul @ 147.
shaowebb
Member
I agree. Marciano was a late start as a boxer. Very awkward too. His main thing was he was incredibly powerful and very tough and that he had one of the hardest hitting lefts in history...
He went for knockouts because he couldn't really fight with much precision and technical skill. He was sort of learning as he went. I actually think he may have lost all his non pro bouts by decision too. Louis was a surgeon in his prime who likely could have taken him. Louis tired out in the Marciano fight, but took the early rounds. His age caught up to him in that fight.
Imp the Dimp
Member
I'd swap Whitaker with SRR and change the positions slightly but frankly, it's not that awful a list. Floyd is easily a top 10 all time great. Might want to put Joe Louis in front of him as well but that's debatable.
Maaaaaardy
Member
Let me just end this right here.
Everyone who thinks Floyd is wrong, he forgot more about boxing 15 years ago than any of us will ever know. If anything, we should all agree and move on. He's a very, very, very clever man when it comes to boxing, and we really can't all laughably slate a man who's 48-0.
Everyone who thinks Floyd is wrong, he forgot more about boxing 15 years ago than any of us will ever know. If anything, we should all agree and move on. He's a very, very, very clever man when it comes to boxing, and we really can't all laughably slate a man who's 48-0.
I don't believe Paul Williams had a shot against Mayweather. He was easily picked apart by Lara in that robbery.
Always-honest
Banned
True. Still, in his prime i can't think of anyone with more raw potential.
Phat Michael
Banned
no, everyone else in an expert apparently and Floyd is an idiot. It's what i have seen so far.
His record is also terrible.
LanceVance
Member
What about Amir Khan?
I honestly don't really have a problem with the list. It's all opinion anyways. But I"m happy that he's showing love for the little guy. I doubt most people even know who the other 3 are.
Boxing is a very old sport and it comprises of many divisions. These guys have always existed under the shadow of the heavyweight legends, not due to the relative better skill of the heavyweights of course because it doesn't exist, but more due to the extreme bias of the media. No one wants to see some 5'7 guy who weighs less than their teenage son take on another similarly sized guy. They want to see the monsters.
Boxing is a very old sport and it comprises of many divisions. These guys have always existed under the shadow of the heavyweight legends, not due to the relative better skill of the heavyweights of course because it doesn't exist, but more due to the extreme bias of the media. No one wants to see some 5'7 guy who weighs less than their teenage son take on another similarly sized guy. They want to see the monsters.
Please, not this again. Khan has little to no chance against Mayweather.
Brerlappin
Member
Not anywhere near enough love for the Motor City cobra up in here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYX8SUYiVsQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYX8SUYiVsQ
At this stage?... More of a chance than Berto. GGG would also annihilate him if they met at a catch weight.
I've got more of a chance than Berto, haha. Khan is a junk fight, but Berto is slightly moreso of a junk fight.
No point mentioning GGG. Mayweather has no reason to fight the middleweight champ, even if it is at a catchweight.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
Robinson, Louis, Ali are all easily over mayweather.
I wish we had more footage of the Tunney/Greb/Dempsey era too. Mayweather probably isn't even top five himself.
People should know Duran at least from the Leonard stuff if they have any interest in boxing, but no one outside ali/mayweather will have leaked into the public consiousness
I wish we had more footage of the Tunney/Greb/Dempsey era too. Mayweather probably isn't even top five himself.
People should know Duran at least from the Leonard stuff if they have any interest in boxing, but no one outside ali/mayweather will have leaked into the public consiousness
Rollo Tomasi
Member
Except his next fight might air for free for everyone on CBS...
Tyson is NOT top 5, and only pointing to his raw record is pointless. Otherwise Chavez Jr would be contending for a top ten.
Tyson's prime peaked with heavyweights that in general were no real threat. It was a Rhonda Roussey situation. The heavyweight division chewed his ass out by the time he fought dangerous competition, which sucks cause it happened on his hard decline.
Theoretically, if say Cus D'Amato lived longer, I could see Tyson's prime lasting long enough to have given guys like Holyfield and Lewis a better run for their money. He also wouldn't have lost to Douglas (lol).
As it is, the reality, he didn't get to really shine the way he should have. Though the dummies he fought make for a fantastic highlight reel, with his fights against Spinks, Holmes and Berbick being legit crown jewels.
Tyson's prime peaked with heavyweights that in general were no real threat. It was a Rhonda Roussey situation. The heavyweight division chewed his ass out by the time he fought dangerous competition, which sucks cause it happened on his hard decline.
Theoretically, if say Cus D'Amato lived longer, I could see Tyson's prime lasting long enough to have given guys like Holyfield and Lewis a better run for their money. He also wouldn't have lost to Douglas (lol).
As it is, the reality, he didn't get to really shine the way he should have. Though the dummies he fought make for a fantastic highlight reel, with his fights against Spinks, Holmes and Berbick being legit crown jewels.
gutter_trash
Banned
Hey Ray, you never got me down Ray, you never got me down
Jest Chillin
Member
Berto was announced for PPV already I thought.
StylesClash
Member
I like how we are debating 2-5, and completely ignoring that mayweather shouldn't even make his own damn list.
Few fighters have dominated as undisputed as Mayweather has; make no mistake, what he has accomplished in boxing is remarkable. He definitely is in the conversation for any spot ranging 1 to 15 as far as the greatest boxers of all time goes, and it is not entirely unreasonable he would place himself as numero uno - in fact, it's expected given his confidence in his ability. This isn't a unique quality to Mayweather either; a lot of reigning champs (most?) placed themselves as No. 1. - prime example being Ali, whose moniker was The Greatest and who routinely told anyone and everyone who would listen that he was greatest of all time.
Mayweather is simply carrying on the tradition of great fighters that have earned their confidence.
Interceptor
Banned
Never heard of anyone besides Ali. But where are the Klitschkos?
Sir_Crocodile
Member
You may see them when someone composes a top ten thousand list
Interceptor
Banned
Aren't they still world champions.. for years now?
you talking about roy jones?
Don't agree with Floyd's list and certainly don't agree with him being #1. He's entitled to his opinion. I still rank Floyd highly in the ATG list though.
Someone earlier posted about past fighters becoming underrated. I dare say that modern fighters can't get a fair shake when it comes to talking about all time greats and where they rank.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
Sadly their division hasn't been competitive for a long time. In another time they'd be part of the bum-of-the-month club.
It's tough to rank fighters from different eras but the heavyweight division has been bereft of any real talent outside of the Klitschko brothers for a long time now.
Hands of Stone
Member
I'd like to see people post their top 3 (or at least #1) fighters of the original 6 weight classes ( I know it's 8 but I'm guessing most won't be too knowledgeable about the Bantam and Fly weights.)
For me it's
FW: Pep, Armstrong, Sanchez
LW: Duran, Leonard, Whitaker
WW: Robinson, Leonard, Napoles
MW: Monzon, Greb, Hagler
LHW: Charles, Moore, Spinks
HW: Ali, Louis, Marciano
For me it's
FW: Pep, Armstrong, Sanchez
LW: Duran, Leonard, Whitaker
WW: Robinson, Leonard, Napoles
MW: Monzon, Greb, Hagler
LHW: Charles, Moore, Spinks
HW: Ali, Louis, Marciano
Sir_Crocodile
Member
I've never really felt comfortable putting Greb on a list. From the biographies, and from the critics & boxers testimony at the time it certainly feels like he should be there. So frustrating not having any of his fights recorded.
Hands of Stone
Member
The no footage thing hurts him sure but the mans record is so ridiculous. A who's who of the top MW's of the era and multiple times at that. One year he went 45-0. Goddamn amazing. Greb-Tunney 1 is the holy grail of boxing footage.
BadAss2961
Member
At this point I wouldn't even be surprised if Floyd beat GGG if they met in the middle. You can't annihilate what you can't hit.
Tyson's a top 5 talent, but I agree that his career doesn't match. He was a shell of himself in every one of his losses, even against Buster.
ColdLasagna
Member
Mayweather is either...
Art in motion. (in his sport)
Piece of shit human being.
Someone who can't read.
Or could he be all three?
Yup.
Art in motion. (in his sport)
Piece of shit human being.
Someone who can't read.
Or could he be all three?
Yup.
man some people in this thread talking about how any list that contains or doesn't contain Tyson is ridiculous are being ridiculous themselves..
lists like this are subjective as hell.. i loved Tysons fighting style in his prime for me there is no doubt that he's in the Top 5.. that does not make me uninformed or casual by any means.. there are enough "experts" and retired legends that have put Tyson up there with the greatest.
Like i said anything on this matter is basically subjective because we are talking about ranking the best boxers in history.. there are many that could qualify for a Top 5.
lists like this are subjective as hell.. i loved Tysons fighting style in his prime for me there is no doubt that he's in the Top 5.. that does not make me uninformed or casual by any means.. there are enough "experts" and retired legends that have put Tyson up there with the greatest.
Like i said anything on this matter is basically subjective because we are talking about ranking the best boxers in history.. there are many that could qualify for a Top 5.
BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
Yeah seriously. I would put Ray Leonard (who beat Duran twice..... and Floyd Mayweather Sr) over Duran and have neither in my top 5.
No Ray Robinson is a joke. Guy has 200 pro fights over 25 years and was only KOd once and this was before 10 oz gloves.
BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
If you wanna watch Ali fight the meanest left hook of all time watch his trilogy with Frazier.
Sato Koiji
Member
To be fair Mike made the heavyweights look weak. He got rid of undefeated olympic gold medalist Biggs, undefeated linear HW champ Michael Spinks and hes the first man ever to knock out Larry Holmes. There are a handful of fighters that were regarded as quality opponents during that era which isnt Tysons fault.
By the time he was scheduled to fight the top guys from the 90's he was a different person and fighter altogether.
Ninja Scooter
Member
Mike Tyson was a force of nature during his short peak, but calling him a top 5 fighter is like saying Doc Gooden is a top 5 all time pitcher. Both of them were like lightning in a bottle, but ultimately both of them were destroyed by their vices and never fully realized their potential.
D
Deleted member 47027
Unconfirmed Member
Naseem was such a fucking pain in my goddamned ass, I hated that dude so much. He was so goddamned good. God I hated him. He was incredible.
That's a good list. I see the Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Duran, and Sweat Pea Whitaker.
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