Floyd Mayweather Jr: Will he be remembered as the greatest undefeated fighter of all time?

By Boxing News - 01/05/2013 - Comments

mayweather34545By Tom Drury: I have been a fan of Floyd Mayweather Jr. since the first time I saw him fight in 1998 against Genaro Hernandez. The skills that were on show in that fight were those of a boxing genius. It was clear Mayweather was destined to achieve greatness in the sport of boxing. The personality Mayweather possesses is frowned upon by many people involved in boxing and fans from across the world.

Personally, I welcome Mayweather’s personality, the brashness, arrogance and total disregard for his opponents fight game. Mayweather knows he is blessed with a talent very few possess. In his own words he has a “God given talent.”

Until Mayweather tastes defeat his personality will remain the same and so it should. Over the years, whether it be ringside at fights, in the gym, on the street or while having a drink I have had many arguments and debates regarding Mayweather. It seems some fight fans and the public just aren’t willing to give Mayweather credit for his achievements. It just doesn’t make sense. No matter how many facts or arguments I have, people just won’t accept the genius Mayweather is.

The problem is when facts not opinions are put in front of people and they still don’t accept it. It becomes clear these so called boxing fans have some underlying dislike for Maywether and forget they have been lucky enough to witness this boxer go about his business inside the ring. In this article I am going to show you resumes of three great undefeated fighters, proof of Mayweather’s greatness and why he stands alone.

Rocky Marciano, yes, Marciano was a heavyweight boxer but probably the most known fighter that bowed out of the sport with his undefeated record intact. Marciano’s resume will start from win number twenty against Italian/American Tommy Digiorgio.

21-0 Ted Lowry UD 1949
22-0 Joe Dominic KO 1949
23-0 Pat Richards TKO 1949
24-0 Phil Muscato TKO 1949
25-0 Carmine Vingo KO 1949
26-0 Roland La Starza SD 1950
27-0 Eldridge Eatman TKO 1950
28-0 Gino Buenvino TKO 1950
29-0 Johnny Shkor TKO 1950
30-0 Ted Lowry UD 1950
31-0 Bill Wilson TKO 1950
32-0 Keene Simmons TKO 1951
33-0 Harold Mitchell TKO 1951
34-0 Art Henri TKO 1951
35-0 Wills Applegate UD 1951
36-0 Rex Layne KO 1951
37-0 Freddie Bashore KO 1951
38-0 Joe Louis TKO 1951
39-0 Lee Savold RTD 1952
40-0 Gino Buenvino KO 1952
41-0 Bernie Reynolds KO 1952
42-0 Harry Mathews KO 1952
43-0 Jersey Joe Walcott KO 1952
44-0 Jersey Joe Walcott KO 1953
45-0 Roland La Starza TKO 1953
46-0 Ezzard Charles UD 1954
47-0 Ezzard Charles KO 1954
48-0 Don Cockell TKO 1955
49-0 Archie Moore KO 1955

The second resume will be that of Venezuelan Edwin Valero (R.I.P), one of my all-time favorite fighters. Valero started his career at super-featherweight going on to fight at light-weight and light-welterweight. Valero is the only boxer on record to have ended all his pro fights by way of knockout. His professional record was 27-0 (27 KO)

1-0 Angel Hernandes KO 2002
2-0 Danny Sandoval KO 2002
3-0 Angel Rivero TKO 2002
4-0 Luis Soto TKO 2002
5-0 Julio Pinedo KO 2002
6-0 Danny Sandoval KO 2003
7-0 Edgar Mendoza KO 2003
8-0 Dairo Julio TKO 2003
9-0 Emmanuel Ford TKO 2003
10-0 Roque Cassiani TKO 2003
11-0 Alejandro Heredia KO 2003
12-0 Tomas Zambrano TKO 2003
13-0 Herman Valenzuela TKO 2005
14-0 Esteban Morales KO 2005
15-0 Jose Hernandes KO 2005
16-0 Hero Bando TKO 2005
17-0 Aram Ramazyam KO 2005
18-0 Whyber Garcia TKO 2006
19-0 Grenaro Trazancos TKO 2006
20-0 Mosquero TKO 2006
21-0 Michael Lozada TKO 2007
22-0 Nobuhito Honmo TKO 2007
23-0 Zaid Zaveleta TKO 2007
24-0 Tekihero Shimada TKO 2008
25-0 Antonio Pitalua TKO 2009
26-0 Hector Valasquez RTD 2009
27-0 Antonio De Marco RTD 2009

The third resume is that of undefeated super star and pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mayweather started his pro career at super-featherweight and going through the weight classes to his most recent fight against Miguel Cotto made at light-middle-weight. Mayweather’s resume will start at his seventeenth pro fight against Tony Pep winning by unanimous decision. Before this fight Mayweather had recorded eleven TKO’s, two KO’s and three UD’s.

18-0 Genaro Hernandes RTD 1998
19-0 Manfredi TKO 1998
20-0 Carlos Rios UD 1999
21-0 Justin Juuko KO 1999
22-0 Carlos Gerena RTD 1999
23-0 Gregorio Vargas UD 2000
24-0 Emmanuel Augustus TKO 2000
25-0 Diego Corrales TKO 2001
26-0 Carlos Hernandes UD 2001
27-0 Jesus Chavez RTD 2001
28-0 Castillo UD 2002
29-0 Castillo UD 2002
30-0 Victoriano Sosa UD 2003
31-0 Phillip Ndou TKO 2003
32-0 De Marcus Corley UD 2004
33-0 Henry Bruseles TKO 2005
34-0 Arturo Gatti RTD 2005
35-0 Sharmba Mitchell TKO 2005
36-0 Zab Judah UD 2006
37-0 Carlos Baldomir UD 2006
38-0 Oscar De La Hoya SD 2007
39-0 Ricky Hatton TKO 2007
40-0 Juan Manuel Marquez UD 2009
41-0 Shane Mosley UD 2010
42-0 Victor Ortiz KO 2011
43-0 Miguel Cotto UD 2012

In my opinion as a boxing fanatic there have been many great fighters over the years. Fighters that have left their mark in the sport of boxing – Mike Tyson, Sonny Liston, Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson, Evander Holyfield, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazer, George Foreman, Vitali Klitschko, Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Naseem Hamed, Sugar Ray Robinson, Pernell Whittaker, Alexis Arguello and many others.

In many fans minds some of these fighters will be remembered more so than the likes of Mayweather Jr. I agree when someone asks me about fighters that stand out in my mind the first to come into my mind are the likes of Tyson, Hagler, Duran, Hearns. These are the fighters that give us brutal wars, leave everything in the ring to entertain us and make enough money to provide for their families and lead a better lifestyle.

When I get asked about skills, ring generalship and natural boxing talent there is only one man and that is Mayweather Jr. While there is and has been boxers with natural talent for the sweet science, namely Sugar Ray Robinson, Ali, Whittaker, Roy Jones Jr, Ray Leonard. I don’t believe these men had the raw talent of Mayweather Jr or should I say the fighting brain to carry out their business in the way Mayweather does.

After all, the whole concept of boxing is “Hit and don’t get hit”. If you take a look at the three undefeated resumes above you will see the level of opponents on Mayweather’s is far superior to that of Marcianos and Valeros. I am the first to admit Mayweather is not the most active of fighters but his opposition is built up with fighters that we as fans will always remember as good solid fighters. Carlos Genera, Diego Corrales, Jesus Chavez, and Castillo who many thought beat Mayweather. I disagree.

Mayweather clearly won more rounds. Mayweather due to the controversy did what is expected of a champion and fought a rematch with Castillo in the same year, leaving no doubt. There was Phillip Ndou, who Mayweather stopped, and the very limited but extremely tough South African that has only been stopped once since the Mayweather fight. Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Carlos Baldomir, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Victor Ortiz and Miguel Cotto. The debate about how Mayweather fairs in past generations is also popular.

The most talked about is how he would fair against the fantastic four – Hagler, Hearns, Leonard and Duran. I believe Mayweather would have been victorious against three of these four legends. The one I feel Mayweather would have struggled with is Thomas “Hitman” Hearns. While not the best boxer he was the most unorthodox fighter I have ever seen his gangly frame, big power and strong chin would have been hard work for Mayweather, but we will never know. It’s not to say Hearns would have definitely won, as we know Mayweather is a master of adjusting to his opponents style inside the ring.

This article is just to clear up the idea that Mayweather is a “ducker” a fraud that has used his mouth to succeed. The people that believe that are unfortunately holding a deep dislike for Mayweather and don’t understand the sport of boxing. Mayweather as we know is still active in his career so there is always the possibility he may not end the sport undefeated.

This is unlikely as there is no fighter I can see that possesses the skills to dethrone the pound for pound champ. I think this article should clear up all doubts about Mayweather’s greatness and place in boxing history. I would like to add for people who might have the opinion. I am a biased writer. Mayweather is not my all-time favorite fighter; he is just the fighter I believe is the most rounded fighter that has ever lived.

Power but more so in the lighter weight classes, great footwork, great counter-punching, great offence, great defence, great work ethic and great personality. Mayweather will never be remembered as the greatest fighter of all time by fans, experts or historians this is only due to his lack of K.O victories as we know boxing loves a knockout. If that percentage had been higher I have no doubt this man would have been remembered as the greatest fighter of all time.



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