By @BoxingMuse: As soon as we witnessed the master class Floyd Mayweather Jr. put on against then unbeaten WBC, WBA & The Ring light Middleweight titlist Saúl Álvarez, the majority of the boxing world asked one question. Is there a fighter in boxing who can beat Mayweather Jr.?
With help from Garcia vs. Matthysse as the co-feature ‘The One’ is officially the highest grossing pay-per-view boxing event in history.
September 14th proved several things. Firstly it reaffirmed that Mayweather Jr. is undoubtedly the best pound for pound fighter in the sport. Secondly the victorious champ Danny Garcia and brave warrior Matthysse are both potential opponents for Floyd although a rematch has been touted. Thirdly a matchup against Pacquiao is still a huge draw but remains a complex matter.
The topic of this article is it to discuss if it is foreseeable and likely that Mayweather Jr. could move up to the middleweight division to cement his legacy to an even higher degree.
Floyd can still make the 140lbs division as he himself and his father have expressed, but in reality Mayweather belongs and is comfortable at Welterweight. There are available and realistic names as opponents but there is a clear lack of real competition out there within this legendary division. Even with the rejuvenation of ‘Pac-Man’.
It is also without a doubt I state that there are some seriously tough challenges in the middleweight division, but is it a weight class too far? And is it also a fair, reasonable and righteous demand that we as fight fans expect Mayweather to disregard weight classes and challenge bigger champions?
‘Money’ stands 5′ 8″ with the reach of 72″, which is the equivalent of 6 foot. Some of the greatest of all time made the step up from lighter weights to compete at middleweight which has defined their legacies.
Sugar Ray Robinson (5’11”) is the man we as critics can almost universally agree as the greatest fighter of all time. The original Sugar was the basis behind the term ‘pound for pound’. Robinson ruled the 147lb division and then stepped up to middleweight where he beat Jake LaMotta for the championship of the world at 160lbs in 1951 and went on to battle the very best. Over a span of 200 fights this god of boxing was victorious 173 times. His legend cannot be denied having taken on bigger and tougher challenges.
Henry Armstrong (5’5 ½”) a childhood hero of Robinson, who when the pair fought in 1943 Armstrong was an aged gladiator in need of money. This does not take away from Armstrong’s own half of fame legacy. Nicknamed ‘Homicide Hank’ Armstrong defended the welterweight title a record number of times and went on to tackle higher weight classes having started as a Featherweight. Armstrong remains the only fighter to hold three championships simultaneously. Although Armstrong never won the middleweight title, he drew a middleweight title fight with Ceferino Garcia in 1940. Armstrong’s legacy was undoubtedly enhanced by his attempt at middleweight.
Roberto Durán (5′ 7”) achieved titles in the lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight. ‘Hands of Stone’ literally didn’t seem to care about weight classes and although has the ranking as perhaps the greatest lightweights ever the Panamanian stepped up to middleweight and even finished his career as a super middleweight. The stocky and powerful Duran beat 6’1” then champion Iran Barkley for the WBC Middleweight Title in 1989.
Sugar Ray Leonard (5’10”) was the Welterweight to beat around the time of 1980. Leonard who was unbeaten since the first Duran fight Kept his winning streak going in-between periods of inactivity until 1991 losing to Tery Norris when Ray was past his prime. Up to this time Leonard captured various of the main governing bodies’ titles at Welterweight, Light Middleweight, Middleweight, Super Middleweight and remarkably at Light Heavyweight.
Thomas Hearns (6’1”) although one of the biggest welterweights we have seen won the WBA welterweight title in 1980 and then moved up to light-middle in 1982 to defeat Wilfred Benítez for the Ring & WBC titles. Approximately 3 years later ‘Hitman’ then lost to Marvin Hagler for WBC/WBA/IBF/The Ring 160lb titles. Although unique in the fact that Hearns would have found it easy to adapt to larger weight classes than most welterweights due to his natural size advantage he took to this challenge and his reputation was enhanced.
Oscar De La Hoya (5′ 10½″), had mixed fortunes at middleweight. Oscar managed a close and controversial decision triumph over Felix Sturm for the WBO middleweight strap and was then stopped in the next fight by Benard Hopkins in a middleweight unification bout in 2004. This does not change the fact ‘The Golden Boy’ attempted the move up.
So let’s say Floyd stepped up to 160lbs, which opponent could be fought out there that would give him the credit he deserves. The three biggest names in the division come to mind first.
In my opinion a bout against RING and WBC champ Sergio Martinez seems the most logical and attractive proposition, although the Argentine is turning 39 in February, two pound for pound pugilists colliding would be a certified classic.
Floyd facing Middleweight’s wrecking ball Golovkin, the WBA & IBO king would also be an amazing spectacle, ‘GGG’ showed he can be hit during his KO victory over Stevens earlier this month. Gennady is building his profile as a big star but is he truly a step too far for the finest welterweight of a generation in Mayweather Jr.?
Peter Quillin the WBO titlist who is represented by Al Haymon, the financial master behind Mayweather’s riches, suggesting ‘Money’ v ‘Kid Chocolate’ could be made more easily than other match ups. This still doesn’t take away from the fact that middleweight may be a too big ask for Floyd.
Of course the cold war happening between HBO and Showtime combined with a lack of good relations between Golden Boy and Top Rank does not help a potential Mayweather Jr. Middleweight debut.
As is always the case Floyd is control of his own destiny. We are waiting on his next move, clues lead to a fight against Amir Khan. But surely the idea of a move to 160lbs option has entered his mind, as it has with many boxing fans and experts.
What is your opinion on a potential Mayweather middleweight bout? Follow and tweet me @BoxingMuse and share your opinions.
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