Best Of The Last 50 Years - If Only Their Best Wins Count

First topic message reminder :

Interestingly, both Trussman and Adam T - two of the most ardent "fans" I've come across have conceded that Manny Pacquiao has scored better quality wins than Floyd Mayweather in their respective careers.

If we only take wins into account - how would you rate fighters from the last 50 years? Who has the most great victories since 1965?

Ali? Leonard? Duran? Pacquiao?

Duran wins for me every time. Floyd was amazing, but Duran is nasty and can box too.

Esteban Dejesus any better than Floyd...

Still going but running out of steam:

Benitez - Cervantes, Duran

No Mayweather, De la Hoya, Lewis or Whitaker. Coincidentally, I feel three of those tend to be overrated.

I think Duran is much better than Castillo and Maidana and tougher.

Floyd struggles badly.

I'd fancy Duran to beat Floyd also. You'd think Floyd's style would pose too many problems for Duran but I don't think Duran would respect Floyd enough. I think you had to have a pop to control Duran and I don't think Floyd's got enough of a pop.

Easy to remember Duran's top performances at 135 and not his crap ones...

Went the distance with Viruet twice and he was a journeyman,....

Don't see how not respecting Floyd is a good thing ??

Honeyghan didn't respect a similar fighter in Starling and got absolutely hammered..

You have to respect good fighters..........

Benitez, Leonard, Hearns and all the elite boxers Duran faced all outboxed him...

Could Mayweather do it at 135 who knows ???..........Because he never fought anyone as good as floyd and Dejesus beat him..

Obviously the village idiot would think Pazienza beats Floyd at 135.......

But anyone who can confidently predict Duran beats Mayweather at 135 is wrong..

He's found a way for 17 years.....

Smeg Truss it's one of those fights. Duran can box as well as fight.

Floyd had pop at the lighter weights. Definitely an interesting match of styles. I confess, I am a huge admirer of Duran so probably am a bit biased towards him.

Also think Floyd is the best technical boxer in the last couple of decades.

I wouldn't put my mortgage on it but I lean towards Duran. Floyd would win a rematch though.He does better second time around.

He could fight better than Floyd ...but he couldn't box as well as him and Floyd would be doing the boxing......so it's irrelevant....

Lightweight was arguably Mayweather's best weight......

Duran never fought anybody at his league there......

At higher weights Benitez, Leonard, Hearns and Laing (All the top "boxers" he faced) outboxed him !!!..

Not saying Mayweather beats Duran but it's damn near PICKEM....

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:He could fight better than Floyd ...but he couldn't box as well as him and Floyd would be doing the boxing......so it's irrelevant....

Lightweight was arguably Mayweather's best weight......

Duran never fought anybody at his league there......

At higher weights Benitez, Leonard, Hearns and Laing (All the top "boxers" he faced) outboxed him !!!..

Not saying Mayweather beats Duran but it's damn near PICKEM....

Lightweight was Duran's best weight.

Benitez, Leonard and Laing all got him after he'd succumbed to the trappings of fame that put him into an almighty slump (food mainly - he'd blow up massively between fights). Hearns just annihilated him.

At Floyd's best (as a super feather) he was more daring, more offensive-minded than he is today. Duran was less finessed (as a lightweight) than the guy who beat Leonard, Moore, Barkley etc.).

Duran's performance against Leonard suggests he'd be a likely winner. He wouldn't follow Floyd around like Corrales and was an entirely different proposition to Castillo (good fighter that he was). Duran would win. He was the greater fighter. It wouldn't be easy, though.

Floyd control's fighters with his straight right, using his power to deter them from marching forward. I don't think he deters Duran, even at the lower weights where he showed more power. Duran's going to want to take the fight inside which could well take away Mayweathers left hook before the clinch.

Duran may have lost to the best boxers he fought but he beat the best boxer he fought as well. I think Duran is a nightmare for Floyd and Floyd probably thinks so to.

Controlled a lot of people the same way.....What are these coaches thinking.

Mayweather v Duran would be similar logistically to Hatton - Floyd..

Like I said he lost to all the great boxers he fought and fought no one in Floyd's league at 135...

It's just silly to write Mayweather off....

All the evidence suggests it's Mayweathers hardest fight and Duran struggles to get on top, his performance in Montreal was a one off. Castillo and Maidana both showed that pressure can take it's toll on Floyd but equally Benitez and Laing showed speed could do for Duran.

hazharrison wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:He could fight better than Floyd ...but he couldn't box as well as him and Floyd would be doing the boxing......so it's irrelevant....

Lightweight was arguably Mayweather's best weight......

Duran never fought anybody at his league there......

At higher weights Benitez, Leonard, Hearns and Laing (All the top "boxers" he faced) outboxed him !!!..

Not saying Mayweather beats Duran but it's damn near PICKEM....

Lightweight was Duran's best weight.

Benitez, Leonard and Laing all got him after he'd succumbed to the trappings of fame that put him into an almighty slump (food mainly - he'd blow up massively between fights). Hearns just annihilated him.

At Floyd's best (as a super feather) he was more daring, more offensive-minded than he is today. Duran was less finessed (as a lightweight) than the guy who beat Leonard, Moore, Barkley etc.).

Duran's performance against Leonard suggests he'd be a likely winner. He wouldn't follow Floyd around like Corrales and was an entirely different proposition to Castillo (good fighter that he was). Duran would win. He was the greater fighter. It wouldn't be easy, though.

Agreed

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Controlled a lot of people the same way.....What are these coaches thinking.

Mayweather v Duran would be similar logistically to Hatton - Floyd..

Like I said he lost to all the great boxers he fought and fought no one in Floyd's league at 135...

It's just silly to write Mayweather off....

Hatton's an extremely poor comparison to Duran. Duran way, way slicker (in a different league actually) and could fight inside (Hatton would throw a body shot, hold, grapple and look to hit after the break).

Hammersmith harrier wrote:All the evidence suggests it's Mayweathers hardest fight and Duran struggles to get on top, his performance in Montreal was a one off. Castillo and Maidana both showed that pressure can take it's toll on Floyd but equally Benitez and Laing showed speed could do for Duran.

Benitez and Laing caught Duran during a mid-career slump. We're talking about the lightweight Duran here.

The real answer to this one is simple: Mayweather wouldn't have taken the fight.

Duran was a crafty fighter and had good movement. Duran wasn't Leonard like, but he can box.

Unfortunately I hate to keep picking on Ricky, but I hate his hit and grab style.

How about Duran vs Pacquiao Haz? How do you see that playing out?

The Montreal spin..

Where Leonard brawled. ..

How predictable..

AdamT wrote:Duran was a crafty fighter and had good movement. Duran wasn't Leonard like, but he can box.

Unfortunately I hate to keep picking on Ricky, but I hate his hit and grab style.

Duran was smart - technically superb. Hatton doesn't stand comparison to a master boxer like Duran.

AdamT wrote:How about Duran vs Pacquiao Haz? How do you see that playing out?

Depends which Pacquiao we're dealing with - he's been through that many weights (and was more of a one-handed fighter lower down the weights).

It would end up a fire-fight either way and I can't see a guy who stood up to Marvin Hagler being cowed by Pacquiao's power. The speed and volume might bother Duran but he was far and a way the better technical fighter. I'd fancy him to stop Pacquiao late.

I agree, think Pacquiao would win a round or two early, but fancy Duran to start bringing the fight to him and walking him down.

Would be a cracker.

AdamT wrote:I think Duran is much better than Castillo and Maidana and tougher.

Floyd struggles badly.

Is Floyd better than Kirkland Laing?

Yes he is

Exactly, easy to use best vs worst performances to try and prove someone can win...

I'm not proving anybody can win....

I'm just saying Mayweather would be his toughest opponent at lightweight.........

Am I saying he'd win......nope...But he'd have a good chance..

Duran struggled against elite boxers..........So it isn't as easy to predict as some think..

Not you, the opposite.

Scottrf wrote:Not you, the opposite.

You're wasting your time on a guy who prints half a Floyd article slamming him while omitting the other half praising him...

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Scottrf wrote:Not you, the opposite.

You're wasting your time on a guy who prints half a Floyd article slamming him while omitting the other half praising him...

Which didn't really happen considering I posted the link to the whole piece but you know, don't let that spoil a good story...

For me the best 3 fighters of the last 50 years are

1.Ali
2.Duran
3.Srl

Floyd is next for me. If he had of never taken an extended break, thought Pacquiao sooner,he would make my top 3.