Roberto Duran (1980)
NAPOLES, DURAN, LEONARD HEARNS ALL GREAT WELTERS
San Francisco, CA– For the life of me, I tried real hard to think of a fighter who was as good as the man they call
Floyd Mayweather
“Money” in Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Going back today through the history of the welterweight (147 lb.) division and where to rate Floyd, and no Ray Robinson, although unbeaten at 147 at like 48-0 before moving up to 160 (middleweight), that is where people rate the man born Walker Smith.
“THREE AMIGOS” NOT “THREE STOOGES”
Even though Floyd could possibly beat middleweights today, the only other best welterweights I would rate over Mayweather are Roberto Duran, the aforementioned Ray Leonard and Tommy “Hit Man” Hearns. I would say that these 3 men, all fellow opponents in the last golden era of boxing, the 1980s, would beat Floyd, and I give Duran, Hearns and Leonard, in that order, an edge over Floyd Mayweather.
THOSE WITH TENURE UPSET AT THIS POINT
Although there are the oldsters out there screaming at their computer, “What no Jose Napoles, no Pipino Cuevas?” To that I say, no! Although Leonard defeated Duran twice, there is a reason Ray waited almost 10 years to give Roberto Duran a rematch, that being the beat down Roberto put on Ray for the better part of 15 rounds the first time.
FLOYD HAS NO “GREATS” ON RECORD
Ray Leonard-Tommy Hearns 1981: When Boxing Was King!
Not that it is his fault, but there isn’t anybody he’s fought that would be considered a “mega” star outside of Oscar De La Hoya, who had been a professional 15 years when he and Mayweather played “pity pat” for 12 truly forgettable frames. Floyd could’ve made a better case for himself had he fought Antonio Margarito when he “retired,” instead of facing the Mexican mauler. Robert Guerrero, Saul Alvarez, Miguel Cotto, good, but not truly great fighters or ones history would associate said status with.
TOMORROW” THE STORY OF THE “NO MAS” FIGHT
The second fight, and here is the true story of the making and the ending of the “No Mas” rematch between Duran and Leonard. See you Thursday here at RingTalk.com
Pedro Fernandez