Floyd Mayweather, JR. – Is NOT an All Time Great

By Donny Lalonde

Over the years many fighters or people in their camps like to throw around the idea their fighter is an all time great. People around Floyd Mayweather, JR. like many before him; prematurely throw around the conversation of reaching the plateau of attaining the status to be recognized as an all time great! In this conversation, Mayweather, JR. has not accomplished enough on many levels.

There are numerous examples of often mentioned fighters. The most obvious that come to mind are Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Roberto Duran, and Sugar Ray Leonard to mention just a few.

Regarding Floyd for just this conversation, let me just throw a name that is not even on the most “obvious” list above. Guglielmo Papaleo. Who is that you ask? You know him better as Willie Pep.

Let’s compare these two fighters……

Willie Pep Vs. Floyd Mayweather, JR. – The Facts

Floyd has had 47 fights. His era was not as strong as that of Willie Pep.

Willie had a record of 229-11-1, 65 KO’s. That statistic alone says all that needs to be said. Pep was 62-0 before losing for the first time to Sammy Angott in 1943. At the time they fought, Angott had recently lost his world lightweight title to Lew Jenkins. He had a storied career of his own fighting Ike Williams three times, Sugar Ray Robinson 3 times, and Henry Armstrong to literally name a few of the greats this guy fought and many he beat.

Pep was 135-1 before he lost his next fight.

Willie was in a plane crash where some died and some survived. Willie though having broken his back and both legs was back in the ring 5 months later and fighting for a World Championship shortly thereafter. Willie ducked no one. He fought his era of all time greats the time’s other ATG Featherweight Sandy Saddler not once but 4 times. Though he lost 3 of 4 meetings they are some of the most memorable fights of their generation in the sport.

These guys fought in an era of all time greats. An era that came along again with Tommy Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran and Wilfred Benitez. Today is not one of them in the weight classes Floyd has fought in.

It is like Larry Holmes following Muhammad Ali. Larry just wasn’t in an era like Ali had. Ali had Sonny Liston from another era all together then Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton, and Earnie Shavers. Larry came along at the end of it. He never had a chance to prove his greatness with as dynamic of a generation as Ali did.

Oscar De La Hoya, Felix “Tito” Trinidad, Shane Mosley, Julio Cesar Chavez, SR. was an era, with greats such as themselves. That has not been the case in Floyd Mayweather, JR.’s era which is the reason you cannot fairly place him in an ATG conversation. .

I can go on and on about this topic, but suffice to say if there is a modern day ATG fighting that has had an opportunity to earn that distinction it would be Manny Pacquiao or Bernard Hopkins.

I am not saying that Mayweather, JR. could not have been one under certain circumstances. For instance, had he fought Manny three or four times. Whether he won or lost, that would have built his case. They would most likely have been classic wars of all time great quality fighters at their peak [a few years ago], in the same weight range [good enough today].

Had he given a couple more rematches to the few fighters that gave him a close fight like the recent example when he gave Marcos Maidana one, this would have increased his qualifications. Had he fought Manny in a few great fights. Those ifs would have built his case considerably. But they never happened.

He has been tremendously successful and I applaud a healthy successful career over an ATG status if health is the measure and benefit. But this is why to me Floyd Mayweather, JR. has not achieved that status. Is he worthy of HOF? Yes, as soon as he retires. ATG, he has not done what was needed to get there.

Safety first can be successful and exciting. Willie Pep is proof of that. To be an ALL TIME GREAT one has to be willing to put it all on the line, over and over against the best out there instead of avoiding the best challenges.
Instead of embracing the opportunity, I see that Floyd Mayweather, JR. has reduced his opportunity, by not insisting on these matches, for him to be accomplished enough, in order to be considered an ATG.