Dennis Taylor
Editor & publisher
To join ranks of the all-time greatest,
Floyd needs a worthy challenge
Boxing
fans reserve a special place in their hearts for valor, a quality that
will emerge only when a fighter meets his match. That's why Floyd
Mayweather Jr. runs the risk of not finding the lofty place
in history that he deserves.His ring artistry has been nothing short of overwhelming to the
likes of Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Sharmba Mitchell, DeMarcus Corley and a multitude of others who, at one time or another, held a place near the summit of the sport.
Yet Mayweather's legacy, in the eyes of some, is currently that of a fighter who built his legend mostly by fighting the right guy, at the right time, in the right weight division -- big-name opponents that he's sure he can beat. It's a charge he faces right now as he prepares to add Juan Manuel Marquez to the list.
Marquez's greatness isn't in question, Floyd might not help himself much in the eyes of historians if he wins easily. Boxing's oracles already have identified Mayweather as the bigger, faster, younger fighter. They've suggested that Marquez -- still near the top of every pound-for-pound list -- may be due to show the effects of the
many brutal wars he's fought.They present these concerns -- valid or not -- as evidence that
Mayweather has, yet again, artfully set himself up for an easy victory over an undersized, over-the-hill legend, rather than manning up against somebody like Shane Mosley or Paul Williams.
Ironically, the best thing for Mayweather's legacy is to win a fight in which his vulnerabilities are exposed. Rocky Marciano (49-0, 43 KOs) never met his match, which is why most historians refuse to
place him in the same stratosphere as Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis. The fighters who are remembered as the best ever -- Ali, Louis, Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, Henry Armstrong, et all -- were pushed to the limit, even conquered, by one or more opponents who, on at least one night, proved to be their equal. If we never get to see a fighter dig deep for a victory, his aura remains incomplete.
Most of us have little doubt that Floyd Mayweather Jr. ranks among the most-skillful boxers of all time, that he measures up to the fastest, that his defensive skills could be the best of any man of his era. What we don't yet know is whether he has the qualities that many boxing fans consider essential to greatness: heart and courage.
If Mayweather retires without being pushed to the brink, history will not forgive him. Right or wrong, the perfection of one boxer becomes an indictment of his era. Just ask Marciano.
If Marquez and Pacquiao prove unworthy, Floyd needs to fight Mosley and Williams, and every other titan in his path. That's how great fighters get listed with the greatest -- and it's the only way.
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