Mayweather Being Unbeaten Isn’t As Meaningful As “Money” Thinks It is

Published

10 years ago

December 30, 2014

In a recent article in the International Business Times (12/24/14), former six-division title-holder Oscar De La Hoya stated who he’d favor between Floyd Mayweather 47-0 (26) and Philippine sensation Manny Pacquiao 57-5-2 (38). De La Hoya isn’t exactly someone who I’d consider an objective observer, but what gives him credibility over most others is, Oscar fought Mayweather in 2007 and Pacquiao in 2008. At the time when he fought both, Oscar was an empty package and a shot fighter. He lost to both but competed with Mayweather on almost even terms, but not so much so against Pacquiao. This is something that had more to do with styles than it was/is a barometer as to who would win between Floyd and Manny.

In regards to how a confrontation between Mayweather and Pacquiao would unfold, Oscar said, “Mayweather has an edge now over Manny just because of the fact that Pacquiao’s skills have declined because of the numerous intense battles that he had fought.” I think he is pretty much on point with this assertion.

However, De La Hoya also said that, “Even though (I) favor Mayweather to win, (I) believe that the world will remember Pacquiao more than Mayweather…Pacquiao will earn more respect than Mayweather.”

“There is no doubt about that,” De La Hoya continued. “With Manny Pacquiao they are going to say ‘wow, he fought all these guys, fought tough battles and gave us all these fights.’

“Who has the better legacy, Pacquiao or Mayweather?” Oscar said, in closing.

Which is not only a great question, it’s a revealing question and it’s not at all difficult to answer. Pacquiao clearly has the better legacy, and it isn’t so much that he’s won a world title in eight different weight divisions, it’s more based on how he’s never avoided a tough opponent and fought and defeated some legitimate all-time greats while they were at or near the top of their game. The fight not happening between Mayweather and Pacquiao is so far past its due date that even Mayweather’s biggest media defenders and supporters have recently said if Floyd doesn’t fight Pacquiao, that’s what he’ll be most remembered for, not going undefeated.

Since former heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano retired undefeated 49-0 in 1955, some of the greatest of the greats have come along and compiled some of boxing’s most historic and iconic legacies. Fighters the likes of Emile Griffith, Luis Rodriguez, Sonny Liston, Bob Foster, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Carlos Monzon, Roberto Duran, George Foreman, Marvin Hagler, Larry Holmes, Alexis Arguello, Sugar Ray Leonard, Aaron Pryor, Salvador Sanchez, Michael Spinks, Thomas Hearns, Julio Cesar Chavez, Lennox Lewis, Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins. And it’s interesting that if you put all of their careers under a microscope, they have one thing in common….and that’s aside from Marciano, not one of them retired undefeated and nobody even cares about that because it’s meaningless.

Ask yourself this, how many fight aficionados do you know and respect rank Marciano as the greatest heavyweight in history? If you take it a step further, how many do you know who would pick Rocky to beat Liston, who lost four times, Ali, who lost five times, Frazier, who lost four times, Foreman, who lost five times, Holmes, who lost six times or Lewis, who lost twice? Being undefeated really isn’t such a big deal and in Marciano’s defense, perhaps he may have been the greatest. The problem is, the only great fighters who were around during his era were all way past their prime and because of that many dismiss him being undefeated. But what separates him from Mayweather is this– Marciano certainly didn’t avoid anybody who was a threat to beat him like we all know Mayweather has.

If being undefeated means so much in sports, how come most NFL historians don’t consider the 1972 Miami Dolphins (17-0) the greatest team in NFL history? They are the only NFL team in history to finish a season unbeaten and un-tied and win the championship. The 1972 Dolphins have a record no other NFL team can boast, whereas there have been more than a handful of fighters who won a world championship and retired unbeaten. The reason most NFL experts don’t rank the 1972 Dolphins as the greatest NFL team ever, rightly or wrongly, is because they only played two teams during the regular season that finished with a winning record. But that wasn’t their fault, they didn’t make their schedule. However, unlike the NFL or college football, boxers, when they become superstars, can actually pick and choose who they want to fight. In essence, some fighters can make their own schedules.

If being undefeated is the be all end all, why are the Florida State Seminoles (13-0) ranked third in the country going into their semifinal playoff Rose Bowl game against #2 Oregon (12-1) on New Year’s day? Think about it, Florida State is unbeaten in their last 29 games and hasn’t lost since 11/24/12. They’re the defending national champions and their quarterback has never lost as a starter. Yet they’re ranked behind #1 Alabama (12-1) and # 2 Oregon (12-1) because the members of the championship committee believe the Seminoles played a soft schedule……and had too many close calls where they almost lost to Notre Dame (7-5), Miami (6-7), and Boston College (7-6). But is that Florida States’ fault? Their schedule was made three or four months in advance. They couldn’t pick or chose who they wanted to play.

The point is, regardless of the sport, you are who you fought or played. Had Alabama or Oregon played FSU’s schedule, the thought of the committee is they probably would’ve gone undefeated too like Florida State. Had the 1978 Steelers played the same schedule as the 1972 Dolphins, most NFL historians believe they also would’ve gone undefeated. Had Sonny Liston or Muhammad Ali fought all 49 of Marciano’s opponents on the night Rocky fought them, the odds are overwhelming that Sonny and Muhammad would have also gone 49-0.

If Emile Griffith, Luis Rodriguez, Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns fought every opponent Mayweather did on the night he fought them, they’d have reached 47-0 too. But on the flip side, had Mayweather fought every opponent that Griffith, Rodriguez, Leonard and Hearns did on the night they fought them, Floyd most likely would’ve lost more times than the before-mentioned did. And he would’ve come out of it a much better fighter than he is today, undefeated.

Every all-time great listed above had a career rival who they fought, and in many cases more than once. Floyd Mayweather can’t say that. He’s only fought two rematches in his career, and that was because his victories over Jose Luis Castillo and Marcos Maidana were seen as controversial in some circles after their first meeting. And that’s what hyped the rematch. It wasn’t as if the boxing world was on edge waiting for Mayweather-Castillo or Mayweather-Maidana to happen.

Floyd has been a professional boxer since 1996, he was blessed with a hall-of-fame skill set that he cultivated and nurtured into a remarkable career. Boxing fans have deemed Manny Pacquiao as his most worthy challenger and that’s the only fight they care about regarding his participation. Many understand that Mayweather briefly retired to avoid fighting Antonio Margarito and Paul Williams when they were at their peak as well as possessing a fighting style that would’ve troubled him. Also, both Margarito and Williams lobbied to fight Floyd, but once he retired they willingly fought each other. Well, that’s water under the bridge now. All that’s left is for Mayweather to fight Pacquiao, and finally, after almost 19 years as a pro, give the fans what they really want.

Mayweather can run his record to 60-0 and retire, it won’t matter. If he doesn’t face Pacquiao before he hangs up his gloves, that is what he’ll be most remembered for. And not fighting Pacquiao will be his everlasting legacy. And it is getting to the point now to where those in his inner circle have admitted that to some in the media, such as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.

If Floyd Mayweather doesn’t fight Manny Pacquiao, his name may still one day be lumped with the above icons, but it will be indisputable that his legacy will be the most hollow of the group. And for that reason, Mayweather is I think closer to clashing with the declining Pacquiao because he has to, not because he wants to.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Frank Lotierzo

Argentina’s Fernando Martinez Wins His Rematch with Kazuto Ioka

Published

2 hours ago

May 11, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Argentina's-Fernando-Martinez-Wins-His-Rematch-with-Kazuto-Ioka

In an excellent fight climaxed by a furious 12^th round, Argentina’s Fernando Daniel Martinez came off the deck to win his rematch with Kazuto Ioka and retain his piece of the world 115-pound title. The match was staged at Ioka’s familiar stomping grounds, the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

In their first meeting on July 7 of last year in Tokyo, Martinez was returned the winner on scores of 117-111, 116-112, and a bizarre 120-108. The rematch was slated for late December, but Martinez took ill a few hours before the weigh-in and the bout was postponed.

The 33-year-old Martinez, who came in sporting a 17-0 (9) record, was a 7-2 favorite to win the sequel, but there were plenty of reasons to favor Ioka, 36, aside from his home field advantage. The first Japanese male fighter to win world titles in four weight classes, Ioka was 3-0 in rematches and his long-time trainer Ismael Salas was on a nice roll. Salas was 2-0 last weekend in Times Square, having handled upset-maker Rolly Romero and Reito Tsutsumi who was making his pro debut.

But the fourth time was not a charm for Ioka (31-4-1) who seemingly pulled the fight out of the fire in round 10 when he pitched the Argentine to the canvas with a pair of left hooks, but then wasn’t able to capitalize on the momentum swing.

Martinez set a fast pace and had Ioka fighting off his back foot for much of the fight. Beginning in round seven, Martinez looked fatigued, but the Argentine was conserving his energy for the championship rounds. In the end, he won the bout on all three cards: 114-113, 116-112, 117-110.

Up next for Fernando Martinez may be a date with fellow unbeaten Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, the lineal champion at 115. San Antonio’s Rodriguez is a huge favorite to keep his title when he defends against South Africa’s obscure Phumelela Cafu on July 19 in Frisco, Texas.

As for Ioka, had he won today’s rematch, that may have gotten him over the hump in so far as making it into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. True, winning titles in four weight classes is no great shakes when the bookends are only 10 pounds apart, but Ioka is still a worthy candidate.

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Emanuel Navarrete Survives a Bloody Battle with Charly Suarez in San Diego

Published

4 hours ago

May 11, 2025

David A. Avila

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In a torrid battle Mexico’s Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and his staccato attack staved off the herky-jerky non-stop assaults of Philippine’s Charly Suarez to win by technical decision and retain the WBO super feather world title on Saturday.

What do they feed these guys?

Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) and his elongated arms managed to connect enough to compensate against the surprising Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs) who wowed the crowd at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on the side of Navarrete’s left eye and forced a stoppage midway through the fight.

From the opening round Navarrete used his windmill style of attack with punches from different angles that caught Suarez multiple times early. It did not matter. Suarez fired back with impunity and was just as hungry to punch it out with the Mexican fighter.

It was savage.

Every time Navarrete connected solidly, he seemed to pause and check out the damage. Bad idea. Suarez would immediately counter with bombs of his own and surprise the champion with his resilience and tenacity.

Wherever they found Suarez they should look for more, because the Filipino fighter from Manila was ferocious and never out of his depth.

Around the sixth round the Mexican fighter seemed a little drained and puzzled at the tireless attacks coming from Suarez. During an exchange of blows a cut opened up on Navarrete and it was ruled an accidental clash of heads by the referee. Blood streamed down the side of Navarrete’s face and it was cleared by the ringside physician.

But at the opening of the eighth round, the fight was stopped and the ringside physician ruled the cut was too bad to continue. The California State Athletic Commission looked at tape of the round when the cut opened to decipher if it was an accidental butt or a punch that caused the cut. It was unclear so the referee’s call of accidental clash of heads stood as the final ruling.

Score cards from the judges saw Navarrete the winner by scores of 78-75, 77-76 twice. He retains the WBO title.

Interim IBF Lightweight Title

The sharp-shooting Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) maneuvered past Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the interim IBF lightweight title after 12 rounds.

Both fighters were strategic in their approach with Muratalla switching from orthodox to southpaw at various times of the fight. Neither fighter was ever able to dominant any round.

Defense proved the difference between the two lightweights. Muratalla was able to slip more blows than Abdullaev and that proved the difference. The fighter from Fontana, California was able to pierce Abdullaev’s guard more often than not, especially with counter punches.

Abdullaev was never out of the fight. The Russian fighter was able to change tactics and counter the counters midway through the fight. It proved effective especially to the body. But it was not enough to offset Muratalla’s accuracy.

There were no knockdowns and after 12 rounds the judges scored it 118-110, 119-109 twice for Muratalla who now becomes the mandatory for the IBF lightweight title should Vasyl Lomachenko return to defend it.

Muratalla was brief.

“He was a tough fighter,” said Muratalla. “My defense is something I work on a lot.”

Perla Wins

Super flyweight Perla Bazaldua (2-0) eased past Mona Ward (0-2) with a polished display of fighting at length and inside.

Combination punching and defense allowed Bazaldua to punch in-between Ward’s attacks and force the St. Louis fighter to clinch repeatedly. But Ward hung in there despite taking a lot of blows. After four rounds the Los Angeles-based Bazaldua was scored the winner 40-36 on all three cards. Bazaldua signed a long term contract with Top Rank in March.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Late Bloomer Anthony Cacace TKOs Hometown Favorite Leigh Wood in Nottingham

Published

18 hours ago

May 10, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Late-Bloomer-Anthony-Cacace-TKOs-Hometown-Favorite-Leigh-Wood-in-Nottingham

Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions was at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England, tonight with a card featuring hometown favorite Leigh Wood against Ireland’s Anthony “Apache” Cacace.

Wood, a former two-time WBA featherweight champion, known for dramatic comebacks in bouts he was losing, may have reached the end of the road at age 36. He had his moments tonight, rocking Cacace on several occasions and winning the eighth round, but he paid the price, returning to his corner after round eight with swelling around both of his eyes.

In the ninth, Cacace, an 11/5 favorite, hurt Wood twice with left hands, the second of which knocked Wood into the ropes, dictating a standing 8-count by referee John Latham. When the bout resumed, Cacace went for the kill and battered Wood around the ring, forcing Wood’s trainer Ben Davison to throw in the towel. The official time was 2:15 of round nine.

Akin to Wood, Northern Ireland’s Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs) is also 36 years old and known as a late bloomer. This was his ninth straight win going back to 2017 (he missed all of 2018 and 2020). He formerly held the IBF 130-pound world title, a diadem he won with a stoppage of then-undefeated and heavily favored Joe Cordina, but that belt wasn’t at stake tonight as Cacace abandoned it rather than fulfill his less-lucrative mandatory. Wood falls to 28-4.

Semi-Wind-Up

Nottingham light heavyweight Ezra Taylor, fighting in his hometown for the first time since pro debut, delighted his fan base with a comprehensive 10-round decision over previously undefeated Troy Jones. Taylor, who improved to 12-0 (9) won by scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.

This was Taylor’s first fight with new trainer Malik Scott, best known for his work with Deontay Wilder. The victory may have earned him a match with Commonwealth title-holder Lewis Edmondson. Jones was 12-0 heading in.

Other Bouts of Note

In his first fight as a featherweight, Liam Davies rebounded from his first defeat with a 12-round unanimous decision over Northern Ireland’s previously undefeated Kurt Walker. Davies, who improved to 17-1 (8), staved off a late rally to prevail on scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111. It was the first pro loss for the 30-year-old Walker (12-1), a Tokyo Olympian.

In a mild upset, Owen Cooper, a saucy Worcestershire man, won a 10-round decision over former Josh Taylor stablemate Chris Kongo. The referee’s scorecard read 96-94.

Cooper improved to 11-1 (4). It was the third loss in 20 starts for Kongo.

A non-televised 8-rounder featured junior welterweight Sam Noakes in a stay-busy fight. A roofer by trade and the brother of British welterweight title-holder Sean Noakes, Sam improved to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a third-round stoppage of overmatched Czech import Patrik Balez (13-5-1).

Photo credit: Leigh Dawney / Queensberry

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