Tarnished. At 40 million a fight, apparently people pay to see him fight. I agree he should have fought Manny years ago, but despite what critics say, Mayweather did not want to chance a fight he could lose.
Manny's advantage is inside with short arms he can get full power with fast shots. No matter how great a defensive master Mayweather is, with overwhelming inside speed, you are at a disadvantage.
Personally, Mayweather would have kept a distance fight, never leaning the ropes like against other opponents as Manny could throw 4-5 hard fast shots that are all damaging. Fighters with normal arm length have to arch inside punches and Floyd can see that. Paul Williams had that problem, like his rematch with Martinez he threw a punch with an arch to get power (with his huge reach), Martinez didn't have to, therefore connecting first and KOing Williams.
If anyone thinks Manny ducked Floyd, check to gag clause article regarding their negotiations years ago. Mayweather camp said there was no negotiations, when proven wrong, they immediately said they wouldn't deal with a management that didn't honor the gag clause. The gag clause was regarding the conditions of the fight and not that they were negotiating.
Tarnished? Maybe, but not by much. You can recall just about every great pound-for-pound fighter that clearly avoided a certain fighter. Dempsey ducked Langford. Langford refused only one fighter. Etc... rarely, in the old days did fighters duck as they couldn't afford to. Today, with paydays so high, they can. At 168lbs, RJJ was so physically dominant, he never developed great defensive techniques and never a ring general. As his physical skills went, so did his dominance, then he couldn't beat a top ten fighter.
When people argue Castillo vs Floyd I, they make it sound like Castillo destroyed him. It was close. When Lennox vs Holyfield I was a draw, I quit watching heavyweights.
Holyfield Holyfield vs Lewis I Lewis
385 Total Punches 613
130 Connected 348
171 Jabs Thrown 364
52 Jabs Connected 187
214 Power Punches 249
78 Punches Connected 161
This was a corrupted fight for the simple fact. 1999 had no other Heavyweights considered elite. Other divisions you had a few fighters. Boxing was a huge slump and needed top fighters to be competitive to get rematches. Lewis with one loss to McCall and Holyfield with (3 losses) 2 to Bowe and 1 Moorer, althought the fight was not high octane battle, clearly Lewis controlled and won a decisive match. When people complain about split decisions or close UDs like Manny vs JMM II (all action), Oscar vs Trinidad (slow), etc... when fights are a battle that can be viewed either way or boring to the point you have to decide if aggression or a few extra jabs winning the round, clearly it is bised to a close degree. When Lewis controls a fights clearly near double in every punch stat area and at no point either fighter was hurt or stunned, then you can use the compubox with one condition, that Lewis maintained these stats per round, not just 4 big rounds. He clearly won 8 rounds decisive landing double in all categories, and 4 rounds that were less action that were even rounds at best or 2 and2.
This thread about Castillo is ridiculous. Mayweather at 25 had one real opponent (Diego) previsously and was clearly offensive and totally different than now. Ali in 1964 was lbs-for-lbs definitely one of the greatest, by 1970 he was a totally different fighter and was great not elite. Mayweather has only gotten better. If Mayweather lost and it was so clear, he immedaitely rematched Castillo first and that same year, and won again. This time, no complaints.
The issue with a thread about Mayweather from a Chavez fan who beat 70 plus fighters never to leave Mexico and never amounted to being even average to get a fight in the States. Clearly Chavez lost to Whitaker, Randall, and Oscar destroyed him twice. Oscar never dominated any fighter considered great after that... so it is clear. Chavez was a manufactured win fighter for... MONEY! His son is a joke, proving Vera spanked him, but his Daddy's name draws millions of fans, while Vera couldn't fill 50 seats. All the slack Martinez has got as a middleweight regarding it was sad that we had such a weak middleweight champion, but he fights everyone, and wins by KO or decisively. When poor Chavez Jr fought him, it was a joke. The only thing to Chavez Sr is his dedication training and fighting, while Jr only gives it all fighting. Jr is a joke and Sr should have spent more time raising the pot-head son instead of trying to manufacturer himself a legend. He never beat a great fighter...
Mayweather last 10 bouts were Canelo (Mexico's SUPERSTAR), and previously Guerrero (was considered a beast, now over-rated), Cotto (improved and at his best in that loss), Ortiz (physical skill but heartless), Mosley (got shutdown), Marquez (JMM was at to many disadvantages at the time), Hatton (clearly never the same as Manny finished what Floyd did), Oscar (Oscar's best fight, and exposing Mayweather's weakness against taller fighters with a good jab and reach), Baldomir (tough guy)and Judah (skilled but fails to produce on stage.) Chavez could have beat Hatton, never Mosley-Marquez-Oscar (as shown)...
THUS ENDING THE DEAD THREAD AND CHAVEZ's COVERS LEGACY!!!
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