As great and dominant as Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr have been, it is a subject of great debate how they would have fared against some of the best fighters of past decades. If Floyd Mayweather struggled to beat a past his prime De La Hoya and Pacquiao struggled to beat Juan Manuel Marquez, how would they have beaten Leonard, Hearns, or Chavez ? Let's examine how each fighter would have fared against 10 fighters in or around their weight class.
10) Julio Cesar Chavez
Julio Cesar Chavez was one of the most devastating body punchers of all time. His come forward style combined with underrated defense got him to an undefeated record of 89-0-1 before finally losing. Chavez also had one of the best chins in the history of the sport and could absorb getting hit with everything but the kitchen sink and still kept coming forward.
vs PacquiaoThis would have been one of the most brutal and grueling fights in the history of boxing and would have definitely ended each other's careers in one night. Both fighters would have exchanged heavy leather, would have absorbed major punishment, and both would still have a willingness to keep fighting. Pacquiao's speed and power would have given Chavez fits just as Meldrick Taylor did but Chavez would have also had his moments landing his body and head punches while Pacquiao covered up to catch a breather. But due to the fact that Meldrick Taylor outlanded Chavez and was on his way to a decision had it not been for Richard Steele, this fight would have ended up in a draw or Pacquiao winning a razor thin decision. Pacquiao's punches from different angles and volume would have definitely caught the judges eyes.
vs Mayweather
Chavez Vs Mayweather would have been one of the best "boxer" vs "brawler" type of fights in history. Mayweather would have outlanded Chavez much the same as Taylor did, except with one shot at a time and combinations here and there. Floyd's lead right would have found its mark repeatedly but Chavez would have laughed at it. The determining factor would have been Chavez's consistent body shots and his ability to abosrb punishment and keep coming forward landing hard shots. Chavez would have punched right through Mayweather's shoulder while on the ropes and he would have patiently stalked and walked Mayweather down. Chavez's consistent body attack would have also opened up the opportunity for a right hand over the top. If Jose Luis Castillo was able to give Mayweather the toughest fight of his life, Chavez almost certainly would have defeated Mayweather by late round stoppage or by a close decision. Chavez was a 3 times better version of his old sparring partner Jose Luis Castillo.
9) Alexis ArguelloAlexis Arguello was a sharpshooting offensive master. He had explosive power, great ring generalship, and one of the best right hands in the history of the sport. Arguello could knock you out with either hand and his uppercut was equally devastating. While he was not a defensive genius, he was very adept at catching punches on the gloves.
vs PacquiaoAlexis Arguello vs Manny Pacquiao at 140lbs would have been an instant classic. Arguello would have landed the right hand and uppercut early and with great consistency but Pacquiao would have been able to eat it all day, pound his gloves together, and still keep fighting. Pacquiao's combination punching, outstanding stamina, and side to side movement would have given Arguello the same problems Aaron Pryor did. Pacquiao would have overwhelmed Arguello with punches from all angles en route to a late round stoppage.
vs MayweatherArguello vs Mayweather would have been a one sided affair. Mayweather's straight right hand lead combined with his defensive wizardry and pot shotting would have given Arguello fits. Arguello would have been confused by Mayweather's shoulder roll and his great right hand would have consistantly rolled off Mayweather's shoulder. Arguello would have looked puzzled and would have had no answer for Mayweather's check hook and fast hands. But if Arguello could have landed his right hand flush, it would have possibly knocked Mayweather out cold. This fight would have certainly ended in a decision for Mayweather due to the fact that Mayweather would have avoided Arguello's power all night and played it safe.
8) Aaron PryorAaron Pryor was an offensive machine and a real killer. Pryor truly came to the ring each time with a "kill or be killed" mentality. He set a pace that very few could match and would drive anyone insane by the pace he set. Pryor would overwhelm his opponents by throwing punches from all angles and had a never die attitude in the ring. His fast hands, relentless pressure, never stop punching mentality, and ability to absorb major punishment and still keep coming is legendary.
vs PacquiaoPryor vs Pacquiao would have beaten each other to a bloody pulp and one fighter would have most likely needed to be carried out in a stretcher in order for their to be a clear cut winner. Both fighters would have never tired and both would have never stopped punching. Both fighters would have punched from all odd angles, would have darted in and out after punching, and would have absorbed major punishment and still kept throwing punches. Both would have most likely put each other on the canvas at some point with each of them getting up to fight harder and faster. Pryor would have forced Pacquiao to back up in the later rounds and cut off the ring while landing a volume of shots to Pacquiao's body and head but Pacquiao would have definitely kept Pryor honest with his straight left, check right hook, and fast hands as well. One major factor that would have helped the judges determine the outcome would have been Pryor's ability to take advantage of Pacquiao's defensive weakness of lying on the ropes with his hands up while allowing Pryor to tee off on him. That would prove to be crucial against a fighter like Pryor who would not have stopped punching. These two fighters would have needed to fight a trilogy in order to for one to have emerged as the better fighter. If these two would have fought a trilogy, Pryor would have taken 2 out of 3 based on his ability to box just as effectively as he could brawl. This fight would have been Gatti-Ward x 3.
vs MayweatherPryor vs Mayweather would have been a give and take affair early on. The only reason this fight would have been competitive is due to the fact that Pryor had a tendency to leave his chin out in the open and Mayweather's accurate right hand would have found its mark. However, after 5-6 rounds, Pryor would have completely taken over the fight. Mayweather would have attempted to make Pryor fight down to his pace but Pryor would have had none of that. Pryor would have cut the ring off and made Mayweather fight to his fast pace while overwhelming Mayweather with a volume of punches. Pryor would have definitely forced Mayweather into a dog fight. There would have been no way that Mayweather would have been able to match Pryor's work rate or keep a fighter of Pryor's caliber off of him for a full 12 rounds. Pryor's blend of non stop combination punching from all angles, side to side movement, and "kill me" attitude would have made Mayweather wilt. Pryor would have won this fight by either a brutal late round stoppage or a decisive decision.
7) Wilfred BenitezWilfred Benitez was a world champion at age 17 and was one of the best defensive fighters to ever live. He had an uncanny ability to see punches coming before you threw them and react accordingly. He was a great tactician and had the ability to make his opponents pay for their mistakes. His biggest weakness was his lack of desire for training. It is said that he only trained for 2 weeks in preparation for his fight against Sugar Ray Leonard. His lack of dedication to training proved to be his downfall later in his career.
vs Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao vs Wilfred Benitez at 147lbs would have looked very much like his fights against Marquez except in a more dominating fashion in favor of Benitez. Pacquiao would have looked confused and puzzled by Benitez and he would have paid dearly for it with razor sharp counters by Benitez. Benitez's awkward style and defensive wizardry along with his advantage in height would have given Pacquiao fits. Pacquiao would have landed 1 punch out of every 4-5 punch combination and would have become frustrated and left himself wide open for counters all night. This fight would certainly have been a 12 round decision for Wilfred Benitez.
vs Mayweather Benitez vs Mayweather would be a closely contested match. It would be defensive genius against another defensive genius. The biggest difference in this fight would be Mayweather's height. At 5'8", his jab would have been much like Ray Leonard's up jab he used to disturb Benitez because it would be coming from a lower angle. Mayweather's sharp jab to the pit of the stomach would have also opened up the opportunity for the right hand down the pipe. Benitez would have his moments by making Mayweather miss and countering but the counters would have landed right on Floyd's shoulder and gloves. This fight would have been a decision in favor of Mayweather in a very tactical chess match.
6) Henry ArmstrongHenry Armstrong was a combination of Manny Pacquiao and Aaron Pryor in one fighter. If fans think James Kirkland's fighting style is aggressive, those same fans would think Henry Armstrong is an orthodox James Kirkland x 100. He was the first fighter to hold 3 different world titles in 3 separate weight classes. In addition, he had a granite chin and raw natural power and a shark like lung capacity. His non stop power punching style would have been a handful for anyone in the history of boxing. He had an ability to throw thudding punches from all angles and make his opponents fight him or get knocked out.
vs PacquiaoHenry Armstrong would have punished Pacquiao like we have never seen Pacquiao punished before. This fight would certainly end in a brutal knockout of Pacquiao in 7-9 rounds. Pacquiao's combination punching and fast hands would have bounced off of Armstrong like BB's hitting a runaway train. Pacquiao would have had no answer for Armstrong's devasting body and head attack and Armstrong would have swarmed Pacquiao worse than killer bees. If Pacquiao were to have had any chance in this fight, he would have to fight the way De La Hoya fought Trinidad. However, Pacquiao has too much pride and heart and would have been forced to fight and he would have faced his reality. Henry Armstrong would have won 100 times out of 100.
vs Mayweather Floyd Mayweather's one shot at a time, 1-2's, and move away style would not have worked against a fighter of Armstrong's abilities. Floyd's lead right hand would be like landing it on a brick wall. If Floyd dared to use the shoulder roll, it would have been very possible that Armstrong would have dislocated Floyd's shoulder from all the thudding punches Armstrong would have landed on it. Armstrong's speed, power, odd punching angles, and never stop coming style would have made Floyd succumb inside the distance. There is no way this fight would have went the distance in a 15, 12, or 10 round bout. Armstrong wins everytime by brutal stoppage.
In part two of this article, I will evaluate how Mayweather and Pacquiao would have fared against Whitaker, Duran, Hearns, Leonard, and Robinson.
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