Following any conversation between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Stephen A. Smith is bound to be a trip down a narrow, cheese-grater-lined rabbit hole.
It?s going to leave some marks.
To rebut a single outrage that emerged from their ESPN interaction, as Mayweather readied for Manny Pacquiao Saturday night: I can say with certainty that Mayweather could not hold Muhammad Ali?s mouthpiece. Nor could he carry Sugar Ray Robinson?s spit bucket.
This is what Mayweather told Smith: ?No one can ever brainwash me to make me believe that Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali (were) better than me.?
The man is partial to caps emblazoned with the initials TBE (The Best Ever), so we kind of know where Mayweather is coming from. But when he begins taking on icons like Ali and Robinson, he?s picking a fight he can?t win.
I?d argue that there is a long list of fighters through history who were demonstrably better than Mayweather. They all come from a time when boxing was bigger, when it matter more and when the competition was much more rugged.
We addressed Mayweather?s place in the fighting firmament at more length in Wednesday?s AJC and in Myajc.com, even enlisting the opinions of a couple boxing historians. Mr. TBE?s claim does not hold up well.
In this space, I?ll just go with my own sentiments, those of someone who was young and fascinated when Ali was at his prime. Members of that demographic are never going to concede anything to a modern fighter. Particularly one who tries to imitate Ali?s brash self-promotion ? poorly ? while possessing not a fraction of The Greatest?s wit. Ali mattered to the world, he was a societal symbol and he could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. What is a Mayweather but a cash machine with arms?
You might as well try telling us that Sean Connery wasn?t the best James Bond.
As for Sugar Ray Robinson, he requires no defense. He may be from an even more distant era, but historians seem to have no difficulty today identifying him as the sweetest practitioner of the Sweet Science.
There has been little excuse lately to rank great boxers past and present, since the sport has lost so much of its sheen. All thoughts on where Mayweather fits in the bigger scheme are welcome. All nominations for fighters better than he will be gladly received. The floor is open.
