Ranking the Most Polarizing Fighters in Boxing Today
Floyd Mayweather has made a lot of money by embracing the fact that a lot of people just don't like him. In the fight game, sometimes fans will buy tickets or order pay-per-view events just because they hope to see a particular fighter get knocked out.
At the same time, the pound-for-pound king has retained a loyal following. He's hated, and he's loved.
Many popular fighters polarize the fans in a similar manner. Other fighters are popular in their home countries but disdained abroad.
Prizefighting is built around conflicts. So it shouldn't be surprising that fans would have a love-hate relationship with so many of the stars.
10. Danny Garcia
1 of 10
This time a year ago, Danny Garcia wouldn't have been anywhere near a list like this. The undefeated WBA and WBC light welterweight champion was fresh off the biggest win of his career, a decisive unanimous-decision triumph over the dangerous Lucas Matthysse.
But Garcia's stock has dipped in 2014. In March, he escaped Puerto Rico with a contested majority-decision win over Mauricio Herrera. He followed that by facing unranked lightweight Rod Salka in August.
Garcia smashed Salka, knocking him down three times and winning by stoppage in Round 2. But the fight was an embarrassing mismatch that should never have taken place.
Now one of the most popular young fighters of recent years finds himself suddenly the object of a loud chorus of criticism. Garcia retains a loyal fanbase, and his resume and future potential will likely win back many who now assail him as a "cherry picker."
But many boxing fans are disappointed with his 2014 campaign and not without some justification.
9. Tyson Fury
2 of 10
Tyson Fury is a brash, outspoken giant of a man, given to profanity-laced tirades and unrepentant boasts. If he were a professional wrestler, he'd be a first-rate "heel." Selling tickets to fights has always required a big dose of hype, and Fury is a natural at that part of the profession.
The undefeated Irish-English heavyweight contender has plenty of support in Great Britain, but even in his home country, many fans see him as a blowhard who gets by on his enormous size. Still, as long as he keeps winning, he should land a title fight eventually.
When he does, expect it to be one of the more anticipated heavyweight bouts of recent years. The fans who love him will be tuning in to see him bring the belt back to England.
And the many who hate him will be watching to see the big man get cut down to size.
8. Deontay Wilder
3 of 10
Deontay Wilder has knocked out all 31 men he has faced in the professional ranks, with none of them lasting beyond Round 4. Many American boxing fans, long hungry for a heavyweight savior, have been quick to hoist the banner of the Bronze Bomber.
But the cautious manner in which he has been developed has caused more and more fans to begin turning against him. If Wilder were a truly legitimate heavyweight contender, he should have significantly stepped up his competition two or three years ago.
Matchmaking prospects and contenders have always been a science, particularly in the heavyweight division, where the risks are higher and the rewards far more lucrative. If Wilder pans out as a heavyweight champion, he'll become one of the biggest stars in the sport.
Until then, we will continue to see a polarization between skeptics and true believers.
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7. Guillermo Rigondeaux
4 of 10
The polarization around Guillermo Rigondeaux is representative of a more general polarization among boxing fans as a whole. On the one side, there are those who truly understand the Sweet Science and appreciate the sublime artistry of what Rigo does in a ring.
On the other side, there are the fight fans who just want to watch two tough guys take turns smashing each other in the head.
When Rigondeaux gave pound-for-pound star Nonito Donaire a boxing lesson in April 2013, it should have made the two-time Olympic gold medalist one of the biggest stars in the sport. Instead, Top Rank and HBO have buried him.
It almost looks like Rigo has been punished for shattering the marketability of Donaire.
Cream rises to the top, as the old cliche goes, and so that's where Rigondeaux will stay for the foreseeable future. It's a shame more boxing fans aren't able to appreciate him while he is there.
6. Saul Alvarez
5 of 10
The most popular fighters in boxing history have often created a backlash of fans who cry "hype." This is especially the case with fighters such as Saul Alvarez, who are clearly being groomed for stardom from their teen years on.
So while Canelo is among the most popular boxers on the planet, he's also got his share of detractors. I'll concede, Alvarez's popularity does surpass his resume.
But his resume is still pretty remarkable for a fighter who is just 24. And he has consistently gotten better, which indicates he is unfazed by the hype surrounding him and instead stays focused on improving himself in the gym.
He's also gone after the toughest fights available over the past two years, even when he didn't need to. He fought both Austin Trout and Erislandy Lara when they were the other top stars at 154 pounds. He was set to face Paul Williams before Williams' tragic motorcycle accident.
I don't think Alvarez is going to go down as one of the very best of all time, but I do think his warrior heart will continue to win him fans. But for now, he remains a polarizing figure in the sport.
5. Amir Khan
6 of 10
It's almost as if there are two Amir Khans, the one whom they know about in his native England and the one whom fans perceive in North America.
To fans from Great Britain, Khan is an immensely talented, pound-for-pound contender. Sure, he's had some setbacks, but he's the one fighter in the world most likely to beat Mayweather.
But to many fans on this side of the Atlantic, Khan is a glass-jawed pretender.
I'm inclined to see the truth somewhere in the middle but leaning more toward Khan's U.K. reputation. His speed and skill level might make for an interesting matchup for Mayweather. At the same time, it's clear Khan's ability to handle a big shot is a weakness in his game.
If Khan gets his wish and is selected as a Mayweather opponent for next May, expect the polarization around him to grow.
4. Wladimir Klitschko
7 of 10
Like Amir Khan, heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has two different reputations on two different continents. In Europe, the Ukrainian's decade-long reign at the top is celebrated. Klitschko is a superstar in Germany, and his fights have the pageantry of rock concerts when he fights there.
But in North America, Klitschko gets treated like boxing's version of Rodney Dangerfield: no respect. Despite an 80 percent knockout ratio for his career, he's dismissed as boring.
Many U.S. fans point to his admittedly weak competition and try to argue that it's somehow proof that the 6'6" technician wouldn't have been able to compete against the mostly much smaller champions of earlier eras.
At this point, it's pretty clear Klitschko has given up on even trying to appeal to the United States' public. It's a shame no real connection was ever made, because until he retires, Klitschko is likely to remain the standard -bearer for the heavyweight division.
3. Adrien Broner
8 of 10
Adrien Broner is a case somewhat like Alvarez. He was a talent who was clearly handpicked for stardom and relentlessly hyped as the next big thing.
The Ring, which was owned by his promoter, Golden Boy, even stuck him in their pound-for-pound top 10, after he had done little more than beat Antonio Demarco by TKO. Few denied Broner's talent, but many felt he was clearly being overrated.
Broner's antics contributed to the polarization surrounding him. While a certain percentage of the audience applauded his confident swagger, even more viewed his behavior as a pathetic attempt to emulate Mayweather, without having compiled a resume to justify it.
When Broner got beaten up by Marcos Maidana, many boxing observers absolutely OD'd on schadenfreude.
Broner is still very young and has all the time he needs to rebuild his career. His recent win over Emmanuel Taylor was impressive, and for once he was even respectful of his opponent after the fight.
But I expect to see Broner remain a polarizing figure throughout his career.
2. Manny Pacquiao
9 of 10
Worldwide, Manny Pacquiao is probably the most popular fighter of his generation. In his native Philippines, he was even elected to the Congress, despite having no practical qualifications for the office.
But in boxing, any tremendous popularity is going to see a signficant backlash, too. It's been inevitable that Pacquiao has earned a legion of detractors, even as his popularity has grown.
To some degree, the backlash against Pacquiao has had less to do with him than it does with his promoter, Bob Arum, and with his most diehard fans, who practically think Pac-Man walks on water. Pacquiao's continual willingness to defer to Arum has been a factor in preventing a fight with Mayweather from getting made.
And some of Pacquiao's fans can come across as downright delusional.
With Pacquiao fighting the relatively unknown Chris Algieri this November, the polarization around him will only grow.
1. Floyd Mayweather
10 of 10
Floyd Mayweather is at the same time the most hated and one of the most popular fighters in boxing. This ability to rile fans on both sides of the ledger has made him an extremely wealthy man.
Mayweather's recent unanimous-decision win over Maidana only gave more ammunition to each side of the debate. For his fans, the pound-for-pound king once more demonstrated that he's the best in the field.
But his detractors watched the same fight and came away complaining that he simply "ran." To them, the fight was "boring," and the referee favored Mayweather by allowing him to clinch whenever Maidana got close.
To those who hate Mayweather, nothing he could do at this point will budge their opinions on him. He'll always be a cherry-picking coward. To his followers, meanwhile, he's the pound-for-pound best there's ever been.
You can't get much more polarized than that.
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