Ranking the Top 25 Pound-for-Pound Boxers After Mayweather vs. Maidana 2
Floyd Mayweather defeated Marcos Maidana on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas by unanimous decision. Mayweather was just too skilled for the limited Maidana. His footwork kept him out of harm's way, and his fast hands did everything else.
Judges at ringside scored the bout 118-110, 120-08 and 116-112 for Mayweather.
Mayweather has had a stranglehold on Bleacher Report's top-25 rankings for years now. Did his performance warrant a longer stay on top of the mountain? Or has a new king emerged from his shadow?
Click through to find out who are the best 25 fighters in the world today. Fighters are ranked by quality of opposition, strength of resume and their willingness to accept all challengers. Special emphasis is placed on how a fighter has performed in 2014.
25. Naoya Inoue (7-0, 6 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Inoue is one of the most talented fighters on the planet. Despite having less than 10 fights, he’s already the WBC junior flyweight titleholder and ranked No. 1 in the division in the Transnational Rankings. Inoue is a sensational Japanese fighter. Think of him as Vasyl Lomachenko without the baggage of being hailed the best amateur fighter ever.
Previous Rank: N/A
2014 Highlight: Inoue won his title belt by knocking out Adrian Hernandez in just his sixth professional fight. He followed that up by stopping Samartlek Kokietgym in Round 11.
Who He Should Fight Next: Inoue is as much of a monster as a junior flyweight can be. He faces tough competition, and no one would be tougher for him right now than veteran Donnie Nietes of the Philippines.
24. Leo Santa Cruz (28-0-1, 16 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Santa Cruz is the fighter you’re never worried about when inviting your non-boxing fan friends over for a fight. He’s a skilled stalker who comes forward at all times and throws punches in bunches. What’s not to like?
Previous Rank: No. 24
2014 Highlight: Santa Cruz’s win over Cristian Mijares in March is 2014’s highlight, but fans are starting to wonder if they’ll see him in with a top-level performer soon.
Who He Should Fight Next: Santa Cruz should fight Carl Frampton next, a Northern Ireland-based boxer who just snagged a title belt from Kiko Martinez.
23. Takashi Uchiyama (21-0-1, 17 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Uchiyama is the best junior lightweight in the world. The hard-punching Japanese fighter holds the WBA belt and can bang with the best of them. Japanese fighters are seldom seen on this side of the world, but fight fans would be wise to keep better tabs on them. Some of the best fighters in the world hail from Japan.
Previous Rank: No. 23
2014 Highlight: Uchiyama hasn’t competed in 2014. In his last fight, a 12-round decision over Daiki Kaneko, Uchiyama had to pick himself up off the canvas in Round 10.
Who He Should Fight Next: A bout against Mikey Garcia would crown the Transnational Rankings' junior lightweight champion of the world, so Uchiyama should look there first and foremost.
22. Marco Huck (38-2-1, 26 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Huck has consistently shown himself to be the best cruiserweight in the world. He’s tough and durable and usually comes through with the win, even when it appears he might be on his way to a loss.
Previous Rank: No. 22
2014 Highlight: Huck defeated Mirko Larghetti by decision in August, but his best win this year remains the Round 6 TKO over rival Firat Arslan back in January.
Who He Should Fight Next: Huck should move up to heavyweight for a rematch with Alexander Povetkin. Huck lost a narrow decision to Povetkin in 2012, and a win could put him in line for a lucrative Wladimir Klitschko bout.
21. Sergey Kovalev (25-0-1, 23 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Kovalev is a thunderous puncher who walks opponents down and puts them on the canvas. The idea that Kovalev hasn’t beaten anyone worth mentioning is nonsense, but he’ll have a chance to silence naysayers against Bernard Hopkins in the fall.
Previous Rank: No. 21
2014 Highlight: In August, Kovalev knocked out Blake Caparello in Round 2 with the weight of the Hopkins fight on his shoulders.
Who He Should Fight Next: Kovalev will meet Hopkins on November 8 in Atlantic City. It’s exactly the right fight for him and would be the biggest win of his career.
20. Adonis Stevenson (24-1, 20 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Stevenson is the Transnational Boxing Rankings champion at light heavyweight, but he sure hasn’t seemed interested in defending the honor against top competitors. Still, he is a hard puncher with a nice jab. He’s trouble for most anyone at light heavyweight. It would just be nice to see him prove it.
Previous Rank: No. 20
2014 Highlight: After dominating early in the bout and suffering a knockdown in Round 9, Stevenson defeated Andrzej Fonfara by unanimous decision in May to retain his Transnational, Ring Magazine and WBC light heavyweight titles.
Who He Should Fight Next: With the other two best light heavyweights locked up until November, Stevenson would be wise to seek a fight with Jean Pascal, a good, athletic fighter who would present an interesting matchup.
19. Erislandy Lara (19-2-2, 12 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Lara is one of the best 154-pounders in the world. He’s a southpaw from Cuba who uses a wide stance to deliver sharp jabs and crosses.
Previous Rank: No. 15
2014 Highlight: Lara lost a split decision to Canelo Alvarez in July despite having a slight edge in total punches landed.
Who He Should Fight Next: Lara got his wish with Alvarez but didn’t come through. He tired late in the fight, which left many to wonder why he forgoes training with Danny Arnold at the state-of-the-art Plex facility. A bout against Demetrius Andrade would be something special in a stacked junior middleweight division. Both men currently hold alphabet titles.
18. Lucas Matthysse (36-3, 34 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Matthysse is a devastating puncher who comes forward and fights with aggression. It’s hard to tell if he’s regressed a bit since losing to Danny Garcia in May, but he’s won two fights in a row, keeping his claim to No. 1 contender to Garcia’s junior welterweight championship.
Previous Rank: No. 18
2014 Highlight: Matthysse got off the canvas twice against John Molina to storm back for a Round 11 knockout. The bout was the kind of blood-and-guts action the hardcore fight fans love.
Who He Should Fight Next: Matthysse is solid competition for anyone at 140 pounds. A rematch with Garcia would be ideal, but really any ranked contender would do.
17. Bernard Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: At age 49, Hopkins is still one of the best light heavyweights on the planet. That’s amazing stuff. Even more amazing is how he keeps challenging himself. Hopkins fights the biggest and best fights out there. He’s absolutely remarkable.
Previous Rank: No. 16
2014 Highlight: Hopkins unified some light heavyweight title belts by defeating Beibut Shumenov by decision. The fight wasn’t close, although one judge submitted a scorecard in favor of Shumenov.
Who He Should Fight Next: Hopkins will face WBO light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev in November in what may be his toughest challenge yet. It’s the best fight made in boxing this year.
16. Mikey Garcia (34-0, 28 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Garcia had a stellar 2013 but hasn’t fought since January 2014 because he is suing his promoter, Top Rank. When he’s in the ring, Garcia appears to be headed toward the very top of the sport. He has all the tools. He’s strong, skilled and patient.
Previous Rank: No. 12
2014 Highlight: Garcia defeated Juan Carlos Burgos by decision in his lone 2014 outing.
Who He Should Fight Next: Once Garcia gets his promotional issues settled, a bout against undefeated Cuban lightweight Rances Barthelemy would be a good way to get his career moving again.
15. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Alvarez is the top junior middleweight in the world outside of Floyd Mayweather. He is a competent boxer with powerful punches. At age 24, he seems to be getting better every outing, something that leads many to believe this boxing star will shine for years to come.
Previous Rank: No. 14
2014 Highlight: Alvarez earned the best win of his career over Erislandy Lara by outslugging the boxer and landing a majority of the bout’s power punches.
Who He Should Fight Next: Alvarez probably won’t be a junior middleweight much longer. He fought Lara at a contract weight of 155 pounds. A bout against newly crowned middleweight champion Miguel Cotto would be a great way to start 2015.
14. Juan Francisco Estrada (27-1, 20 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Estrada is the guy people like me forget to include in their pound-for-pound lists. The Mexican flyweight is one of boxing’s best-kept secrets.
Previous Rank: N/A
2014 Highlight: Since moving up to flyweight in 2013 against Brian Viloria, Estrada has had an impressive run. His Round 11 stoppage of Giovani Segura keep him in the thick of things in a loaded division that just might be boxing’s best.
Who He Should Fight Next: Newly crowned flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez defeated Estrada for his junior flyweight title in 2012. It’s time these two meet again.
13. Danny Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Garcia is the best junior welterweight in the world. He has solid power and good technical skill. His best attribute is his ability to land hard counterpunches, something he used to become the 140-pound champion.
Previous Rank: No. 11
2014 Highlight: Garcia didn’t look great when he won a decision over Mauricio Herrera in March. He did look sensational when he clubbed Rod Salka to the ground in Round 2, but that was due to the mismatch the fight was from the beginning. Garcia’s highlight in 2014 might just be remaining TBRB, Ring Magazine, WBA and WBC junior welterweight champion.
Who He Should Fight Next: Garcia should take on Lamont Peterson next. Peterson holds the IBF junior welterweight title and has the kind of style that could give Garcia a good fight. Moreover, the fight is an easy sell to fight fans who are longing for Garcia to fight a worthy contender after the Salka debacle.
12. Nonito Donaire (33-2, 21 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Donaire has absurdly fast hands and legitimate knockout power in both of them. He’s capable of fighting in different styles and is one of the best fighters in the world today.
Previous Rank: No. 13
2014 Highlight: Donaire won an exciting technical decision over Simpiwe Vetyeka for the WBA super featherweight title in May. The fight was stopped early when Donaire suffered a cut caused by an accidental head-butt, but Donaire appeared to be on his way to a win anyway.
Who He Should Fight Next: Donaire defends his newly won title against Nicholas Walters in October. That’s the perfect fight for him at this point in his career and should provide some real fireworks for fans.
11. Gennady Golovkin (30-0, 27 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Golovkin is the primal force of the middleweight division. He’s a knockout machine and appears to be on his way to superstardom.
Previous Rank: No. 9
2014 Highlight: Golovkin bludgeoned Daniel Geale in just three rounds to retain the WBA and IBO middleweight titles. It was a dominant win against a former world titleholder, something that bodes well for his continued rise.
Who He Should Fight Next: Golovkin has trouble getting the fights he needs. The best fight for him right now is TBRB, Ring Magazine and WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto. But Golovkin seems way too big a risk for Cotto at this point, so he will have to settle for Marco Antonio Rubio this October instead.
10. Carl Froch (33-2, 24 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Froch uses good distance, timing and an absurdly herky-jerky style to win bouts, but it works. Froch would probably be tops at super middleweight if Andre Ward didn’t fight there. But at age 36, he might be at the tail end of his career.
Previous Rank: No. 17
2014 Highlight: Froch knocked out George Groves in Round 8 to defend his IBF and WBA super middleweight titles in May. The emphatic victory also solidified Froch as one of the top 10 fighters in the sport today.
Who He Should Fight Next: In a perfect world, Froch would rematch division kingpin Andre Ward next. Ward decisioned Froch in 2011. But since Ward is hung up in promotional issues and legal battles, perhaps a bout against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. would suffice instead.
9. Miguel Cotto (39-4, 32 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Cotto is one of the better fighters of his generation. His resurgence under famed trainer Freddie Roach has helped the former junior welterweight become the legitimate middleweight champion of the world.
Previous Rank: No. 19
2014 Highlight: Cotto dominated outgoing middleweight king Sergio Martinez in June to become TBRB, Ring Magazine and WBC middleweight champion. He knocked Martinez down three times in Round 1 and finished him off in Round 10 in an exceptional performance, maybe the best of his career.
Who He Should Fight Next: Cotto should prove he’s the best middleweight in the world by facing Gennady Golovkin. That’s the best fight the division has to offer fans right now.
8. Guillermo Rigondeaux (14-0, 9 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Rigondeaux might be the best boxer in the world right now. The problem for the former Cuban amateur star is that he doesn’t seem to interest fight fans enough for promoters to help him prove it.
Previous Rank: No. 8
2014 Highlight: Rigondeaux knocked out Sod Kokietgym in Round 1 over the summer to remain undefeated and the TBRB, Ring Magazine, WBA and WBO junior featherweight champion. It was the fourth Round 1 knockout of his professional career.
Who He Should Fight Next: Already age 33, Rigondeaux needs big fights, and he needs them now. While unlikely to be made, a fight against fellow amateur great Vasyl Lomachenko would be fantastic.
7. Juan Manuel Marquez (56-7-1, 40 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Marquez is the best combination puncher in the sport today. His skill, grit and determination make him dangerous for any opponent, even at age 41. Marquez is one of the greatest fighters in the history of Mexico.
Previous Rank: No. 4
2014 Highlight: Marquez earned a hard-fought decision over Mike Alvarado in May. He sent Alvarado to the canvas in Round 8, only to see the favor returned in Round 9. Marquez appears to be sliding a bit because of age, but he remains dangerous.
Who He Should Fight Next: Marquez should fight his arch-nemesis Manny Pacquiao next. It would be the fifth fight of their historic series. While he won the last one by knockout, Marquez is down 2-1-1 to Pacman.
6. Wladimir Klitschko (62-3, 52 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Klitschko is dominant, underrated and over-criticized. Once he retires, he will be revered as one of the better heavyweight champions in history.
Previous Rank: No. 7
2014 Highlight: Klitschko earned a Round 5 knockout over Alex Leapai in April. Leapai was aggressive and strong but no match for the world’s best heavyweight.
Who He Should Fight Next: Klitschko is scheduled to face undefeated contender Kubrat Pulev in November. That’s the right fight for him as he waits for the winner of Deontay Wilder vs. Bermane Stiverne.
5. Timothy Bradley (31-1, 12 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Bradley is probably a bit underappreciated. While he didn’t deserve the judges' nod in 2012 over Manny Pacquiao, he did warrant the decision over Juan Manuel Marquez the very next year. Bradley is very good at many different things. His blue-collar work ethic should probably play better with fight fans than it seems to.
Previous Rank: No. 5
2014 Highlight: Bradley lost his rematch with Pacquiao earlier this year. Pacquiao was too fast and strong for Bradley.
Who He Should Fight Next: Bradley deserves a step back after facing Marquez and Pacquiao in succession. A proposed bout against the aggressive Diego Chaves seems appropriate.
4. Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Ward is almost unbeatable. He’s a gifted, tough boxer who can fight on the inside and out. But Ward hasn’t been active in 2014 because of promotional issues, so he’s dropping down on this list behind other elite fighters who have.
Previous Rank: No. 2
2014 Highlight: Ward’s last win was in 2013 against Edwin Rodriguez over 12 one-sided rounds. Otherwise, he’s been most active as a ringside commentator for HBO.
Who He Should Fight Next: Anyone. Ward is wasting his prime years and might not be the same fighter after the long layoff.
3. Roman Gonzalez (40-0, 34 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: If Gonzalez was 20 pounds heavier, he’d already be a superstar. He’s a highly skilled stalker who has good hand speed and precise footwork.
Previous Rank: No. 10
2014 Highlight: Gonzalez knocked out Akira Yaegashi in Round 9 for the TBRB, Ring Magazine and WBC flyweight championship. He’s now won world titles in three different weight classes at the tender age of 27.
Who He Should Fight Next: Gonzalez handed Juan Francisco Estrada his last loss back in 2012 at junior flyweight. The two have shown themselves to be the best flyweights in the world in 2014. It’s time for a rematch.
2. Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Pacquiao remains an elite force. He’s one of boxing’s biggest superstars and one of the best fighters ever. His fast hands and stinging power make him tough to beat.
Previous Rank: No. 3
2014 Highlight: Pacquiao defeated Timothy Bradley by unanimous decision in April. It was a decisive win over one of the best fighters in the world today.
Who He Should Fight Next: Pacquiao will face Chris Algieri on November 22 in a bout almost nobody wants to see. Other than Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez continues to be Pacquiao’s best option to start 2015.
1. Floyd Mayweather (46-0, 26 KOs)
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Why He’s Here: Mayweather is the undisputed king of boxing. He’s undefeated in 47 professional fights and will go down in history as one of the finest technicians ever.
Previous Rank: No. 1
2014 Highlight: Mayweather defeated Marcos Maidana twice in 2014. While he won the fight easier the second time around, his first win over the slugging Maidana was the better victory. Maidana's game plan in the rematch left much to be desired, as did referee Kenny Bayless' over-involvement.
Who He Should Fight Next: If Mayweather truly plans to retire after his next two fights, he needs to focus on legacy-securing bouts against the best competition he can find. At welterweight, that’s Manny Pacquiao. If he wants to move up higher than that, he should consider a rematch with middleweight champion Miguel Cotto or WBA and IBO titleholder Gennady Golovkin.
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