Pound for Pound Rankings—TM's August Edition

If you have read my previous article entitled “Kelly Pavlik, Bernard Hopkins Best Pound for Pound—What Were They Thinking?” then you know my opinion on pound for pound rankings.  If you have not read this article, I highly recommend that you do.

As much as I don’t understand the overall purpose of these rankings, I must admit one thing to you readers—I had a freakin’ awesome time coming up with my own pound for pound list.

Because all pound for pound rankings should only change as a result of key victories or losses, along with long spans of inactivity, I plan on making this a once a month segment.

Feel free to agree or disagree with my rankings, and to suggest why a fighter should or should not be considered among boxing’s best. 

 

1. Manny Pacquiao

(47-3-2, 35 KOs)  (WBC Lightweight Champion)

Last fight: June 28, 2008, W TKO 9 David Diaz

Next fight:  November 15, 2008, opponent TBD


Is there any boxer as exciting as Manny Pacquiao?  Now with the retirement of Floyd Mayweather, Manny’s domination over David Diaz shows that he belongs at the top of the pound for pound rankings.

Although he hails from the Philippines, he is currently one of the most popular foreign boxers to Americans.  A knockout win over Oscar De La Hoya at welterweight will just confirm that he currently is the best fighter in boxing.

 

2. Joe Calzaghe

(45-0, 32 KOs)  (Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight and Super
Middle Weight Champion)

Last fight:  April 19, 2008, W SD Bernard Hopkins

Next fight:  November 8, 2008, Roy Jones, Jr.


Calzaghe escaped a close fight against Hopkins, while many viewers thought he had lost.  Although the bout was far from pretty, Calzaghe controlled the pace of the fight and was the aggressor throughout.

While not as fan friendly a fighter as Pacquiao, Calzaghe has shown boxing fans that he is one of the top two fighters in the sport.  A win against Roy Jones, Jr. would just pad his resume as a soon to be Hall of Fame fighter.

 

3. Juan Manuel Marquez

(48-4-1, 35 KOs)  (Former WBC Super Featherweight Champion)

Last fight:  March 15, 2008, L SD Manny Pacquiao

Next fight:  September 13, 2008, Joel Casamayor


Do not be shocked to see J.M. Marquez as the third best boxer in the sport.  He has fought a draw and a controversial split decision loss against the No. 1 pound for pound fighter Manny Pacquiao.  Boxing fans can make a legit argument that J.M. Marquez won both of his fights against Pacquiao, and thus should be the No. 1 pound for pound fighter.

He is moving up in weight to fight the Ring Magazine Lightweight champion Joel Casamayor.  If he manages to knockout Casamayor his stock among American boxing fans will rise greatly. 

 

4. Antonio Margarito

(37-5, 27 KOs)  (WBA Welterweight Champion)

Last fight:  July 26, 2008, W TKO 11 Miguel Cotto

Next fight:  November 15, 2008, opponent TBD

 

Speaking about popular foreign fighters, Antonio Margarito must be among the top.  His knockout win over favorite Miguel Cotto was truly amazing.  Not only should his bout against Cotto be Fight of the Year, but he should be honored as Boxer of the Year as well.

The way in which Margarito has performed against Cintron and Cotto makes me believe that no one in the welterweight division (including Mayweather and Paul Williams) will have a chance to beat him.

 

5. Kelly Pavlik

(34-0, 30 KOs)  (WBC, WBO Middleweight Champion and Ring Magazine Middleweight Champion)

Last fight:  June 7, 2008, W TKO 3 Gary Lockett

Next fight:  October 18, 2008, Bernard Hopkins  


According to the editors of BoxRec, Kelly Pavlik deserves the No. 1 spot, but I respectfully disagree.  Pavlik is the top American fighter and even after facing below average opponent Gary Lockett, boxing fans across the US are jumping on his bandwagon.

In order for him to climb the pound for pound rankings and become the best middleweight in history (over Marvin Hagler) Kelly needs to fight people of the highest caliber.  Unfortunately, Pavlik is becoming one of the most feared and avoided people in boxing.

Both European middleweight champions Felix Strum and Arthur Abraham are avoiding the chance to fight Pavlik.  Even Joe Calzaghe might avoid a fight with Pavlik if he wishes to secure an undefeated career.

 

6. Miguel Cotto

(32-1, 26 KOs)  (Former WBA Welterweight Champion)

Last fight:  July 26, 2008, L TKO 11 Antonio Margarito

Next fight:  Date and opponent TBD
 

I give Cotto a lot of credit for standing in there with Margarito for 10 rounds before he was knocked out in the 11th.  Cotto fought smart by constantly moving, but just ran out of gas at the end of the fight.  What else could Cotto have done?

Against any other opponent, he would have won by knockout.  He still is one of the best boxers in the sport, and in my opinion is the second best welterweight.

Cotto should take a tune up fight in order to regain his confidence, and then he might want to look into fighting a solid welterweight such as Paul Williams or Kermit Cintron.  A rematch with Margarito could also be an option.

 

7.  Israel Vazquez

(41-4, 31 KOs)  (WBC Super Bantamweight Champion and Ring Magazine Super Bantamweight Champion)

Last fight:  March 1, 2008, W SD Rafael Marquez

Next fight:  Date and opponent TBD


Israel Vazquez has participated (victoriously, I might add) in one of the greatest trilogies in the history of boxing.  In his three consecutive fights with Marquez, we have seen everything from a knockout, to a stoppage, and even a controversial split decision.

How can someone not enjoy watching a fighter like Vazquez, whose swollen eyes and lip after a fight convince the average person he must have lost, while his smile reflects a victory?

The only thing that upsets me with Vazquez is that I cannot see his fights live because I do not get Showtime.  Let’s hope a fourth fight is arranged with Marquez.

 

8. Bernard Hopkins

(48-5-1, 32 KOs)  (Former Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Champion)

Last fight:  April 19, 2008, L SD Joe Calzaghe

Next fight:  October 18, 2008, Kelly Pavlik


Bernard fought a smart but very boring fight against Joe Calzaghe, and many viewers believed he won.  There have been many skilled boxers who have been defeated easily by Calzaghe (Mikkel Kessler for instance), which just shows how impressive Hopkins’ performance against him was.

The only thing that seems to be going with Bernard Hopkins’ rising age is his endurance and his willingness to actually fight.  Hopkins has nothing to lose and everything to gain by fighting Pavlik.

If he can manage to beat the undefeated middleweight champion then it will increase his already high reputation, and give him the peace of mind that he has avenged his two losses to Jermain Taylor (who Pavlik beat twice).

 

9. Rafael Marquez

(37-5, 33 KOs)  (Former WBC Super Bantamweight Champion)

Last fight:  March 1, 2008, L SD Israel Vazquez

Next fight:  Date and opponent TBD


Although Marquez lost the trilogy to Vazquez, one could argue the results of their rubber match.  Marquez is no longer young, and especially because of the many beatings he took during his career (mostly with his fights against Vazquez) he might be thinking of ways to close his career on a successful note.

I am just curious at how boxing fans around the world and especially in Mexico might react if he chooses to fight an opponent who is not named Israel Vazquez.  It appears that both Vazquez and Marquez are expected to continue fighting each other till the day they retire.

 

10. Nonito Donaire

(19-1, 12 KOs)  (IBF and IBO Flyweight Champion)

Last fight:  December 1, 2007, W TKO 8 Luis Maldonado

Next fight:  October 11, 2008, Moruti Mthalane


More often than not the 10th spot in anyone’s pound for pound ranking is a wildcard, and differs from one list to the next.

Although Donaire has taken a longer than needed break between his last fight and his upcoming bout in October, he shows great potential in a division that allows him to show his talent.  He won most of his popularity after his Upset of the Year knockout of Vic Darchinyan in July of 2007 and showed he was no joke in the following fight against Maldonado.

Assuming that Donaire beats Mthalane in October, he has the opportunity to fight champions such as Calderon, Mijares, and Montiel.