New Year's Resolutions for Each of Boxing's Top 10 Pound-for-Pound Fighters

The past year has been a big disappointment in the boxing world with several controversies and uninteresting fights.

The Top 10 boxers need to help their sport in 2012 to make it an exciting event again. Here are New Year’s resolutions for each of them.

Note that the best pound-for-pound boxers have been determined according to The Ring's rankings.

No. 10 Vitali Klitschko

Vitali Klitschko will turn 41 in 2012. Since his loss to Lennox Lewis in 2003, he is undefeated. What else is there for him to prove?

Early this year, Klitschko will fight a younger Chisora, who lost to Tyson Fury back in July. Odds are that Vitali Klitschko will win pretty easily.

The only resolution for 2012 would be to retire after his next fight and enjoy the next few years.

If not, he could fight his brother Wladimir, but I believe retirement is more likely.

No. 9 Timothy Bradley

Timothy Bradley only had one fight in 2011, and as dominating as he was, it wasn’t that impressive. He defeated a much less capable fighter in Joel Casamayor.

His resolution for 2012 should be to get a fight that will get him worldwide recognition. Top Rank is trying to market him as a potential opponent for Pacquiao. What are they waiting for?

If Pacquiao doesn’t fight Mayweather, Bradley must make sure that this fight happens.

Prior to his fight against Casamayor, Bradley had defeated three straight undefeated fighters. The Desert Storm is 28 years old and undefeated. It’s time for him to take the next big step.

In 2012, Bradley should take any necessary move to make the Pacquiao fight happen. The light welterweight champion should either call him out in the media or convince Top Rank to make the arrangements.

He deserves worldwide recognition, and this is the only way he will get it.

No. 8 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam

Pongsaklek Wonjongkam isn’t known by many American boxing fans, but the 34-year-old flyweight continues to impress.

He currently has 83 wins in 88 fights and won his seven fights in 2011. Look at the video to see how explosive he is. There is no doubt that Wonjongkam is a great fighter.

The fighter from Thailand spent most of his career in his country. He actually had only a few fights away from home, in Cambodia and Japan. He never fought in America.

In 2012, his resolution should be to come to America for one big fight to show his talents to the American boxing fans and the entire country. While he is at his prime and about to reach 100 professional fights, Wonjongkam could bring his talents across the Pacific Ocean for everyone to enjoy his explosiveness.

It would be a nice touch to his brilliant career.

No. 7 Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko has achieved almost everything possible in the heavyweight division. Since 2004, he almost won every round when he was on the ring. He has won a title in 2006, unified two titles in 2008 and has defended his title for 10 consecutive fights.

In 2011, Klitschko easily defeated David Haye and then cancelled his fight versus Jean Marc Mormeck due to two surgeries to remove a kidney stone.

The only resolution Wladimir Klitschko must have this year is to take care of his health and be careful. If he needs to address health before boxing, he must do it.

At 35 years old, he has done everything possible, and no decent challengers seems to be ready to face him.

No. 6 Juan Manuel Marquez

Juan Manuel Marquez had a disappointing loss versus Manny Pacquiao, and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum could be interested in making a fourth fight happen.

Marquez must take the resolution to let it go. He will never beat Pac-Man.

The reason isn’t because he can’t, it’s simply because the boxing world doesn’t want him to. Pacquiao got the favor of the judges three times; why would it change next time?

Marquez must refuse a fourth fight and accept the fact that he will never officially get a win against the Filipino champion.

Finally, Marquez should make the resolution to get one more lucrative fight against a decent opponent and then retire at his best. At 38 years old, Marquez has given a lot to boxing and could retire as a rich man after having cashed in with his third fight versus Pacquiao.

No. 5 Andre Ward

Andre Ward is currently on a 15-year winning streak. Indeed, he hasn’t lost since he was a 12-year-old amateur.

His resolution for 2012 should be to finally face Canadian star and undefeated champion Lucian Bute. After his fight versus Froch, Ward said he had no interest in fighting a boxer who never proved anything.

Ward has a good point. He has defeated Mikkel Kessler, Allan Green, Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch while Bute, on the other hand, has defeated no one even worth mentioning.

However, Ward has everything needed to become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He has to start by defeating the undefeated champion since 2007, who called him out. Ward needs to accept the challenge and prove to the world that he is the best super middleweight fighter.

No. 4 Nonito Donaire

Nonito Donaire had a terrific start in 2011 with probably the most spectacular knockout of the year, when he won over Fernando Montiel to grab two bantamweight titles.

However, in his next outing versus Omar Narvaez, Donaire hasn’t been as electrifying as people thought he would be. It was Donaire’s first fight in New York.

At the start of 2012, Donaire will face Wilfredo Vasquez, another exciting fighter. It will be his second fight in New York.

Donaire has to find a way to make this fight exciting and win in a spectacular way, again. Indeed, it should be his resolution of 2012.

Donaire doesn’t only need to win his fights, he must find a way to make them electrifying and exciting. Donaire has been the main event of HBO for his past two fights. This is not something HBO is used to with fighters coming off this weight class.

Light weight classes have never attracted much attention. Therefore, as crazy as it seems, Donaire must focus on making the fights interesting and very intense while also winning them. He can’t set up for a fight similar to his first New York outing versus Narvaez.

No. 3 Sergio Martinez

Sergio Martinez was named the fighter of the year in 2010, but he doesn’t even deserve to be in the nominees for 2011 since he didn’t face any worthy opponents.

Martinez keeps calling out fighters such as Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., two fighters who are about 10 pounds lighter than him.

For 2012, Martinez should make the resolution to try to fight fighters that are one category above him. We all know that he won’t get the fight he wants against Chavez Jr., so he should stop trying to get opponents in divisions below him and go up in the weight divisions.

Andre Ward, Arthur Abraham, Mikkel Kessler, Andre Dirrell and Carl Froch are all super middleweight worthy opponents about 10 pounds heavier than Martinez. After having fought twice at 158 pounds, Martinez can make the jump.

The middleweight champion needs to stop chasing the lighter champions and take his chance by going up to fight heavier and more dangerous opponents.

No. 2 Floyd Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather Jr. must have two key resolutions for 2012.

First, he needs to stop making the highlights for the wrong reasons. In 2011, he made the highlights for four separate incidents: the controversial knockout versus Victor Ortiz, the interview with Larry Merchant, his $1 million dollar bet against Tim Tebow, and he ended the year with a 30-day jail sentence.

If Mayweather wants his legacy to be remembered as one of the best of all time, he needs to start making the highlights for what he does in the ring. Money May must stay out of trouble this year and concentrate on resolution No. 2.

He needs to fight Manny Pacquiao.

I don’t care about the amount of money or if Pac-Man wants to take the test or not. He needs to find a way to make this fight happen. This is the only way he could be remembered as a legend; he needs to defeat the Filipino Champion.

MGM Grand in Las Vegas is reserved for May 5, could that be it?

No. 1 Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao wrapped up the year with a controversial win. He needs to put this one behind him and take the steroids blood test.

Everyone idolizes Pac-Man, and he definitely wants to be remembered as a legend. However, there is no way it will be possible if he doesn’t fight the other best fighter of his generation. He needs to put his ego aside and take the blood test.

Finally, Manny Pacquiao needs to take on less responsibilities. He is involved with sports teams, political parties, television shows and much more. Is it possible that it affected him in his fight versus Dinamita?

He says it didn’t, but we can’t be sure.

Pac-Man needs to devote all of his time to boxing and take the test in order for the biggest fight of the century to happen.