 |
 |
Here it is, the top twenty pound for pound list according to Boxingtalk publisher G. Leon. There's been a ton of movement since our last update. Who's in? Who's out? Read on and see for yourself. Last Update: March 17, 2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The undefeated pound for pound king continues to prove that his skills pay the bills as he cleanly outboxed Oscar De La Hoya to become the WBC junior middleweight champion of the world, Floyd's fifth green belt in as many weight classes. Mayweather was saying De La Hoya was going to be his final fight and I never really believed him, I just never thought he would fight again before the end of the year. As the world knows Mayweather has relinquished his junior middleweight title and returned to welterweight to face undefeated junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton. Should he teach Hatton how to lose the winner of Cotto-Mosley and the De La Hoya rematch are Mayweather's two most lucrative options. | | | NEXT: | HBO PPV SEPTEMBER 16 VS. OSCAR DE LA HOYA |
|
|
|
| The living legend put a stamp on his hall of fame career by thoroughly dominating former three time light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver. As Boxingtalkers know, I gave Hopkins little chance of defeating Tarver, but his virtuoso performance forces me and everyone else who doubted him to eat our words. His legacy as one of the greatest to ever lace them up is undisputable. After potential rematch with Roy Jones Jr fell through Hopkins quickly secured a fight with Winky Wright. Although it wasn't an awe-inspiring effort, Hopkins continue to climb towards the top spot on this list by defeating pound for pounders in consecutive fights. Did I almost forget to mention he's about to turn 43? Hopkins continues to use the naysayers as motivational fuel, and going into his massive fight against the long time super middleweight king, there, Hopkins might have more fuel than the middle east, which could be bad new for Joe C and his fans. | | | NEXT: | HBO WCB APRIL 19 VS. JOE CALZAGHE |
|
|
|
| Pacquiao boasts a 5-1-1 record in seven fights with Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, which is the primary reason Pacman is regarded as the best fighter in the world below 147 pounds. His eagerly anticipated rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez lived up to the hype, but did little to put any more distance between Pacquiao and JMM on this P4P list. I scored the fight for Marquez, don't think there should be much of an uproar over the decision, but a third fight is in order. Unfortunately Pacquiao is expected to be moving on up to lightweight, possibly to fight WBC lightweight champ David Diaz. | | |
|
|
| He's 1-1-1 in his last three fights but anyone who tells you that Winky Wright isn't one of the five best boxers in the world doesn't know much about boxing. After losing a ridiculously wide unanimous decision to light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins, Wright is returning to the middlweight division and would even venture down to 154 to fight a couple of fellows named Mayweather and De La Hoya. | | |
|
|
| Calzaghe exploded onto Boxingtalk's top twenty pound for pound list following his thorogh domination over previously undefeated champion Jeff Lacy. Following the Lacy win, Calzaghe had done little to further cement his pound for pound status, but when he and Frank Warren finally came around to provide boxing fans with the only super middleweight fight that mattered, a unification bout with fellow undefeated champion Mikkel Kessler and Calzaghe made Kessler look like easy work, Calzaghe goes right where he belongs, in the top five of the most coveted pound for pound list on the web. Calzaghe is looking to make his light heavyweight (and American) debut a special one, by facing the best light heavyweight in the world on HBO World Championship Boxing. Calzaghe's going to have his hands full with the living legend, but if anyone can force Hopkins to focus on promoting, it's Calzaghe. | | | NEXT: | HBO WCB APRIL 19 VS. BERNARD HPPKINS |
|
|
|
| After making an overdue debut in my top twenty two updates ago, the pride of Puerto Rico finds himself in my magnificent seven. Followed up his career defining victory over former welterweight champion Zab Judah, but defeating future hall of famer "Sugar" Shane Mosley. Cotto is one of the best body punches in the business, a undefeated two division champion and he's still learning and improving with each performance. Scary. What's scarier is that HBO approved Alfonso Gomez as Cotto's next defense, obviously this is a softer touch for Cotto, hopefully he fights the winner of the Cintron-Margarito rematch, or someone of their ilk next. | | | NEXT: | HBO WCB VS. ALFONSO GOMEZ |
|
|
|
| Not sure how the Marquez brothers will want to remember March 2008, but certainly boxing fans will not forget the efforts they put forth in two classic showdowns, which they lost by a combined two points. With Pacquiao moving up to 135, Marquez is clearly the best 130 pounder in the world and I can't drop him on my list following a fight I thought he won. | | |
|
|
| The boxing world need not question the heart and will of Israel Vazquez, as severe cuts above both eyes weren't enough to prevent him from he avenging his earlier loss to Rafael Marquez via sixth round stoppage, creating boxing's need great rivalry, which Vazquez is winnING (not won) following his second straight victory over Rafael Marquez. The Marquez rubbermatch came down to the twelfth round, Vazquez dominated and ultimately dropped Rafael, which was the difference on the judges scorecards. | | | NEXT: | A WELL DESERVED REST |
|
|
|
| All hail the new undefeated, undisputed middleweight champion of the world. Pavlik stops Taylor in seven, pops into top ten. What can be said about Kelly Pavlik that he hasn't shown us already? He's got power, heart, will and most importanly, he could be the best finisher in the sport. Jose Luis Zertuche, Edison Miranda and previously unbeaten champion Jermain Taylor can attest to that. Although Pavlik's knockout streak came to an end against Taylor, he was able to show us that he's a championship fighter by clearly taking the last two rounds against Taylor, frames Pavlik had never competed in before until he across the ring from Jermain Taylor at a weight he'd never fought at before. Pavlik's next fight willt take place on HBO on June 7. The only question is, will it be a soft tough or the Wright fight for boxing fans? | | |
|
|
| Very few fighters would maintain a spot in my top ten following two straight losses. Raul Marquez is one of my marines and his status as one of the best in the world should not be altered following his thrilogy with Israel Vazquez. Who wouldn't love to see Marquez fight Ponce De Leon or Caballero? What better way to set up a fourth Vazquez fight than having Rafa secure another title first? | | | NEXT: | A WELL DESERVED REST |
|
|
|
| Followed up his career best performance against Tszyu with a solid stoppage victory over Carlos Maussa, who unexpectedly captured the WBA title from Vivian Harris, a title Hatton vacated title after WBA appointed M'baye as its latest mismandatory. Although he was awarded the WBA welterweight title, saying his title winning effort was less than stellar is being kind to the most popular boxer in the UK, but to his credit Hatton moved back down to his natural weight class and after a workmanlike performance over Juan Urango, "The Hitman" lived up to his name as he blasted out perennial pound for pounder Jose Luis Castillo in four rounds. After calling out Floyd Mayweather Jr and getting the whooping he asked for, Hatton again returns to 140 where he has been much more successful. With Golden Boy Promotions guiding him, Hatton's next few fights are sure to be meaningful. Bout with Paul Malignaggi is aleady being discussed for later this year. | | | NEXT: | MAY 24 VS. JUAN LAZCANO |
|
|
|
| He failed to get the decision against the younger, stronger undefeated Miguel Cotto, but future hall of famer "Sugar" Shane Mosley proved he has quite a bit left in his tank, if he chooses to continue fighting, which I expect he will. My scorecard read 115-113 in favor of Cotto, but Mosley was clearly the fresher fighter during the championship rounds. The options might not be as lucrative as they could have been had he defeated Cotto, but they are still vast. Mosley's next fight will take place against Zab Judah on HBO PPV on May 31. | | | NEXT: | HBO PPV MAY 31 VS. ZAB JUDAH |
|
|
|
| Although he didn't get the decision and I thought undefeated pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr cleanly outboxed him, the Golden Boy didn't hurt his standing one bit on May 5. In fact I'm glad he's going to continue to fight and I hope he doesn't change his mind again and decide to retire. Oscar and Floyd have already negotiated the terms for a rematch of the most lucrative fight in boxing history, but first Oscar will have to get by former champion Steve Forbes on May 3. | | | NEXT: | HBO WCB MAY 3 VS. STEVE FORBES |
|
|
|
| Jermain Taylor finds himself outside of my top ten for the first time since he decisioned living legend Bernard Hopkins. Taylor's less than stellar title reign came to a crashing halt at the hands of Kelly Pavlik. To Taylor's credit, the Pavlik fight was more entertaining than his title winning effort and previous defenses combined. Although Taylor took back to back L's I still want to see him fight as much as I ever have and as we speak his next fight is expected to take place against Nicaragun slugger Ricardo Mayorga. | | |
|
|
| Although most of the crowd in attendance was chanting bullshit, when I reviewed the fight on tape, I thought it was a very close fight that could have went either way, depending on which style you prefer. Forrest acknowledges he could have and probably should have fought a bit more aggressively, but the scorecard that mattered most belonged to the three officials and ALL of them had Forrest winning. Forrest returned to the form he showed in 2002 when he won the fighter of the year award as he thoroughly dismantled Carlos Baldomir over twelve of the most entertaining lopsided rounds HBO has aired in quite some time., followed up the Baldomir win by soundly dismissing mandatory challenger Michele Piccirillo, now he's fighting Sergio Mora. The time is drawing near for Forrest to make another marquee fight, because there's only so many Piccirillo's and Mora's boxing fans will stand for. | | | NEXT: | JUNE 7 VS. SERGIO MORA |
|
|
|
| Clearly one of the most talented fighters in the world, Guzman is still waiting for his opportunity at a future hall of famer. Made easy work of one of the world's most avoided fighters in Humberto Soto. The opportunities that have eluded him thus far, should be coming his way in 2008. Team Guzman's message to the other elites at 130 and 135 should be "Nowhere to run, Nowhere to hide." Sycuan VP Scott Woodworth says it best, they just don't want to fight him, as exemplified by Guzman having to travel to Scotland to face Alex Arthur in his backyard. Not sure Guzman beating Arthur in Scotland is going to make the bigger names want to fight any more, but the kid's got to fight. | | | NEXT: | APRIL 26 VS. ALEX ARTHUR |
|
|
|
| After getting two comeback wins under his belt, IBO light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver will face IBF champ Clinton Woods in the opening round of a stellar four man light heavyweight tourney that Showtime will be televising. Tarver will be facing Woods in front of his hometown fans, but Woods has improved greatly since Roy Jones Jr humiliated him several years back so it should be a great fight. | | | NEXT: | HBO APRIL 12 VS CLINTON WOODS |
|
|
|
| The IBF junior middleweight champion is one of the best pure boxers in the sport. None of the other marquee fighters in his division has been interested in facing him since he dethroned Roman Karmazin in July 06. Spinks moved up to middleweight to fight Jermain Taylor and many feel he should have gotten the decision. He didn't, and moved back down where he belongs and provided he gets by mandatory challenger Vernon Phillips on March 27, Spinks will look to unify titles, with fellow DKP stablemate Joachim Alcine, "if Vernon Forrest continues to run." | | | NEXT: | MARCH 27 VS. VERNO PHILLIPS |
|
|
|
| File this one under better late than never. Former super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler made his debut on Boxingtalk's pound for pound list last time around and now climbs one spot following his "all I've got to give" kind of effort against the great Joe Calzaghe. The super middleweight division could be Kessler's to rule now that Calzaghe will campaign at light heavyweight. | | | NEXT: | SHOWTIME MAY 24 VS. MIKKEL KESSLER? |
|
|
|
| Saying he shocked the world, might be a bit much. But beating Juan Diaz at his own game to become the WBO/IBF/WBA lightweight champion certainly surprised a few and certainly Mr. Diaz. If Campbell enters the ring with the same attitude and edge he displayed during the Diaz fight, nobody at 135 pounds will beat him. | | |
|
