Generally speaking, boxing blows this year and one of the reasons why is that too many of the men listed below are not doing a damn thing. The Super Six is collapsing, everybody wants a pay-per-view deal, and few are using 2010 to make a legacy mark. Regardless, this list has changed significantly over the last month. Here are the top 10 pound-for-pound (P4P) fighters in the world according to those who think they know best:
Nos. 10, 9, and 8 – Wladimir Klitschko/Timothy Bradley/Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.
Yeah, a three-way tie. As far as Klitschko goes, it is getting to the point where his residency on this list cannot be criticized. Forget the weak division. Wladimir has not lost a fight since 2004 and has been a legitimate champion of the division since 2006. He fights Samuel Peter next weekend and will not likely lose his titles or his place on this list.
Bradley put everyone to sleep when he faced Luis Carlos Abregu in July, but the guy is either going to silence his new critics or validate them when he meets undefeated Devon Alexander in January. Bradley’s willingness to keep pushing the envelope with his skill set is P4P worthy though. Now the guy just needs a fan base.
Pongsaklek Wonjongkam? Nothing against the guy, he is very good, but he’s not a top 10 fighter. Wongongkam has been a WBC staple and champion forever; however, he is still fighting 6 and 10 round fights. In 2008-09, he fought three fighters making their professional debut and was only able to shoot a majority decision over Koki Kameda in March. He’s never fought in America or Europe. The fact that he is on this list is even more pathetic than James Toney trying to shoulder roll a takedown.No. 7 – Sergio Martinez.
Nobody can (or should) dispute Sergio’s status as a top P4P fighter. The guy is losing his momentum though. Traditionally someone who fights two to three times per year, Martinez has nothing set for the near future. Nobody remembers the Kelly Pavlik slap down, so it’s way past time to get into the ring.
No. 6 – Nonito Donaire.
Donaire has been on a consistent climb up the P4P rankings over the last several months and exploded onto the world wide scene in 2007 when he knocked out Vic Darchinyan. Since then, he has faced six opponents and stopped five of them. A permanent move to bantamweight will not only increase his stature around the globe, but will also fill his wallet.
No. 5 – Shane Mosley.
A great fighter? From a career perspective, yes. A top P4P fighter today? No. Mosley faces Sergio Mora in a couple of weeks. The good news is that Mora hits as hard as Mr. Burns from The Simpsons. Yes, of course the fight is on pay-per-view! The better move for Shane would have been a rematch with Miguel Cotto. Well, if Mosley defeats Mora, at least he can use Mayweather, Jr. logic and say something like “I beat the guy who beat Vernon Forrest; therefore, I beat Vernon Forrest.” Yawn.
No. 4 – Paul Williams.
To criticize Sergio Martinez for doing absolutely nothing since dominating Kelly Pavlik necessarily means that Williams must get it equally as bad. The “nobody wants to fight me” argument has apparently changed to “I just don’t want to fight.” He’s tall, he’s awkward, and he throws punches non-stop. The inactivity is going to haunt him though. A guy like Williams needs to be active to stay on top because the natural ability is simply not there.
No. 3 – Juan Manuel Marquez.
This guy just isn’t going anywhere. He drops a lopsided fight to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. a year ago and rebounds to dominate Juan Diaz in July. While many of the younger guys on this list can’t seem to figure out where to take their careers, Marquez isn’t wasting time. He meets Michael Katsidis in November.
No. 2 – Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Yes, you read that correctly. While not by much, the majority of P4P lists have Floyd as the number 2 fighter in the world. This breaks the long standing stalemate at number 1. Mayweather doesn’t care about any P4P list outside of his own head; however, he will need to make a move and fight someone since the number 1 fighter has moved on to bigger, not better things.
No. 1 – Manny Pacquiao.
No man has accomplished more in the sport over the last three years than Manny Pacquiao and he deserves to be ranked number 1. He also deserves to be treated better than a pawn for Top Rank. There were several options for him in November, but he will be fighting Antonio Margarito. Forget the “title” in yet another weight division. This fight is about Bob Arum trying to rekindle Margarito’s career…period.
Source: examiner.com
No comments:
Post a Comment