After mauling Erik Morales to defeat inside three rounds there are plenty of boxing fans and scribes decreeing Manny Pacquiao as the finest boxer, ‘pound-for-pound’, in the world today.
And it’s easy to see why.
The Philippine phenom looks to have reached his pugilistic peak right about now, and his three wins in 2006 (two against Morales and a one-sided beatdown of Oscar Larios) were mighty impressive.
‘The Pac Man’, once thought of as an exciting yet vulnerable banger who was all left hand for the most part, has developed into an indominatable box-puncher these days whose right hook is as effective as any in the smaller weight divisions.
He is also a shot in the arm for the sport. Pacquiao puts bums on seats like few others in the game today and his fights are always exciting.
His refusal to take easy fights is also refreshing and the word is he now has his sights on a return fight with fellow ‘pound-for-pound’ star Marco Antonio Barrera.
Either that or what would surely prove a sizzling punch out with new kid on the block Edwin Valero.
However the question remains, is he a better boxing specimen, all things considered, than Floyd Mayweather?
My guess is, at this point anyway, no.
Pacquiao is unquestionably more exciting than the ‘Pretty Boy’ and he’s a far more spiteful puncher.
However in terms of technique, rings smarts, defence and poise he still has a fair way to go.
Mayweather fights lack the excitement of a Pacquiao contest because the American may be too good for his own good.
He toyed with dangerous Argentine Carlos Baldomir last time out and was rarely caught clean through 12 rounds.
It was a superb display of ring generalship, but many fans still booed the display.
He is certain to have it far tougher in his next contest against Oscar De La Hoya in May, a fight that should he win would confirm his reputation as the finest boxer in a generation.
Yet should the ‘Pretty Boy’ lose to the ‘Golden Boy’ and Pacquiao beat either Barrera or Valero then the case for the ‘Pac Man’ as the pre-eminent ‘pound-for-pounder’ on the planet would be hard to dismiss.
That’s all for the future though. For now there is no doubt that Pacquiao deserves to leapfrog Ronald ‘Winky’ Wright into second spot.
The Winkster was his usual precise and methodical self as he outclassed Ike Quartey to take his ledger to 53-3-1 (25) earlier this month.
Wright was expected to see off Quartey but after his draw against Jermain Taylor last summer the super-slick southpaw needs to box a big name sooner rather than later to retain his ‘pound-for-pound’ status.
Taylor was also in action in December but ‘Bad Intentions’ just looked plain bad in spells against Kassim Ouma in Arkansas.
Against a fighter who was in truth really a light-middle Taylor failed to impose himself and he too, like Wright, needs a big name and a convincing win in 2007.
The only other change to the list down the bottom where Miguel Cotto usurps Antonio Margarito after the pair enjoyed contrasting welterweight wins on the same night on December 2.
Margarito looked unsure of himself as he outpointed Joshua Clottey in Atlantic City while Cotto positively sizzled as he broke up Puerto Rican dangerman Carlos Quintana in five, thoroughly impressive rounds.
Cotto, in his first fight as a welterweight, was absolutely devastating and he is set to meet Margarito in the summer after first obliging mandatory challenger Oktay Urkal.
Sportinglife.com Pound-for-Pound World Top 10:
1 – Floyd Mayweather
2 – Manny Pacquiao
3 – Ronald ‘Winky’ Wright
4 – Joe Calzaghe
5 – Marco Antonio Barrera
6 – Jermain Taylor
7 – Oscar De La Hoya
8 – Bernard Hopkins
9 – Miguel Cotto
10 – Rafael Marquez
Honourable mentions: Wladimir Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Juan Guzman, Antonio Margarito, James Toney, Steve Molitor and Lorenzo Parra.
