Here’s a look at boxing’s biggest, best stars and the letter grade they’ve earned over the last year. In the second installment of the 3-part series, we’ll look at the stars from super featherweight to junior middleweight (130 lbs. – 154 lbs.)
For a look at Part I, Click HERE
Saul Alvarez (Junior Middleweight)AdChoices
Forget the fact that the 21-year-old holds a world title that he really doesn’t deserve, the redhead from Guadalajara fought four times this year against pretty solid competition. Anyway you cut it, names like Matthew Hatton, Ryan Rhodes, Alfonso Gomez, and Kermit Cintron are respectable resume fillers for a kid who, under normal circumstances, would be considered a prospect.
Grade: A
Miguel Cotto (Junior Middleweight)
After a relatively meaningless win against professional antagonist, Ricardo Mayorga, Cotto went and avenged his 2008 beating at the hands of Antonio Margarito in a heated, drama-filled rematch at Madison Square Garden.
Grade: A-
James Kirkland (Junior Middleweight)
Kirkland’s career was left for dead after his first round knockout loss to Nobuhiro Ishida in April. Then, the Austin, Texas native completely flipped the script with a thrilling TKO win over Alfredo Angulo.
Grade: B
Manny Pacquiao (Welterweight)
Pacquiao’s two wins in 2011 were solid victories, but not anywhere as spectacular as his efforts in past years. The popular fighter may be a victim of his own success as past efforts have completely distorted the grading curve. Frankly, we’ve come to expect more from Manny.
Grade: B-
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Welterweight)
Mayweather is no doubt a great talent, but one fight a year is not enough? especially when that one fight ends in a foul-defiled fourth round TKO win. Victor Ortiz was a legitimate, credible foe, but we expect more from Mayweather as one of the sport’s elite.
Grade: C
