The title “Pound for Pound Best” has really helped the sport of boxing. It will sometimes prompt a boxer to take on bigger challenges just to acquire this label. Initially, it was used to describe the great Sugar Ray Robinson, who was clearly the best fighter in the sport. The distinction has gone on from there and we now have a list of up to thirty of the best fighters in the game, pound for pound. It is all opinion, of course, but if it brings more interest to the sport and better bouts, then it is a good thing that I am for.
The best fighter that I have ever seen was Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker and when he faced Julio Cesar Chavez for that “pound for pound” championship, it was the most important bout in boxing. It was the most important fight that boxing had seen in years. Even though corruption was the theme of the night and the bout was scored a draw, the world realized just which fighter truly won, and all the so-called boxing experts bumped up “Sweet Pea” to their number one position, where Chavez used to reside. Roy Jones, JR., moved into the spot as Whitaker began to fade and held it for quite some time. Bernard Hopkins was next to hold that throne and now we have a new P4P King.
1.”Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, JR., 36-0, 24 KO’s
Floyd Mayweather, JR., seems to seek this recognition more than any other, and he’s earned it. He has consistently beaten good opposition and, for the most part, has done it with ease. He is a defensive whiz and has underrated power. His best assets are his quick reflexes and mind for the game. He is a thinking man’s boxer that can adapt and adjust to any situation. He has beaten Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Zab Judah, Sharmba Mitchell, DeMarcus Corley, and Arturo Gatti to name a few. He has moved up weight divisions, and won titles along the way and is now in the driver’s seat, topping the RSR Pound for Pound rankings as well.
As of now, he is in negotiations with Oscar De La Hoya, in what will certainly be the biggest money bout of PBF’s career, but it is by far, not the toughest. Antonio Margarito has been left out in the cold, and will probably remain there.
2. Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, 41-3-2, 33 KO’s
The Pacman is one of the biggest superstars in the game today. He’s got power and timing and is almost a throwback to an early Mike Tyson…on a much smaller scale. He can knock you out with either hand and is completely relentless. Mexican legends, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales were both obliterated by this incredible force. With the wins over MAB and EM, and his near-win over Juan Manuel Marquez, the Pacman is sitting comfortably at #2. His recent win over Oscar Larios has maintained his position and now a rubber match with Erik Morales is up next. Should he defeat the great Morales in style, he will be putting pressure on PBF for that number one spot.
3. Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor, 25-0-1, 17 KO’s
I have been critical of Taylor in the past, but he is improving by leaps and bounds. He has two wins over Bernard Hopkins and has recently had a draw with the incredibly difficult Winky Wright. Taylor was able to get to “Winky” more than any other fighter that I have seen and considering the continued improvement of Taylor, I suspect that he would win a rematch and is slowly growing into a great champion.
4. Ronald “Winky” Wright, 50-3-1, 25 KO’s
I wasn’t a fan of Wright’s actions after the draw with Jermain Taylor, but you cannot argue with his track record. He easily defeated Shane Mosley and Felix Trinidad and has been avoided by most of the high profile boxers. It has yet to be seen how much of a career Wright has left, but at this moment, he is one of the best in the game. He is a throwback to the great defensive fighters of the fifties, and that is a huge factor when it comes to longevity on the P4P list. If you look at the men that have held onto the top of the pound for pound mountain, you’ll see that they were very good defensively.
5. Joe Calzaghe, 41-0, 31 KO’s
The Welshman showed his greatness with his dominant and near knockout performance against Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy, but he has thoroughly beaten other good fighters like Byron Mitchell, Charles Brewer, and Omar Sheika. Calzaghe is for real and is in a very good position right now, although he’s not capitalizing on the Lacy win as much as he should have. He can move up to the light heavyweight division or perhaps move down and take on Jermain Taylor in a super bout. Whatever the case, Calzaghe is a huge player in the game and still hasn’t reached his full potential.
6. Ricky “Hitman” Hatton, 41-0, 30 KO’s
I think that the recent bout with Luis Collazo was a wake up call for Ricky Hatton, but it didn’t necessarily hurt him. It showed him exactly where he stood and that was one division too many. I may not be a huge fan of some of the Hatton tactics, but the kid has a lot of heart and grit to go along with his natural feel for the game. If he remains at the 140 pound level, he is going to be hard to beat. If he continues to chase PBF and championships in other divisions, he will probably see that undefeated record and placement on this list evaporate.
7. Diego “Chico” Corrales, 40-3, 33 KO’s
I have to say that you can dismiss the defeat to Jose Luis Castillo. Corrales was fighting a man that was basically a welterweight. When Corrales is in an even bout, he is hard to beat. He defeated Acelino Freitas, Jose Luis Castillo, and Joel Casamayor and is a major attraction. At this point, he is one of the best in the game and also has many options. Being so tall, he could move up and challenge the guys like Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton at light welterweight.
8. Antonio Margarito, 33-4, 24 KO’s
The most avoided boxer in the game and the biggest threat to “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, JR. Margarito has a lot of momentum and has really developed his game and is now kicking down the door to challenge PBF. He has stopped the highly regarded Kermit Cintron with relative ease and has only lost one bout in ten years, and it wasn’t without controversy. If he doesn’t get discouraged and maintains the course that he is on, he will eventually get his moment in the sun. I think that the majority of boxers are hoping that somebody else will beat him at this point.
9. Marco Antonio Barrera, 62-4, 42 KO’s
I almost left him off the list, but even though he is a spent force, he is still one of the best in the game, which should tell you exactly how great this fighter was. He recently eked by Rocky Juarez and has rebounded nicely from his devastating loss to Manny Pacquiao, and we will get an idea of just where he stands in the rematch with Juarez that most are picking him to lose. Boxing is a young man’s game and MAB is an old 32. It is hard to believe that he is that young, but when you figure in the 66 tough bouts, we have a man at the end of his chain, but still mentionable on the RSR Pound for Pound list.
10. Miguel Angel Cotto, 27-0, 22 KO’s
Many might argue with the inclusion of the young Puerto Rican superstar on the P4P list, but I feel his heart, power, perseverance, and recent victories over good boxers like Paulie Malignaggi, Mohamad Abdulaev, and DeMarcus Corley have made him a legitimate force in boxing and a huge attraction. He has some big shoes to fill with the absence of Tito Trinidad, but he is doing his best and his best is pretty darn good.
11. Jorge Arce, 44-3-1, 34 KO’s
The public has recently been introduced to this great fighter with back to back victories over Hussein Hussein. He has not lost since 1999 and is an aggressive and entertaining boxer with power in both hands. He has won 24 straight bouts and is bringing attention to the really little guys of the game.
12. Jose Luis Castillo, 54-7-1, 47 KO’s
Jose has fallen vastly on my list due to his unprofessional ways. He is a great boxer with a solid chin and great power. He is one of the few boxers that have given Floyd Mayweather, JR., a run for his money. Many people believe that Castillo definitely won the first bout with PBF and his recent win over Diego Corrales on top of past wins over Joel Casamayor, and Julio Diaz place him at the number 12 spot.
I know that many other lists were quick to place Oscar De La Hoya near the top of their lists, but that’s a bit premature and Bernard Hopkins has placed on a few, even though he is retired at this point. A few other names that are absent are: Shane Mosley, Antonio Tarver, Glen Johnson, Erik Morales, Rocky Juarez, and O’Neil Bell and they just didn’t make the cut in my opinion. I expect the majority of these boxers in the top 12 are going to fight in the near future and we will find out just who belongs and who doesn’t. It should be interesting.
