Chris Mannix
223 articles · Sports Illustrated
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Super middleweight kingpin Ward is SI.com’s Fighter of the Year
By Chris Mannix
There is a certain rhythm to Andre Ward's game, a musical elegance gifted only to the finest performers. The technical brilliance is there, a product of a 10-year amateur career that culminated…
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Super Six finalist Ward traveling old-fashioned road to stardom
By Chris Mannix
There are two proven blueprints to achieving superstar status in modern-day boxing, both of which Andre Ward is familiar with. You can be a brawler, a take-two-shots-to-deliver-three fighter (think Manny Pacquiao, who…
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Pacquiao’s controversial win clouds approach for choosing next fight
By Chris Mannix
LAS VEGAS -- Late Saturday night, long after Manny Pacquiao, Bob Arum and the rest of Pacquiao's shellshocked entourage had left the MGM Grand, a beleaguered Freddie Roach held court with a…
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Marquez not to be underestimated vs. Pacquiao; more mailbag
By Chris Mannix
LAS VEGAS -- A couple things we need to clear up before Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez step into the ring for the third time on Saturday night: Pacquiao does not…
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Pacquiao fight culminates long, hard road for resilient Marquez
By Chris Mannix
LAS VEGAS -- Juan Manuel Marquez walked briskly down an empty hallway in the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the swishing sound of his mesh pants echoing against the walls. It was quiet…
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Mailbag: Kirkland vs. Angulo, Pacquiao’s next opponent and more
By Chris Mannix
There are words we, as writers, are guilty of overusing. Genius is one. Electrifying is another. In boxing, there's another word tossed around too often: Crossroads. It seems like every time a…
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Pound-For-Pound Top 15
By Chris Mannix
The two smallest fighters in SI.com's pound-for-pound ratings -- No. 4 Nonito Donaire and No. 11 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam -- stand pat after cruising to lopsided points victories over the weekend. The Latest:…
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Donaire has power, crowd-pleasing style to become major attraction
By Chris Mannix
NEW YORK -- Late Saturday night, long after the 4,425 disgruntled fans had emptied out of the Theater at Madison Square Garden, Nonito Donaire was still itching for a fight. But just…
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Bantamweight champ Nonito Donaire seeks bigger challenges
By Chris Mannix
NEW YORK -- The road to recognition is paved with big bodies. Floyd Mayweather didn't become Floyd Mayweather until he moved up from 130 pounds and beat up Arturo Gatti (140), Zab…
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With contract squabble in rear view, Bradley ready to bounce back
By Chris Mannix
Stressful. That was the word junior welterweight titleholder Timothy Bradley used to describe the last nine months, a torturous stretch in which he has seen his stock rise to an all-time high…
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Mainstream recognition eludes best fighter not named Floyd or Manny
By Chris Mannix
NEW YORK -- The crowd inside the Modell's sporting goods store pushed back four, sometimes five deep, enveloping a sweat-soaked Sergio Martinez in a sea of arms, legs and camera phones. Outside,…
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Ortiz embarrasses self with conference call
By Chris Mannix
When a fighter loses in a controversial manner, some sour grapes are to be expected. When those gripes are delivered at a post-fight press conference they are, to most, understandable. When they…
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Catching up on reader mail: More fallout from Mayweather-Ortiz
By Chris Mannix
Quiet weekend in boxing but a lot of questions coming out of last weekend's superfight. Let's get to them. Chris, I agree with you that the one-two punch by Mayweather was not…
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Specter of Pacquiao looms over Mayweather-Ortiz showdown
By Chris Mannix
LAS VEGAS -- Floyd Mayweather slips into a straight-backed seat, a black leather hat covering his eyes, a toothy smile creasing his face, palpable confidence evident. This is old hat to him…
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Featherweight terror Gamboa could enter Pacquiao territory someday
By Chris Mannix
ATLANTIC CITY -- Late Saturday night, long after Yuri Gamboa had demolished Daniel Ponce de Leon in eight lopsided rounds, I asked Top Rank promoter Todd duBoef: What does Gamboa have to…
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Agbeko, Mares ready for bantam showdown; opening reader mail
By Chris Mannix
When it comes to boxing, Americans are sizeists. We love heavyweights because of their superior size and thudding power. We respond to light heavyweights, middleweights, welterweights and lightweights because we share similar…
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Amir Khan looks to future after moving to head of 140-pound class
By Chris Mannix
There are a handful of attributes found in most boxing superstars: skill, charisma, box-office appeal and a willingness to fight anyone, just to name a few. There are exceptions, but by and…
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Crowd-pleasing lightweight champ Brandon Rios is star on ascent
By Chris Mannix
NEW YORK -- Generally speaking, words from Bob Arum should be taken with a grain of salt. The 79-year-old promoter -- whose career dates back to the days of Muhammad Ali --…
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Big things in store for Alvarez
By Chris Mannix
"A boxing superstar." Those were the words Ryan Rhodes -- his face bruised, his body battered from 12 rounds of rib-busting combinations -- used in an interview with HBO to describe Saul…
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Alvarez’s bout with Rhodes might make or break his boxing career
By Chris Mannix
The gap between potential and proven can be measured by Jeff Lacy. You remember Lacy, right? In 2005, Lacy was a white-hot super middleweight champion, a 168-pound portable Mike Tyson with a…