New middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik scored a dramatic TKO of Jermain Taylor on Sept. 29 in Atlantic City to win the WBC and WBO titles.
Pavlik was equally as harsh to Taylor in the most recent Yahoo! Sports boxing poll. Pavlik’s win impressed the voters so much that he not only entered the list in a tie for ninth, he also knocked Taylor out of the top 10 as a result.
We had one significant loss among the voting pool. Tim Graham, the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the boxing writer at the Buffalo News, is changing newspapers and sports and has left the poll. Graham is now covering the Miami Dolphins for the Palm Beach Post.
New voters this month are Scott Fyfe of the Sunday Post in Scotland; Franklin McNeil of the Newark Star-Ledger; Raul Alzaga of Primera Hora in Puerto Rico and Ted Lerner, a freelance boxing writer who is based in the Philippines.
Floyd Mayweather Jr., who has a Dec. 8 showdown with Ricky Hatton, remains No. 1 on the list, but Manny Pacquiao has narrowed the margin. Voters were impressed with Pacquiao’s performance and he’s moved within striking distance of the lead.
The top six men remained the same in the poll, but Pavlik’s emergence shook up the bottom half. Pavlik entered the poll as Taylor fell out, while Israel Vazquez moved up a spot and Winky Wright fell into a ninth-place tie with Pavlik.
What follows is the third monthly Yahoo! Sports boxing poll:
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. Points: 165 (13 first-place votes) Record: 38-0, 24 KOs Title: WBC welterweight champion Last outing: Won split decision over Oscar De La Hoya on May 5 to win the WBC super welterweight title. September poll: 1 Up next: Faces No. 7 Ricky Hatton on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas. Analysis: He’s a defensive magician.
2. Manny Pacquiao Points: 157 (4 first-place votes) Record: 45-3-2, 35 KOs. Title: Ranked No. 1 by the WBA, WBC and WBO and No. 3 by the IBF. Last outing: Easily outboxed Marco Antonio Barrera on Oct. 6. September poll: 2 Up next: TBA, likely to meet David Diaz next year for WBC lightweight title. Analysis: Pure boxing skills can’t match Mayweather’s, but are greatly improved.
3. Joe Calzaghe Points: 108 Record: 43-0, 32 KOs. Title: WBO super middleweight champion. Last outing: Stopped Peter Manfredo in three rounds on April 7. September poll: 3 Up next: Meets Mikkel Kessler on Nov. 3 in Wales for the WBA-WBC-WBO-IBF titles. Analysis: Figures to gain support for the top spot if he gets past the unbeaten Kessler.
4. Bernard Hopkins Points: 95 Record: 48-4-1, 32 KOs Title: Light heavyweight champion Last outing: Scored an impressive decision on July 21 over Winky Wright. September poll: 4 Up next: Nothing scheduled. Analysis: May pursue a big-money fight with Calzaghe if Calzaghe gets past Kessler.
5. Juan Manuel Marquez Points: 80 Record: 47-3-1, 35 KOs Title: WBC super featherweight title. Last outing: Won title via unanimous decision over Marco Antonio Barrera on March 17. September poll: 5 Up next: Faces Rocky Juarez on Nov. 3 on Showtime Analysis: Is in the mix for a big-money rematch with Manny Pacquiao.
6. Miguel Cotto Points: 73 Record: 30-0, 25 KOs Title: WBA welterweight champion Last outing: Stopped former undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah on June 9 in New York. September poll: 6 Up next: Defends his title against Shane Mosley on Nov. 10 in New York. Analysis: If he defeats Mosley, the public may demand he fight Mayweather in 2008.
7. Ricky Hatton Points: 50 Record: 43-0, 31 KOs Title: IBO super lightweight champion Last outing: Stopped ex-lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo in the fourth round on June 23. September poll: 10 Up next: Faces No. 1 Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas. Analysis: If he defeats Mayweather, he figures to be no worse than No. 3 on the list and perhaps he’ll take over No. 1.
8. Israel Vazquez Points: 45 Record: 42-4, 31 KOs Title: WBC super bantamweight champion Last outing: Stopped highly regarded Rafael Marquez in sixth on Aug. 5. September poll: 9 Up next: Likely a rubber match with Marquez next year. Analysis: Bout with Marquez in August may be Fight of the Year.
9. (tie) Kelly Pavlik Points: 34 Record: 32-0, 29 KOs Title: WBC-WBO middleweight champion Last outing: Knocked out Jermain Taylor in seventh to win titles on Sept. 29 in Atlantic City, N.J. September poll: Not ranked Up next: Has a rematch clause with Taylor, but may face John Duddy in March in New York. Analysis: Power-punching middleweight is quickly becoming one of the game’s most popular fighters.
9. (tie) Winky Wright Points: 34 Record: 51-4-1, 25 KOs Title: Ranked No. 3 by the WBO and No. 5 by both the IBF and WBC at middleweight. Last outing: Lost a unanimous decision to No. 4 Bernard Hopkins on July 21. September poll: 8 Up next: Nothing scheduled. Analysis: Wright doesn’t have a lot of options for big fights.
Dropped out: Jermain Taylor
Others receiving votes: Shane Mosley, 31; Mikkel Kessler, 13; Rafael Marquez, 12; Wladimir Klitschko, 12; Chad Dawson, 7; Paul Williams, 5; Ivan Calderon, 4; Cristian Mijares, 4; Joel Casamayor, 3; Jermain Taylor, 2; Juan Diaz, 1; Edwin Valero, 1.
For last month’s poll, click here.
Kevin Iole covers boxing and mixed martial arts for Yahoo! Sports. Send Kevin a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
