CHICAGO — With a stunning victory by a 43-year-old icon last week, the El Paso Times Pound-for-Pound list underwent a few unexpected changes. Drum roll, please.
The new list
10. Cristian Mijares (36-3-2, 15 KOs): Mijares is only now starting to be recognized by boxing experts. The junior bantamweight king has defeated Jorge Arce and Alexander Munoz via easy decisions to unify the WBA, WBC and IBF 115-pound titles. Next up is a Nov. 1 showdown with former IBF flyweight champ Vic Darchinyan.
9. Miguel Cotto (32-1, 26 KOs): The Puerto Rican superstar suffered a crushing career setback on July 26, when he was knocked out by Antonio Margarito. Next could be a Feb. 14 rematch with Margarito, former IBF champ Kermit Cintron, or someone named Jesus Soto Karass. He’d be wise to choose an easy mark like Karass.
8. Oscar De La Hoya (39-5, 30 KOs): De La? Hoya has been mercilessly criticized lately for avoiding Margarito and fighting the much smaller Manny Pacquiao on Dec. 6. But the “Golden Boy” remains one of boxing’s premier talents.
7. Rafael Marquez (37-5, 33 KOs): After one of the greatest trilogies in boxing history, it’s probably a good thing that Marquez decided to take a long hiatus. His wars with Israel Vazquez qualify as modern-day classics, and if he did nothing else, his place in boxing history would be secure. A fourth fight with Vazquez is probably inevitable.
6. Israel Vazquez (43-4, 31 KOs): How the WBC junior featherweight champ’s life has changed since his March 2007 loss to Marquez. In the two subsequent victories over his fellow Mexican rival, Vazquez’ popularity has skyrocked, and a fourth fight with Marquez has the boxing world salivating. But first there could be a fight with up-and-coming Filipino Bernabe Concepcion. 5. Bernard Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KOs): What can you say about the “Executioner?” After 10 years and 20 defenses as middleweight champ, and victories over Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright the past two years, you had to figure his best work was behind him. Then he goes out and dominates middleweight terror Kelly Pavlik — a man 17 years his junior — in what could very well have been the finest performance of his 20-year career. Next up could be old rival Roy Jones Jr., provided he gets by Joe Calzaghe on Nov. 8. Not likely.
4. Antonio Margarito (37-5, 27 KOs): The WBA welterweight champ thought his days of being avoided were over. Not quite. After his demolition of Cotto three months ago, the “Tijuana Tornado” still doesn’t have a dance partner for 2009. It could be Cotto again, it could be Shane Mosley. He’d be heavily favored over both.
3. Juan Manuel Marquez (49-4-1, 36 KOs): “Dinamita” still is savoring his Sept. 13 victory over Joel Casamayor for the recognized lightweight championship. With it, he stayed squarely in the Manny Pacquaio sweepstakes. But even if the Pacquaio fight doesn’t materialize, there still are other options. Specifically, Juan Diaz — an action fighter that would mesh perfectly with Marquez’ boxer-puncher style.
Top two
2. Joe Calzaghe (45-0, 32 KOs): Suddenly, Calzaghe’s April 19 decision over Hopkins looks pretty impressive. Now, at the tail end of a spectacular career that saw 21 defenses of the super middleweight title, Calzaghe is trying to cash in. He’ll meet Jones Jr. on Nov. 8 in New York City and, after that, he says he’ll retire.
1. Manny Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KOs): The pride of the Philippines and consensus best fighter in boxing is taking a big chance by stepping up to meet De La Hoya on Dec. 6. But “Pac-Man” is in a win-win situation. He loses? Big deal. He’ll have lost to a (much) bigger man. He wins? He makes boxing history with a stunner that will boost his Hall of Fame credentials to mammoth proportions.
Matthew Aguilar may be reached at [email protected]
