There are certain boxers in the game today that have many thinking that they will go the rest of their careers without a defeat. The only notable boxer that left the sport with the rightful title of “undefeated” was the heavyweight champion, Rocky Marciano, but most boxing experts believe that he would have eventually lost and could not have competed with the Muhammad Alis and George Foremans of the world. It’s hard to imagine Marciano surviving against Lennox Lewis, but he still holds the record. Others have attempted to break it, but have failed.
The fighters today that appear to be unbeatable at this point, due in part to their skills and the opposition that they have fended off and will have to fend off, are sitting on the top of the boxing world. RSR looks at the top five boxers that have toppled the boxing world with no end in sight and we will examine the biggest threats to their position and their hopes of retiring without a loss on their career from this point out. We will start with the obvious.
1. Floyd Mayweather, JR., 40-0, 25 KO’s
The man known as “Money” sat on the shelf for some time and retired as the undefeated pound for pound best in the game, but a love for the sport, the money, and possibly some jealousy of Filipino superstar, Manny Pacquiao have brought him back and he hasn’t missed a beat. Most recently, he defeated Juan Manuel Marquez by lopsided decision, showing the timing, defense, and reflexes that have made him a special fighter. He is the master of the game and it’s hard to see anyone beating him at this point, but there is a ray of hope for the fans of boxing that want to see his mouth shut. There are three boxers out there, capable and ready, to take their shot at Floyd.
Two of the boxers are ready to collide in November, Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. On paper, Pacquiao presents the better challenge to Floyd. He is quick and a southpaw, something that has given Floyd problems in the past. Zab Judah dropped Floyd with a straight left and DeMarcus Corley stunned him. He has issues with southpaws. Miguel Cotto, should he upset Pacquiao and that wouldn’t be a huge upset, would pose some issues for Floyd, but not many. He is strong and has a good jab, but it is unlikely that he could find him.
Another possible opponent is Shane Mosley, the man that just beat Antonio Margarito and now cannot land a fight to save his life. He confronted Floyd after the win over Marquez, hoping to get him into the ring…it’s unlikely. Mosley may have the best chance to beat Floyd. He’s quick, very strong, and is very smart in the ring. He would, style-wise, present a very tough puzzle for “Money” to solve. Floyd being the smart businessman would most likely not take on Shane and opt for the winner of Pacquiao-Cotto.
2. Wladimir Klitschko, 53-3, 47 KO’s
Wladimir Klitschko, the IBO/IBF/WBO Heavyweight Champion, is huge and extremely skilled and with Manny Steward teaching him the Lennox Lewis approach to boxing, he is hard to beat. Most fans haven’t warmed up to him because of his safety first approach. In the 1990s, the heavyweight division was booming with talent. Men like Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, Tommy Morrison, and George Foreman came to fight and gave the fans a good show. Klitschko is slow and methodical and risks nothing. He fights from a distance and clutches when the opponent gets close. His huge punch and timing are too much for most of the opponents he faces and it’s hard to see anyone toppling big Wlad any time soon, but there are boxers out there ready to try.
What makes Wlad beatable is his questionable spirit. When he dictates the pace, he is unbeatable. He won’t allow his opponent into the fight and will just keep chipping away until the challenger falls. He has done it time and time again against the mediocrities that this division has, but some of the challengers that are on the rise and want a crack could possibly change the heavyweight landscape by dethroning Wlad.
Alexander Povetkin is undefeated and holds wins over Chris Byrd, Larry Donald, and Eddie Chambers. He is rugged and aggressive and has a calmness in the ring that might bode well for him against Wlad, if he can withstand the power. Edddie Chambers has rebounded nicely after his defeat, beating Sam Peter, and then showing his best when he defeated Alexander Dimitrenko. He was in shape and focused and that is what we should expect when he faces off against Klitschko in the near future. David Haye is taking on Nikolay Valuev, and both men would pose interesting challenges to Wlad, and then there is David Tua, the powerhouse that is hard to give up on. His left hook and chin might be enough to bring him right back up to the top of the boxing world.
Despite the challenges, Wlad would still be a big favorite over all. His safety first style is a difficult puzzle and you can see the discouragement in the opponents’ eyes after a couple of rounds.
3. Vitali Klitschko, 38-2, 37 KO’s
The WBC Heavyweight Champion, Vitali Klitschko, is a tougher foe than his brother Wlad. He is more robotic in the ring, but he is also more durable and willing to risk more because of it. He approaches boxing the same way Lennox Lewis did. He wants to take on the best and uses his reach and boxing ability to punish his opponents. Sam Peter, Chris Arreola, and Juan Carlos Gomez have been destroyed in his recent comeback to boxing and much like Floyd Mayweather, Vitali hasn’t missed a beat.
Vitali and Wladimir share some of the same threats like David Haye and Alexander Povetkin, but next on the list for the champion may be Kevin Johnson, a fighter that still seems too green for a shot, but the heavyweight leftovers have been eaten up already by Wlad. Vitali is looking for new blood and found it with Johnson. Johnson is a good fighter but at this point, he doesn’t seem to present the challenge for Vitali. In fact, there doesn’t seem to be an active heavyweight that would present enough of a challenge to defeat him.
4. Bernard Hopkins, 49-5-1, 32 KO’s
You would have to think that the 40+ fighter wouldn’t have that many more fights in him, but he forges on, recently targeting Roy Jones, JR., and Tomasz Adamek, for his next two fights. Hopkins shocked the world when he dominated Kelly Pavlik in a very ugly fight, but then again, what fight isn’t ugly with Hopkins involved? He doesn’t know any other way. He knows every trick in the book and even when he does lose, it’s debatable. He has not been soundly beaten since 1993 and would still be favored over 99% of the men that he steps into the ring with.
There is not a fighter that is dirtier (maybe Evander Holyfield) and more frustrating for their opponents and the boxing fans than Hopkins. His clutching and hitting while holding has become his style. He flurries and then holds and then hits with his other fist. Fans of “The Executioner” are really forgiving and must have the coffee pot ready when the fight begins, but you cannot argue with success. His two defeats to Jermain Taylor were questionable and so too was his loss to Joe Calzaghe. Even the narrow defeats he has proven impossible to figure out and Roy Jones, JR., and Tomasz Adamek don’t seem to have the right stuff to finally dominate Bernard and eliminate him from boxing. There is one guy that might however and that man is Paul Williams.
5. Paul Williams, 37-1, 27 KO’s
A welterweight, light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight…it doesn’t matter to Paul Williams as long as he gets a fight that is marketable and he’s found one with Kelly Pavlik. Williams is tall and a volume puncher with a good chin and underrated power. Carlos Quintana, the man that holds the only win over Williams, does not underrate his power anymore, after he was sent to the floor in the first round of the rematch, and out before the second round came along.
Winky Wright, a fighter that has proved tough for everyone that he has faced, was dominated by Williams, and so too was veteran Verno Phillips, who was TKO’d in 8. Williams would beat Floyd Mayweather, JR., without question, but the fight would not take place, even at welterweight because Floyd is too smart for it. This is why Williams wasn’t mentioned alongside Pacquiao, Cotto, and Mosley. That fight would never happen.
Pavlik has a shot to beat Williams and it’s a big shot because of his power, but how he will cope with the amount of punches thrown his way is anyone’s guess. Williams seems nearly impossible to beat at this stage of his career.
The five fighters are the toughest puzzles in boxing, but there is hope for the opponents out there. Boxing is full of surprises and it only takes on punch to change history.
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