The old saying is that the more things change, the more they stay the same. And nowhere is that more evident than the mythical pound for pound rankings.
As the year draws to an end we still find Manny Pacquiao at the top of the hill. Proving that his 2008 win over Oscar De La Hoya was no fluke, Manny decided to climb the peaks to bonafide superstardom.
After demolishing Ricky Hatton in May, Pacquiao solidified his place among the all-time greats with a win in his war with Miguel Cotto.
The following is the year end results of the top ten pound for pound fighters.
1. Manny Pacquiao, Philippines, 50-3-2 (38). Manny has been on the list for an incredible 316 weeks. The only thing he can do to top his 2009 is to fight number 2 Floyd Mayweather. We will get that fight on March 13, 2010. After the Mayweather fight it is anybody’s guess as to the boxing future of Manny Pacquiao. One thing is for sure, he has put his stamp on boxing and will definitely find a place in Canastota, New York, in the boxing hall of fame.
2. Floyd Mayweather, Las Vegas, Nevada, 40-0 (25). After a year and a half sabbatical, Floyd came back to take on then #2, Juan Manuel Marquez. Floyd’s speed and size proved too much for the smaller Marquez. After some negotiating, has agreed to fight #1 Manny Pacquiao in boxing’s biggest fight this decade. Mayweather reentered the rankings with is win over Marquez. He has currently been on the list for 14 weeks.
3. Shane Mosley, Las Vegas, Nevada, 46-5 (39). What a strange trip it’s been, as the song goes. Mosley began 2009 with a career defining performance by blowing out Antonio Margarito. Margarito was suppose to be the fighter everyone avoided. Mosley appeared on the downside of his career. So what happened, Shane picked his spots and methodically broke down Margarito and stopped him late. That crown changed hands and Mosley failed to secure the super fight he had hoped to get in 2009. His next fight is against young beltholder Andre Berto. Will a win make him even more avoided? Shane has currently been on the list for 48 weeks.
4. Bernard Hopkins, Philadelphia, Pa., 50-5-1 (32). The ageless one. Hopkins recently fought for the first time in nearly 14 months. His decision win over Enrique Ornelas was suppose to be a tune-up for his long awaited rematch with Roy Jones, Jr. Jones failed to win his tune-up, so the Hopkins-Jones fight seems destined to never happen. Chad Dawson could be in Hopkins future. As of press time, nothing had been confirmed. Bernard has been on the list for 185 weeks.
5. Juan Manuel Marquez, Mexico, 50-5-1 (37). Juan dropped from the second spot following his devastating loss to Floyd Mayweather. Marquez was hoping that a victory would secure a third fight with Manny Pacquiao. That is all but a lost dream now. The good news is that Juan can still defend his lightweight belt against Edwin Valero or possibly take on Ricky Hatton or Amir Khan at 140. Juan has been on the list for 145 weeks.
6. Nonito Donaire, San Leandro, Ca., 22-1 (14). Nonito is as talented as any fighter in the lower weight divisions. Some thought that he would have become a bigger star in America by now. His combination of boxing skills and power appear to be a big reason the bigger names are not calling out Donaire. Nonito’s signature win was against the always tough Vic Darchinyan. A rematch with Darchinyan may be the best fight he can get in 2010. Right now Nonito is scheduled to fight Gerson Guerrero. Nonito has been on the list for 34 weeks.
7. Miguel Cotto, Puerto Rico, 34-2 (27). Miguel drops slightly due to his loss to #1 Manny Pacquiao. The first four or five rounds were a war. After that point, Manny’s speed and ability to punch both in combination and at angles allowed him to take over. There is no shame in losing to boxing’s Superman and immediately after the fight Cotto announced he would continue fighting. He has been on the list for 34 weeks.
8. Celestino Caballero, Panama, 33-2 (23). The least known of the current top ten, Caballero is a force at super bantamweight. He is tall with a very good punch. His destruction of Steve Molitor firmly placed his name into the boxing public, but only the diehards are familiar with him. A shootout with Juan Manuel Lopez could have fight of the year candidate written all over it. Celestino has been on the list for 48 weeks.
9. Chad Dawson, New Haven, Conn., 29-0 (17). Dawson has all the tools to be a superstar. The reason he has not reached that level is that his fights sometimes become lackadaisical. He appears comfortable cruising to decision victories, which are great for his record, but does little to excite diehard boxing fans. Bernard Hopkins may be in his future. A win may help move his career in the direction he has been looking for. Chad has currently been on the list for 7 weeks.
10. Paul Williams, Augusta, Ga., 38-1 (27). Williams held the destinction of being the most avoided man in boxing, but that may have changed after his fight with Sergio Martinez. While Martinez is considered one of the top junior middleweights, he is not thought of as a huge puncher. But on more than one occassion Martinez had Paul in trouble. One could point out that Williams’ build may not be as conducive to the higher weight classes as first thought. While he is a very good fighter, he is tall and rangy. Especially around the neck. And in boxing the neck needs to be very strong to act like a shock absorber against solid punches. Martinez’s punches had Paul resembling a bobble head at certain times. The good news is that Williams still has time to improve, but right now he may be better suited for the welterweight division. A fight against the Shane Mosley-Andre Berto winner would be a great fight for boxing fans. Paul has been on the list for 7 weeks.
The most important point of these new rankings is that #1 will fight #2. That is what everyone was wishing for and that is what everyone got. Merry Christmas to all of us boxing fans.
