Pound for Pound Rankings...

Umm...hope everyone likes. Just done. Will gladly defend each person's place on the list 8)

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. - Floyd has been flawless since his rise from the lightweight rankings he has gone on to be simply flawless at 140/147. After his decisive victory over former welterweight champion Zab Judah, much is expected of his next fight at welterweight, which is likely to be against the resurging Oscar De La Hoya or Mexican powerhouse Antonio Margarito.

2. Winky Wright - Possibly the most well traveled and well rounded of the middleweights, Winky Wright finally broke through to the national spotlight with 2 victories over Shane Mosley. Since those two fights, he has gone on to pick apart Puerto Rican legend Felix Trinidad in what was one of the most masterful showings of the jab and defense in middleweight history. In December he garnered a decision over awkward middleweight contender Sam Soliman. His fight with Jermain Taylor is one of the most anticipated fights of the new year.

3. Manny Pacquiao - The Thrilla from Manila has proved to be the unifying force in the super featherweight division. He shocked the world in late 2003 with a savage beating of 129 lb legend Marco Antonio Barrera, and then went on to knock Juan Manuel Marquez down 3 times en route to a controversial draw. He met Erik Morales in early 2005 in what turned out to be a fight of the year candidate, losing a unanimous decision. He avenged that loss in his last fight, being the first fighter ever to knock out the Mexican legend. He looks to put another victory on his record July 1, when he faces Mexican bantamweight champion Oscar Larios.


4. Joe Calzaghe - Calzaghe is coming off the most important and spectacular win of his career. His 12 round dismantling of Jeff Lacy in their transcontinental super bout shot the longtime 168 lb champ to the top of many pound for pound list. Calzaghe landed at will with breakneck speed and astonishing accuracy. With other 168 lb champions, Kessler and Beyer seemingly far apart in negotiations to form a Calzaghe unification fight at this time, Calzaghe signed for a fight with Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio Tarver conqueror Glenn Johnson but had to pull out with a hand injury.

5. Marco Antonio Barrera - Possibly the most exciting fighter in the entire sport, Barrera’s most recent foe was the compact, power punching Rocky Juarez. The two engaged in what could be a candidate for fight of the year. Barrera came away with a split decision victory after some controversy over the scorecards. With 2 victories over Erik Morales, and others over the likes of Naseem Hamed, Kevin Kelley, Johnny Tapia and Robbie Peden among others, Barrera is looking to avenge his most recent loss by rematching Manny Pacquiao.

6. Ricky Hatton - England's newest boxing hero did a number on Australian boxing legend Kostya Tszyu to become 140 lb champion in June of 2005. He followed up that breakthrough victory with a devastating 9th round knockout over the awkward WBA champion Carlos Massua. On the high of those two victories, Hatton moved up to welterweight in hopes of landing a super fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. He took on WBA champion and relative unknown Luis Collazo and stole a controversial razor thin 12 round decision over the slick southpaw. Hatton now has his sights set on moving back down to 140 or taking on WBA mandatory Oktay Urkal.

7. Rafael Marquez - Rafael is one of the least talked about champions of boxing, less so then his older and heavier brother Juan Manuel. Despite the lack of buzz surrounding him, Rafael has proven to be a dominating force at bantamweight. He engaged in a thrilling 4 round bout against Silence Mabuza on the Jeff Lacy - Scott Pemberton undercard winning by TKO in the 4th round. Marquez is scheduled to rematch Mabuza in August.

8. Jermain Taylor - Jermain Taylor rise from the U.S. Olympic ranks has been meteoric. Only 5 years after his pro debut, Taylor found himself on the right side of a split decision against longtime middleweight kingpin Bernard Hopkins. The second fight with Hopkins proved to be equally as close as the first with the same outcome, a decision victory for Taylor. While questions and controversy still surround the Bernard Hopkins bouts, Taylor faces perhaps his toughest test when he squares off with defensive wizard Winky Wright. The fight will be Taylor’s second defense of his middleweight title, a fight in which he will be stepping into as an underdog.

9. Isreal Vazquez - Vazquez’ third bout in his trilogy with fellow Mexican Oscar Larios on the Bernard Hopkins - Jermain Taylor card ended in the third round after Larios suffered a serious gash caused by a Vazquez punch. On June 10, Vazquez stopped former super flyweight Ivan Hernandez in the 4th round of their title fight. With competition thin at super bantamweight, Vazquez is weighing his options on moving up in weight to fight the likes of Chris John or Juan Manuel Marquez.

10. Jose Luis Castillo - Less then a year ago Castillo was on a career high. Despite losing via TKO in round 10, Castillo’s May 7, 2005 engagement with Diego Corrales will forever go down as one of the greatest fights in boxing history. In the rematch fight, Castillo failed to make the 135 lb limit for the fight by 3 lbs so the fight went on without any titles on the line. Castillo dropped Corrales in the 4th round of their rematch before the referee stopped the fight. After winning against the overmatched Rolando Reyes, Castillo set the stage for a third fight with Corrales. At the weigh in, Castillo weighed 139.5 lbs and the fight was promptly canceled. With the cancellation came heavy fines, a missed payday, the cancellation of a fight with Miguel Cotto in November and the loss of respect from boxing fans around the world. The future looks bleak for Castillo in the time being, and only time will tell how he deals with this major setback.


Your thoughts? I would love to see some other lists.

Good work .

I'd have Joe at number 1and Ricky at number 2 but then again im biased .

I think most pound for pound rankings would be the same i like to keep an eye on the up and comers.

Vic Dracula ,Armenian / Aussie flyweight .

Steve Cunningham .Phily Cruiser.

Librano Andrande ,Mexican super middle

Miranda, Columbian Middle .

Danny Geale, Aussie Supermiddle

Silence Mabuza , South African Super Bantam ( can come again despite Marquez loss)

Lucien Bute , Canadian Supermiddle .

The pound for pounders are more or less established but these are just a few left to the imagination who knows what the future holds .

good list, amat :coolclick:

to be honest i find it very difficult to compile P4P lists. im able to make a list but then within minutes i can convince myself of flaws within it and then i can compile another list and the same negative impulses hit me....its a difficult job....

i could possibly argue cases for certain names in that list probably changing position but then again why quibble about positions. they are all fighters and theyve all made their impact....

good job!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Swashbuckling Gordy

Good work .

I'd have Joe at number 1and Ricky at number 2 but then again im biased .

I think most pound for pound rankings would be the same i like to keep an eye on the up and comers.

Vic Dracula ,Armenian / Aussie flyweight .

Steve Cunningham .Phily Cruiser.

Librano Andrande ,Mexican super middle

Miranda, Columbian Middle .

Danny Geale, Aussie Supermiddle

Silence Mabuza , South African Super Bantam ( can come again despite Marquez loss)

Lucien Bute , Canadian Supermiddle .

The pound for pounders are more or less established but these are just a few left to the imagination who knows what the future holds .

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:coolclick: Greeat list of prospects. We have a very knowledgable member here, Oumafan, who is big on Mabuza. I want to see him against Marquez again. I like Bute to.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by miles

good list, amat :coolclick:

to be honest i find it very difficult to compile P4P lists. im able to make a list but then within minutes i can convince myself of flaws within it and then i can compile another list and the same negative impulses hit me....its a difficult job....

i could possibly argue cases for certain names in that list probably changing position but then again why quibble about positions. they are all fighters and theyve all made their impact....

good job!!

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CC 526 for you.

And yeah, one of the biggest problems I usually have is me poking holes in my own list. But this list I posted on another forum a couple days back, skimmed it over, felt good about it and posted it here but added the explanations.

CC,very close to mine but I could not put JLC in there anymore,not after that fiasco with Chico.So glad you had Rafael Marquez and Isreal Vazquez there,you have an eye for talent and you justify your selections which is good too.In fact,swap Winky and Floyd and that is my list too!! Number 10 would probably go to Arce for me,when was the last time he lost and remember P4P means how would these guys fare against other fighters in the world when size is taken out of the equation,Arce would be tough to beat!
Just to add,on the fringes,I'd have JMM,Cotto,JLC,Chico,Darchinyan and if P4P was based merely on skill,my boy Calderon would be Top5 but he needs a big name!Viloria is an up and comer and Pongsakleg Wonjongkam is breaking all sorts of records and seems to be slightly avoided too!

Owe you CC in 24 bossman. ;D

Great List :coolclick: man

I would only drop JLC out of there and put Ivan Calderon up there. He's undefeated and the best pure boxer around IMO.

But great list, well done.

AC,here's the CC I owed you from yesterday!!!

Cool The Game, jus gave you yours five mins ago on your last post, otherwise I'd CC you for biggin up Calderon. The man needs some recgonition, he may not have any sort of KO power but you wont find a better pure boxer out there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AC-Cobra

Cool The Game, jus gave you yours five mins ago on your last post, otherwise I'd CC you for biggin up Calderon. The man needs some recgonition, he may not have any sort of KO power but you wont find a better pure boxer out there.

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For once,I totally agre with you although I admit I have not seen alot of his fights,from what I have seen,from a pure boxing viewpoint,he is quite awesome!! I just think he needs the bigger fights and he acknowledges that which is why he wants to move up in weight.This could be a problem due to his lack of power BUT he is sooo skilled,Iwould not put it past him to outbox everyone at the next weight too!!

#1-floyd maywhether jr(140).....36 Wins, 0 Losses, 24 Knockouts
(Captured WBC super featherweight title)6 defence
(Won WBC lightweight title)3 defence
(Won WBC Light Welterweight Title)0
(Won IBF Welterweight Title)0

...29 years of age lito floyd has beatten, corrales, castillo, and recently zab judah...his perfect record puts him on top and his way of winning against gatti corrales and judah...


#2-manny pacquiao(130)....41 Wins, 3 losses, 2 bullshyt Draws ( jmm, Agapito Sánchez), 33 Knockouts...
(Won WBC Flyweight Title)1 defence
(Won IBF Super Bantamweight Title)4 defence

the pac of today dominates his divisions...a division filled with talents...avenged his decision lost to morales via knock out...overwhelmed the legend in barrera...and still on 27 years of age with already 46 wars...

#2a-winky wright(160)...50wins-3 decision lost (vargas robbed him)-(25ko)
(Won WBO Light Middleweight Title)3
(Won IBF Light Middleweight Title) 5
(Won WBA Light Middleweight Title)1
(Won WBC Light Middleweight Title)1

beatten mosley twice and conquered the tiger trinidad...a win against the man who beat the man the wise winky may take the p4p crown...

#4-jermain taylor(160)...25 Wins, 0 Losses, 17 Knockouts
(Won unified middleweight title)1 defence

27 years old has a two wins against the former p4p king bernard hopkins only 25 fights but undefeated...a win against winky will boost him big time...

#5-bernard hopkins(160)....47 Wins, 4 Losses, 1 Draw, 1 No-contest,32 ko
(Captured vacant IBF middleweight title)20 defence
(Captured WBC middleweight title)7 defence
(Captured WBA middleweight title)6 defence


...lost first ever pro fight in 4, lost first ever title fight to roy jones...but look at what his done afterwards...took over the middleweight division and own it for years, tko a prime trinidad and k.o delahoya...and after losing to a younger j.t in two close fights...the 41 year old legend dominated antonio tarver...the man who defeated roy jones...

#6-ricky hatton(140)...41 Wins, 0 Losses, 30 Knockouts...
(Won WBA Welterweight Title)
(Won WBA Light Welterweight Title)
(Won IBF Light Welterweight Title)1 defence

27 year old hitman took out koysta...and is still undefeated...hatton may be the man to beat the man floyd maywheter jr....


#7 joe calzaghe(168)...41 Wins, 0 Losses, 31 Knockouts
(Won Vacant WBO Super Middleweight Title)18 defence
(Won IBF Super Middleweight Title)

with a perfect record and 18 straight title defence...plus a dominate performance against the young jeff lacy...but a fight with hopkins and winky is missing in his resume...

#8 miguel cotto...27 Wins, 0 Losses, 22 Knockouts
(Won Vacant WBO Light Welterweight Title)6 defence

only 25 years of age but already proving he can get in the mix against the best hatton, floyd,...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Game

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AC-Cobra

Cool The Game, jus gave you yours five mins ago on your last post, otherwise I'd CC you for biggin up Calderon. The man needs some recgonition, he may not have any sort of KO power but you wont find a better pure boxer out there.

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For once,I totally agre with you although I admit I have not seen alot of his fights,from what I have seen,from a pure boxing viewpoint,he is quite awesome!! I just think he needs the bigger fights and he acknowledges that which is why he wants to move up in weight.This could be a problem due to his lack of power BUT he is sooo skilled,Iwould not put it past him to outbox everyone at the next weight too!!

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Calderon versus Villoria would be an awesome match up and deserves to be a main undercard fight if it comes off, hopefully Calderon can get the fight and then pull it off and everyone will agree how good he is.

I would recommend specific fights for you to watch, but he completely outclasses everyone hes ever fought so any are good. Ive hardly ever seen him in trouble.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Game

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AC-Cobra

Cool The Game, jus gave you yours five mins ago on your last post, otherwise I'd CC you for biggin up Calderon. The man needs some recgonition, he may not have any sort of KO power but you wont find a better pure boxer out there.

---

For once,I totally agre with you although I admit I have not seen alot of his fights,from what I have seen,from a pure boxing viewpoint,he is quite awesome!! I just think he needs the bigger fights and he acknowledges that which is why he wants to move up in weight.This could be a problem due to his lack of power BUT he is sooo skilled,Iwould not put it past him to outbox everyone at the next weight too!!

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I looked at Calderon but I have never seen him fight and I know next to nothing about that weight so I passed. I also considered dropping JLC, but for some reason I couldn't find myself doing it. If it wasn't him at 10 it would have been Arce.

And I clicked you all.

Anyone else?

Zab Judah P4P #1

Back me up Sal...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by raleights

Zab Judah P4P #1

Back me up Sal...

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I think he would sway more towards Malignaggi ;)

Great list great job have a CC yours 330,only thing I would change is JLC IMO he doesn't deserve to be in top 10 P4P list just because his fiasco with Chico.Everything else is perfect.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SecondRoundKO

Umm...hope everyone likes. Just done. Will gladly defend each person's place on the list 8)

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. - Floyd has been flawless since his rise from the lightweight rankings he has gone on to be simply flawless at 140/147. After his decisive victory over former welterweight champion Zab Judah, much is expected of his next fight at welterweight, which is likely to be against the resurging Oscar De La Hoya or Mexican powerhouse Antonio Margarito.

2. Winky Wright - Possibly the most well traveled and well rounded of the middleweights, Winky Wright finally broke through to the national spotlight with 2 victories over Shane Mosley. Since those two fights, he has gone on to pick apart Puerto Rican legend Felix Trinidad in what was one of the most masterful showings of the jab and defense in middleweight history. In December he garnered a decision over awkward middleweight contender Sam Soliman. His fight with Jermain Taylor is one of the most anticipated fights of the new year.

3. Manny Pacquiao - The Thrilla from Manila has proved to be the unifying force in the super featherweight division. He shocked the world in late 2003 with a savage beating of 129 lb legend Marco Antonio Barrera, and then went on to knock Juan Manuel Marquez down 3 times en route to a controversial draw. He met Erik Morales in early 2005 in what turned out to be a fight of the year candidate, losing a unanimous decision. He avenged that loss in his last fight, being the first fighter ever to knock out the Mexican legend. He looks to put another victory on his record July 1, when he faces Mexican bantamweight champion Oscar Larios.


4. Joe Calzaghe - Calzaghe is coming off the most important and spectacular win of his career. His 12 round dismantling of Jeff Lacy in their transcontinental super bout shot the longtime 168 lb champ to the top of many pound for pound list. Calzaghe landed at will with breakneck speed and astonishing accuracy. With other 168 lb champions, Kessler and Beyer seemingly uninterested in a Calzaghe unification fight at this time, Calzaghe signed for a fight with Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio Tarver conqueror Glenn Johnson but had to pull out with a hand injury.

5. Marco Antonio Barrera - Possibly the most exciting fighter in the entire sport, Barrera’s most recent foe was the compact, power punching Rocky Juarez. The two engaged in what could be a candidate for fight of the year. Barrera came away with a split decision victory after some controversy over the scorecards. With 2 victories over Erik Morales, and others over the likes of Naseem Hamed, Kevin Kelley, Johnny Tapia and Robbie Peden among others, Barrera is looking to avenge his most recent loss by rematching Manny Pacquiao.

6. Ricky Hatton - England's newest boxing hero did a number on Australian boxing legend Kostya Tszyu to become 140 lb champion in June of 2005. He followed up that breakthrough victory with a devastating 9th round knockout over the awkward WBA champion Carlos Massua. On the high of those two victories, Hatton moved up to welterweight in hopes of landing a super fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. He took on WBA champion and relative unknown Luis Collazo and stole a controversial razor thin 12 round decision over the slick southpaw. Hatton now has his sights set on moving back down to 140 or taking on WBA mandatory Oktay Urkal.

7. Rafael Marquez - Rafael is one of the least talked about champions of boxing, less so then his older and heavier brother Juan Manuel. Despite the lack of buzz surrounding him, Rafael has proven to be a dominating force at bantamweight. He engaged in a thrilling 4 round bout against Silence Mabuza on the Jeff Lacy - Scott Pemberton undercard winning by TKO in the 4th round. Marquez is scheduled to rematch Mabuza in August.

8. Jermain Taylor - Jermain Taylor rise from the U.S. Olympic ranks has been meteoric. Only 5 years after his pro debut, Taylor found himself on the right side of a split decision against longtime middleweight kingpin Bernard Hopkins. The second fight with Hopkins proved to be equally as close as the first with the same outcome, a decision victory for Taylor. While questions and controversy still surround the Bernard Hopkins bouts, Taylor faces perhaps his toughest test when he squares off with defensive wizard Winky Wright. The fight will be Taylor’s second defense of his middleweight title, a fight in which he will be stepping into as an underdog.

9. Isreal Vazquez - Vazquez’ third bout in his trilogy with fellow Mexican Oscar Larios on the Bernard Hopkins - Jermain Taylor card ended in the third round after Larios suffered a serious gash caused by a Vazquez punch. On June 10, Vazquez stopped former super flyweight Ivan Hernandez in the 4th round of their title fight. With competition thin at super bantamweight, Vazquez is weighing his options on moving up in weight to fight the likes of Chris John or Juan Manuel Marquez.

10. Jose Luis Castillo - Less then a year ago Castillo was on a career high. Despite losing via TKO in round 10, Castillo’s May 7, 2005 engagement with Diego Corrales will forever go down as one of the greatest fights in boxing history. In the rematch fight, Castillo failed to make the 135 lb limit for the fight by 3 lbs so the fight went on without any titles on the line. Castillo dropped Corrales in the 4th round of their rematch before the referee stopped the fight. After winning against the overmatched Rolando Reyes, Castillo set the stage for a third fight with Corrales. At the weigh in, Castillo weighed 139.5 lbs and the fight was promptly canceled. With the cancellation came heavy fines, a missed payday, the cancellation of a fight with Miguel Cotto in November and the loss of respect from boxing fans around the world. The future looks bleak for Castillo in the time being, and only time will tell how he deals with this major setback.


Your thoughts? I would love to see some other lists.

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I am really tired with threads like this - you claim that Kessler is not willing to fight Calzaghe - fine, but would you please support your words with just one source or delete that remark? Just one source.......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zinmex

I am really tired with threads like this - you claim that Kessler is not willing to fight Calzaghe - fine, but would you please support your words with just one source or delete that remark? Just one source.......

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Kessler has been quiet since the Lacy fight and he's been offering fights to the likes of Typsko and Beyer instead of Calzaghe and Lacy.

I dont agree with most of the fighters positions on your list.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SecondRoundKO

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zinmex

I am really tired with threads like this - you claim that Kessler is not willing to fight Calzaghe - fine, but would you please support your words with just one source or delete that remark? Just one source.......

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Kessler has been quiet since the Lacy fight and he's been offering fights to the likes of Typsko and Beyer instead of Calzaghe and Lacy.

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Real sources not just your words and thinking, please.... - please hand over some links to prove your claim.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zinmex

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SecondRoundKO

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zinmex

I am really tired with threads like this - you claim that Kessler is not willing to fight Calzaghe - fine, but would you please support your words with just one source or delete that remark? Just one source.......

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Kessler has been quiet since the Lacy fight and he's been offering fights to the likes of Typsko and Beyer instead of Calzaghe and Lacy.

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Real sources not just your words and thinking, please.... - please hand over some links to prove your claim.

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Umm...it's kind of common knowledge. No media outlet is going to report that Kessler DIDN'T offer or pursue a fight to Calzaghe. But we all know he offered to Beyer and Typsko. So it's you who has to prove to me otherwise. Find me a link that says Kessler offered a fight to Calzaghe. Do it.

Sal you heartless coward, I go out on a limb with Judah and look at you... hiding in the dark

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SecondRoundKO

Umm...it's kind of common knowledge. No media outlet is going to report that Kessler DIDN'T offer or pursue a fight to Calzaghe. But we all know he offered to Beyer and Typsko. So it's you who has to prove to me otherwise. Find me a link that says Kessler offered a fight to Calzaghe. Do it.

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How about this one?

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0700s...name_page.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dumdane

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SecondRoundKO

Umm...it's kind of common knowledge. No media outlet is going to report that Kessler DIDN'T offer or pursue a fight to Calzaghe. But we all know he offered to Beyer and Typsko. So it's you who has to prove to me otherwise. Find me a link that says Kessler offered a fight to Calzaghe. Do it.

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How about this one?

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0700s...name_page.html

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:coolclick:

I stand corrected. I'll take that out then. I never heard about Kessler, only Manfredo.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SecondRoundKO

Umm...hope everyone likes. Just done. Will gladly defend each person's place on the list 8)

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. - Floyd has been flawless since his rise from the lightweight rankings he has gone on to be simply flawless at 140/147. After his decisive victory over former welterweight champion Zab Judah, much is expected of his next fight at welterweight, which is likely to be against the resurging Oscar De La Hoya or Mexican powerhouse Antonio Margarito.

2. Winky Wright - Possibly the most well traveled and well rounded of the middleweights, Winky Wright finally broke through to the national spotlight with 2 victories over Shane Mosley. Since those two fights, he has gone on to pick apart Puerto Rican legend Felix Trinidad in what was one of the most masterful showings of the jab and defense in middleweight history. In December he garnered a decision over awkward middleweight contender Sam Soliman. His fight with Jermain Taylor is one of the most anticipated fights of the new year.

3. Manny Pacquiao - The Thrilla from Manila has proved to be the unifying force in the super featherweight division. He shocked the world in late 2003 with a savage beating of 129 lb legend Marco Antonio Barrera, and then went on to knock Juan Manuel Marquez down 3 times en route to a controversial draw. He met Erik Morales in early 2005 in what turned out to be a fight of the year candidate, losing a unanimous decision. He avenged that loss in his last fight, being the first fighter ever to knock out the Mexican legend. He looks to put another victory on his record July 1, when he faces Mexican bantamweight champion Oscar Larios.


4. Joe Calzaghe - Calzaghe is coming off the most important and spectacular win of his career. His 12 round dismantling of Jeff Lacy in their transcontinental super bout shot the longtime 168 lb champ to the top of many pound for pound list. Calzaghe landed at will with breakneck speed and astonishing accuracy. With other 168 lb champions, Kessler and Beyer seemingly far apart in negotiations to form a Calzaghe unification fight at this time, Calzaghe signed for a fight with Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio Tarver conqueror Glenn Johnson but had to pull out with a hand injury.

5. Marco Antonio Barrera - Possibly the most exciting fighter in the entire sport, Barrera’s most recent foe was the compact, power punching Rocky Juarez. The two engaged in what could be a candidate for fight of the year. Barrera came away with a split decision victory after some controversy over the scorecards. With 2 victories over Erik Morales, and others over the likes of Naseem Hamed, Kevin Kelley, Johnny Tapia and Robbie Peden among others, Barrera is looking to avenge his most recent loss by rematching Manny Pacquiao.

6. Ricky Hatton - England's newest boxing hero did a number on Australian boxing legend Kostya Tszyu to become 140 lb champion in June of 2005. He followed up that breakthrough victory with a devastating 9th round knockout over the awkward WBA champion Carlos Massua. On the high of those two victories, Hatton moved up to welterweight in hopes of landing a super fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. He took on WBA champion and relative unknown Luis Collazo and stole a controversial razor thin 12 round decision over the slick southpaw. Hatton now has his sights set on moving back down to 140 or taking on WBA mandatory Oktay Urkal.

7. Rafael Marquez - Rafael is one of the least talked about champions of boxing, less so then his older and heavier brother Juan Manuel. Despite the lack of buzz surrounding him, Rafael has proven to be a dominating force at bantamweight. He engaged in a thrilling 4 round bout against Silence Mabuza on the Jeff Lacy - Scott Pemberton undercard winning by TKO in the 4th round. Marquez is scheduled to rematch Mabuza in August.

8. Jermain Taylor - Jermain Taylor rise from the U.S. Olympic ranks has been meteoric. Only 5 years after his pro debut, Taylor found himself on the right side of a split decision against longtime middleweight kingpin Bernard Hopkins. The second fight with Hopkins proved to be equally as close as the first with the same outcome, a decision victory for Taylor. While questions and controversy still surround the Bernard Hopkins bouts, Taylor faces perhaps his toughest test when he squares off with defensive wizard Winky Wright. The fight will be Taylor’s second defense of his middleweight title, a fight in which he will be stepping into as an underdog.

9. Isreal Vazquez - Vazquez’ third bout in his trilogy with fellow Mexican Oscar Larios on the Bernard Hopkins - Jermain Taylor card ended in the third round after Larios suffered a serious gash caused by a Vazquez punch. On June 10, Vazquez stopped former super flyweight Ivan Hernandez in the 4th round of their title fight. With competition thin at super bantamweight, Vazquez is weighing his options on moving up in weight to fight the likes of Chris John or Juan Manuel Marquez.

10. Jose Luis Castillo - Less then a year ago Castillo was on a career high. Despite losing via TKO in round 10, Castillo’s May 7, 2005 engagement with Diego Corrales will forever go down as one of the greatest fights in boxing history. In the rematch fight, Castillo failed to make the 135 lb limit for the fight by 3 lbs so the fight went on without any titles on the line. Castillo dropped Corrales in the 4th round of their rematch before the referee stopped the fight. After winning against the overmatched Rolando Reyes, Castillo set the stage for a third fight with Corrales. At the weigh in, Castillo weighed 139.5 lbs and the fight was promptly canceled. With the cancellation came heavy fines, a missed payday, the cancellation of a fight with Miguel Cotto in November and the loss of respect from boxing fans around the world. The future looks bleak for Castillo in the time being, and only time will tell how he deals with this major setback.


Your thoughts? I would love to see some other lists.

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What about Hopkins with his utter domination of Antonio Tarver. I dont know if anyone posted that yet but damn what a win. I also know he's retiring but still should be put on the list unless its official he retires. JMO

Peace
Mike