"Fighter of the Decade" Rankings

[QUISQUEYA]

Rankings: Looking at the decade’s best
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
Oct 24, 12:07 pm EDT


With only about 14 months remaining in the decade, it got me thinking about the 10 best fighters from 2000 through 2009.

It is obvious that, at this point, the Fighter of the Decade is Floyd Mayweather Jr., who scored most of the big wins in his illustrious career from 2000 on and who reigned as the sport’s pound-for-pound champion for five years in the decade.

Whenever you’re choosing the best over a period like a decade, there are always elite fighters who have to get cut.

But this is my list, for what it’s worth. If you give me yours, I’ll share some of them in my mailbag that runs on Tuesday. Remember, though, I’m only going to consider a fighter’s bouts that occurred from 2000 through the present.



So, before we get to the current monthly rankings, my decade rankings go like this: 1. Mayweather; 2. Heavyweight Lennox Lewis; 3. Middleweight Bernard Hopkins; 4. Manny Pacquiao; 5. Super welterweight Winky Wright; 6. Marco Antonio Barrera; 7. Erik Morales; 8. Shane Mosley; 9. Joe Calzaghe; 10. Miguel Cotto.

Lewis only fought through 2003 and he lost a bout to Hasim Rahman in that period. But he avenged the loss to Rahman in a devastating manner, stopped Vitali Klitschko and dominated Michael Grant (who at the time was very highly regarded), Frans Botha and David Tua (whom many were giving a good chance).

Hopkins held the middleweight titles for the first half of the decade and then, after losing them in a controversial decision, moved to light heavyweight and scored impressive wins over Antonio Tarver, Wright and Kelly Pavlik there.

As for this month’s rankings, Hopkins makes the biggest move, jumping from 10th to fifth after routing Pavlik in Atlantic City, N.J. Pavlik dropped out of the poll and Cristian Mijares moved into the 10th slot.

Let me know your choices thus far for Fighter of the Decade and we’ll discuss a bit in my mailbag on Tuesday.

Here, though, is the October rankings, as voted on by a 26-member panel of boxing writers.

1. Manny Pacquiao
Points: 264 1/2 (22 of 27 first-place votes)
Record: 47-3-2 (36 KOs)
Title: WBC lightweight champion
Last outing: TKO9 over David Diaz on June 28
Previous ranking:: 1
Up next: Dec. 6 vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Analysis:: Should be unanimous No. 1 if he overcomes size disadvantage against De La Hoya

2. Joe Calzaghe
Points: 218 (4 of 26 first-place votes)
Record: 45-0 (32 KOs)
Title: WBA super middleweight champion and The Ring light heavyweight champion
Last outing: W12 over No. 9 Bernard Hopkins on April 19
Previous ranking:: 3
Up next: Nov. 8 in New York vs. Roy Jones Jr.
Analysis:: Announced he’ll retire after Jones fight

3. Juan Manuel Marquez
Points: 212
Record: 49-4-1 (35 KOs)
Title: The Ring lightweight champion
Last outing: TKO11 over Joel Casamayor on Sept. 13
Previous ranking:: 2
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis:: In a holding pattern, waiting upon results of other bouts

4. Israel Vazquez
Points: 170
Record: 43-4 (31 KOs)
Title: WBC and The Ring super bantamweight champion
Last outing: W12 over No. 7 Rafael Marquez on March 1
Previous ranking:: 4
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis:: Will return in spring of 2009

5. Bernard Hopkins
Points: 154
Record: 49-5 (32 KOs)
Title: None
Last outing: W12 over Kelly Pavlik on Oct. 18
Previous ranking:: 10
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis:: Hoping for a Roy Jones Jr. rematch next year

6. Antonio Margarito
Points: 148
Record: 37-5 (27 KOs)
Title: WBA welterweight champion
Last outing: TKO11 over No. 8 Miguel Cotto on July 26
Previous ranking:: 6
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis:: Won’t fight again until early 2009

7. Rafael Marquez
Points: 93
Record: 37-5 (33 KOs)
Title: None
Last outing: L12 to No. 4 Israel Vazquez on March 1
Previous ranking:: 7
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis:: Part of boxing’s finest brother tandem

8. Miguel Cotto
Points: 59
Record: 32-1 (26 KOs)
Title: None
Last outing: TKO by 11 to Antonio Margarito on July 26
Previous ranking:: 8
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis:: Won’t fight again until early 2009

9. Ivan Calderon
Points: 41
Record: 32-0 (6 KOs)
Title: WBO light flyweight champion
Last outing: TD7 over Hugo Cazares on Aug. 30
Previous ranking:: 10
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis:: The game’s finest pure boxer

10. Cristian Mijares
Points: 37
Record: 36-3-2 (15 KOs)
Title: WBC, WBA super flyweight champion
Last outing: TKO3 over Chatchai Sasakul on Aug. 30
Previous ranking:: NR
Up next: Nov. 1 vs. Vic Darchinyan in Carson, Calif.
Analysis:: Superb boxer gaining much respect

Others receiving votes: Paul Williams 27 1/2, Chad Dawson 19, Kelly Pavlik 10 1/2, Chris John 6, Juan Manuel Lopez 5, Wladimir Klitschko 4, Mikkel Kessler 3, Roy Jones Jr. 3, Ricky Hatton 2, David Haye 1, Arthur Abraham 1.

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.

[Kev]

Interesting question. It's tough to name a top 10 for the decade and I'll probably miss some out by mistake but, in no particular order the fighters involved must be.

Floyd Mayweather
Roy Jones Jr
Bernard Hopkins
Shane Mosely
Oscar De La Hoya
Felix Trinidad
Joe Calzaghe
Manny Pacquaio
Marco Antonio Barrera
Erik Morales
Lennox Lewis


For me it's between those 11, although I'm sure I've missed someone obvious out.

Guys like Winky, JM Marquez, just finish outside those above imo. although maybe Winky deserves to make the top 10, not sure. Wins over Mosely and Trinidad are obviously huge.

[QUISQUEYA]

Interesting question.

Guys like Winky, JM Marquez, just finish outside those above imo. although maybe Winky deserves to make the top 10, not sure. Wins over Mosely and Trinidad are obviously huge.

Don't forget Winky's draw (win, IMO) vs. Taylor. Jermain has also been a top fighter in this decade, and only the Pavlik KO soils his record.

[ArawakWarria]

Interesting question.

Guys like Winky, JM Marquez, just finish outside those above imo. although maybe Winky deserves to make the top 10, not sure. Wins over Mosely and Trinidad are obviously huge.

Don't forget Winky's draw (win, IMO) vs. Taylor. Jermain has also been a top fighter in this decade, and only the Pavlik KO soils his record.

Q, You get one up and one down.

Winky is definietly one of the best, and the fact that his only two losses in this time (Vargas & Hopkins) were highly controversial. I will also say that Bernard Hopkins has either dominated his opponent or lost by a very close decision in all of his fights since 2000. He took on all comers below and above him.

Jermain Taylor Are you kidding me? Name someone of note that he fought at MWT without Hopkins or Pavlik... don't worry, I'll wait. He was pumped up by the fact that he was an Olympian and promoted by DiBella. Look at his opponents; Ouma, Spinks, Eduoard, Bunema and even Winky were all SuWelts, and out of that record, I would say he was 2-1-2. Just look at the recent Bute fight, and you will see what I mean about the quality of his wins... And I still say he lost one and drew one against Hopkins!

[Kev]

Interesting question.

Guys like Winky, JM Marquez, just finish outside those above imo. although maybe Winky deserves to make the top 10, not sure. Wins over Mosely and Trinidad are obviously huge.

Don't forget Winky's draw (win, IMO) vs. Taylor. Jermain has also been a top fighter in this decade, and only the Pavlik KO soils his record.

Q, You get one up and one down.

Winky is definietly one of the best, and the fact that his only two losses in this time (Vargas & Hopkins) were highly controversial. I will also say that Bernard Hopkins has either dominated his opponent or lost by a very close decision in all of his fights since 2000. He took on all comers below and above him.

Jermain Taylor Are you kidding me? Name someone of note that he fought at MWT without Hopkins or Pavlik... don't worry, I'll wait. He was pumped up by the fact that he was an Olympian and promoted by DiBella. Look at his opponents; Ouma, Spinks, Eduoard, Bunema and even Winky were all SuWelts, and out of that record, I would say he was 2-1-2. Just look at the recent Bute fight, and you will see what I mean about the quality of his wins... And I still say he lost one and drew one against Hopkins!

I agree Taylor is nowhere near the top 10 of the decade but I took the poster to mean that it was still a good result for Winky, which I agree it was.

Winky was very unlucky not to win that fight. Winky is borderline top 10 definitely, trouble is of the other 11 I mentioned I don't know who I'd drop to include him.

For the record guys like Cotto, Vazquez, Margarito, whilst being very good fighters don't make the top 10 either.

[ArawakWarria]

[quote=Bilbo;622688][quote=ArawakWarria;622663]

For the record guys like Cotto, Vazquez, Margarito, whilst being very good fighters don't make the top 10 either.

Please recognize that Cotto is definitely one of the best of this decade.
Margarito
Mosley
Zab
Quintana
Malignaggi
Branco
N'Dou
Corley
Bailey
Moussa
Cesar Bazan
Justin Juuko
and one loss among this entire group?

These were all fought this decade... and only the last two were NOT Championship fights. Give the man some credit.

[ArawakWarria]

Now for the actual numbers...

If you are going to rate the best of the decade, you definitely have to give credence to the undefeated's, especiallly if they were champions through that time.

1. Joe Calzaghe
2. Floyd Mayweather
3. Bernard Hopkins
4. Winky Wright
5. Manny Pacquiao
6. Juan Manuel Marquez
7. Shane Mosely
8. Miguel Cotto
9. Erik Morales
10. Antonio Margarito

*Like Hopkins, JMMarquez and Winky have never been beaten soundly in a fight. It has been too close to call, and then it went the other way or drew against top 5 opponents.
*Margarito made 10th because I believe he is in his prime and will do very well over the next year or two.

Honorable mention:
Lennox Lewis-who is still better than all of the HW's out here, but retired too soon to be ranked for the decade.

Ivan Calderon & Chris John-who are undefeated, but need the opposition to earn the rankings

Roy Jones, Jr-still one of the best who ever did it, he definitely has not been strong this decade with losses and few big name opponents. This Calzhaghe fight could literally wipe all of that away... Stay tuned.

[QUISQUEYA]

Now for the actual numbers...

If you are going to rate the best of the decade, you definitely have to give credence to the undefeated's, especiallly if they were champions through that time.

1. Joe Calzaghe
2. Floyd Mayweather
3. Bernard Hopkins
4. Winky Wright
5. Manny Pacquiao
6. Juan Manuel Marquez
7. Shane Mosely
8. Miguel Cotto
9. Erik Morales
10. Antonio Margarito

.

Arawak,

I find it, er, "curious" that you would belittle me saying that Jermain Taylor is 'a top fighter' and then you list Joe Calzaghe above Mayweather.

FMJ was on the p4p list for a decade, and at the #1 slot for four years. Has Joe ever been the Ring Mag p4p #1?

FMJ beat top fighters across FIVE different weight classes. Joe recently entered his second weight class, and few were impressed by that performance. Yes, I know. Nobody looks good vs. B-Hop. But still.

I'm going to need your help here: what has Calzaghe accomplished that Mayweather did not?

[QUISQUEYA]

Jermain Taylor Are you kidding me? Name someone of note that he fought at MWT without Hopkins or Pavlik... don't worry, I'll wait.

Five fights against the best middleweights in recent years. That is all that JT did.

2 BHop, 2 Pavlik, Winky.

KP stopped him, but JT didn't embarrass himself in that fight. He had Kelly down as well. Is JT top ten? Nah. Likely not. But he is "a top fighter" during the past decade. Without question.