p4p, what is your definition?

[Beanflicker]

I hate when people say p4p is meaningless, it's a stupid concept, ect ect.

P4P is the best guy(s) in the sport, regardless of weight class. That should be determined not only by pure skill, but by accomplishment and DOMINANCE. When the viewing public can agree on a consensus top 5, I think that's a very prestigous title to have. To be considered a top p4p fighter by the boxing world is better than all the alphabet soup titles you could possibly win. You transcend belts; you are boxing's ELITE.

Obviously the heavyweight champion is the king of boxing: they make smaller weightclasses to protect smaller guys from bigger guys, so obvious Wlad is the king. The HW champ is the undisputed baddest man on the planet.

P4P is to take away the handicap of size and to judge a fighter based purely on his merit.

And that's not to say a HW can't be a p4p top fighter: Wlad belongs in any top 10 list at least, because he's been as or more dominant in his division than most guys in any other division.

[greynotsoold]

I think that the term is made up and irrelevant from the get. It was made up as a marketing tool to promote Ray Robinson. In this day and age it is meaningless because skill has taken a very very back seat to the ability to manipulate dehydration/rehydration limits to create advantages. Physical advantage has replaced skill.
For what it is worth, I rate Benny Leonard well above Ray robinson as the best, 'pound for pound', because Robinson was a 6 foot tall lightweight,welter, and middle, when the heavy weight champ was barely over 6' tall. In other words, his 'incredible skill' was very much aided by physical advantage. Benny Leonard had no physical edge. he was the most skilled fighter of all time.

[Beanflicker]

I think that the term is made up and irrelevant from the get. It was made up as a marketing tool to promote Ray Robinson. In this day and age it is meaningless because skill has taken a very very back seat to the ability to manipulate dehydration/rehydration limits to create advantages. Physical advantage has replaced skill.

The p4p #1 has been fighting guys much larger than him for the past few years.

[p4pking]

For sure, Pacquiao was to and that's why they are/were so easy to label that way.

The trouble is that ability and achievements actually have nothing to do with each other, there is no common denominator between them. When you combine the two in ranking fighters it is inherently just speculation, then add the fact that men fight differently to suit their natural size/frame and it's left without merit. Is Wladimir Klitschko better than Juan Estrada, or Rigondeaux? It's a ridiculous thing to ask.

[TitoFan]

How else to compare fighters from different divisions? Just 'cause it's a difficult concept to grasp for some, it doesn't mean it has no merit. You take fighters from different weight categories, and you boil them down to a few common denominators. Dominance in their weight... quality of opponent... ring generalship... power... chin... heart... fan-friendly style... etc. And no, you can't just imagine a 220-pound Mayweather with all his speed and agility in order to compare him with Wlad or any other heavyweight. It doesn't work that way. A heavyweight will rarely, if ever, match a lightweight in hand speed. Physics. We'll always want to compare, so until someone comes up with a better concept than p4p, that's good enough for me.

[p4pking]

[Silkeyjoe]

Its pretty pointless really. Floyd has been most peoples P4P#1 for a long time. But has what he has done been any more impressive then either of the Klits who have beaten everyone in their divs while floyd hasnt really fought the best.

[imp]

P4P is not real but i feel we need it.

I think if you ask what makes a floyd mayweather or anderson silva a p4p of their respected sports then you would get alot of varied positive answers.

Its not a real thing but its a great sign of respect to give soneone that tag who is so much better than everyone else.