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The great P4P debate
With Mayweather gone, just who is boxing's new number one?
Posted: 26th June 2008 10:43
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Naseem Hamed - used to blowing his own trumpet for so long - recently told me that Floyd would be remembered as the finest fighter to ever lace on the gloves.
Adam Smith
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I for one, think it will be sadder for our sport if we no longer witness the dazzling skills of Floyd Mayweather Jr who, as all boxing fans know, has seemingly retired.
He's threatened this before, but maybe this time he means it. Still, never say never when money, ego and politics are involved.
I was interested in Glenn McCrory's blog last week. Yes, Mayweather didn't always please the fans, referring to multi-million-dollar deals as 'slave contracts' and often showcasing his ability on the back foot. But if you can make serious money, and you don't need to fight 'toe-to-toe,' then isn't that just fine?
Like Glenn, I am very much in the Floyd Mayweather appreciation club. I thought he was simply breathtaking, from the first moment I saw him live in the semi-finals of the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. He was robbed blind, and that was the last time he was ever defeated. For anyone who was there, it should not have happened.
I have never been as impressed with any fighter in training as I was with Mayweather, and I was fortunate enough to see many sessions. He always gave us non-stop shows where frenetically hard work was mixed with entertainment and light fun.
Floyd first jumped rope at the age of three and his routine of skipping tricks is utterly bewildering.
In the ring, he was one of the greatest world super-featherweight champions who ever lived, and then went on to dominate and win world titles at lightweight, light-welterweight, welterweight and light-middleweight. In my view, he will be sorely missed.
Greatest
Naseem Hamed - used to blowing his own trumpet for so long - recently told me that Floyd would be remembered as the finest fighter to ever lace on the gloves. There will always be arguments about statements like that, but safe to say, Mayweather was definitely one of the best, and certainly the greatest of this generation.
With the retirement of virtually everyone's top pound-for-pound fighter, it seemed the perfect time to assess the leading contenders and champions out there. I will be doing this in two parts over the next two weeks.
Pound-for-pound is the term used to describe a boxer's value in relation to boxers of different weight classes.
This debate is so subjective as you will see from the lists below. But it's a bit of fun, so please join in and enter your own to do battle with the Sky Sports boxing team.
These are the thoughts of my closest colleagues who, for season after season have been doing so many of the brilliant features on these fighters. Many have been here for years and their knowledge is excellent.
But the big question is - do you agree with them?
| ED ROBINSON | DECLAN JOHNSON | CHARLES LAWRENCE | |
| 1 | Manny Pacquiao | Miguel Cotto | Manny Pacquiao |
| 2 | Joe Calzaghe | Manny Pacquiao | Miguel Cotto |
| 3 | Miguel Cotto | Joe Calzaghe | Joe Calzaghe |
| 4 | Kelly Pavlik | Juan Manuel Marquez | Israel Vazquez |
| 5 | Israel Vazquez | Kelly Pavlik | Kelly Pavlik |
| 6 | Chris John | Israel Vazquez | Paul Williams |
| 7 | Juan Manuel Marquez | Bernard Hopkins | David Haye |
| 8 | Ivan Calderon | Chris John | Jorge Linares |
| 9 | David Haye | Cristian Mijares | Chad Dawson |
| 10 | Rafael Marquez | Ivan Calderon | Ivan Calderon |
| BEN COMPTON | JON BELOFF | TIM HOBBS | |
| 1 | Manny Pacquiao | Manny Pacquiao | Manny Pacquiao |
| 2 | Kelly Pavlik | Miguel Cotto | Joe Calzaghe |
| 3 | Joe Calzaghe | Joe Calzaghe | Miguel Cotto |
| 4 | Miguel Cotto | Juan Manuel Marquez | Kelly Pavlik |
| 5 | Juan Manuel Marquez | Kelly Pavlik | Juan Manuel Marquez |
| 6 | David Haye | Bernard Hopkins | Israel Vazquez |
| 7 | Israel Vazquez | Israel Vazquez | Rafael Marquez |
| 8 | Joan Guzman | Rafael Marquez | Chris John |
| 9 | Bernard Hopkins | Winky Wright | David Haye |
| 10 | Ivan Calderon | Ivan Calderon | Wladimir Klitschko |
These fighters all certainly have a case to be involved, and I think most (but maybe not all) of the serious candidates have been mentioned.
Please write in this week with YOUR Top 10's. I will have a good look at them and next week, make my attempt!
Whatever we all choose, I'll tell you something - if Mayweather returns, he is straight back to the top of the charts. In fact I think he's long been in a league of his own.
Good luck - it's not as easy as it looks!
Send us YOUR pound-for-pound Top 10's by filling in the feedback form below...
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Comments
Sam Moore says...
1. Manny Pacquino 2. Joe Calzaghe 3. Miguel Cotto 4. Kelly Pavlik 5. Antonio Margarito 6. Bernard Hopkins 7. Chris John 8. Israel Vaquez 9. David Haye 10. Ricky Hatton
Posted 13:50 13th August 2008
Paul Reid says...
1- manny pacquiao 2- joe calzaghe 3- kelly pavlik 4- antonio margarito 5- miguel cotto 6- ricky hatton 7- davie haye 8-arthur abraham 9- shane mosley 10- juan manuel marquez There is a few close calls incl.. vasquez, calderon, kahn, jones jnr, winky wright and guzman
Posted 16:16 12th August 2008
Sikander Khan says...
1. paquiao 2.Margarito 3.cotto 4.juan manuel marques 5.pavlik 6.calzaghe 7.Israel Vazquez 8.hatton 9.Rafael Marquez 10.Joan Guzman
Posted 14:54 12th August 2008
Jack Verwey says...
first- calzaghe second- de la hoya third - manny fourth- haye fifth- roy jones jr. sixth- cotto seventh- mayweather eighth- vazquez ninth- barerra tenth- hopkins
Posted 23:47 11th August 2008
Kip James says...
1.Calzaghe 2. Pavlik 3. Juan manuel Marquez 4. Margarito 5. Cotto 6. Judah 7. Hatton 8. Pacquaio 9. Kessler 10. Rafael Marquez. Based it on a compromise of who can box the cleverest (not let opponent get into rhythm,land most) and who could dish out the k.o worthy punishment and therefore would be most able of travelling up or down any weight as well as dominating their natural weight.
Posted 16:51 11th August 2008
Jason Snowden says...
1. Pac Man 2. Antonio Margarito 3. Oscar De La Hoya 4. Joe Calzaghe 5. Kelly Pavlik 6. Miguel Cotto 7. David Haye 8. Roy Jones Jr 9. Juan Manuel Marquez 10. Juan Manuel Lopez
Posted 09:38 11th August 2008
Andrew Gorringe says...
what constitutes as p4p the worlds no-1,well 1st of all i respect that every 1 has their own oppinion and thats good,as 4 the way i view my p4p no-1,well i look at a fighter who when not in his prime manages to win his fights,when in times of trouble manages to get himself out of it,whether by heart,instinct,a boxing brain,or pure luck,he comes out triumphant,and when a boxer is in his prime,he takes on the best his weight division has to offer be for moving up and down weights,and taking fights in this new thing we call catch weights[money related oscar delahoya style fights],and my number 1 for the reasons ive stated above,has to be joe calzaghe,he has ticked each box and still at the age of 36 hes still unbeaten and looking as good today as he did when he first became world champion
Posted 22:29 8th August 2008
Sam Smith says...
1. Eric 'Butterbean' Esch no i'm just kiddin here is my real list. 1. Pacquaio 2. Pavlik 3. Haye 4. Calzaghe 5. Vazquez 6. Maragito 7. Cotto 8. Hatton 9. Abraham 10. John But all could change by the end of the year, personally on another night perphaps cotto could have beaten Maragito, Hatton should stick to Light-welter until his confidence returns, Abraham needs a good fight, Pavlik? Haye could be by 2009 depending on his heavyweight endeavour and John he really just needs to leave Asia and go to the US and could be as successful as Pacman, who has defeats rather than being wrapped in cotton wool
Posted 20:37 8th August 2008
Riaz Uddin says...
P4P: 1.Margarito, 2.Cotto, 3.Pacquio, 4.Calzaghe, 5.Hatton, 6.Pavlik, 7.Juan Manuel Marquez, 8.Bernard Hopkins, 9.Rafael Marquez, 10.Guzman
Posted 14:01 7th August 2008
Rob Homer says...
1 manny pacquiao 2 antonio margarito 3 joe calzaghe 4 miguel cotto 5kelly Pavlik 6 juan m marquez 7 joel casamayor 8Ricky Hatton 9 Vic Darchinian 10 Israel Vasquez
Posted 00:32 7th August 2008
Mark Newbridge says...
Can anyone just let me know how Joe Calzaghe is not ranked number 1 by anybody??? Remember that ZERO defeats in 45 outings is an incredible feat. Pacman has lost and surely cannot be considered in the same league as JC. We all know how Calzaghe can raise his game against the best in the World - anyone remember the Lacy fight? Joe would demolish Pavlik and indeed WILL if the report on the WBO website is true. If Calzaghe was English instead of Welsh, he would be the best boxer of all time - OFFICIAL
Posted 13:04 5th August 2008
Phillip Keegan says...
1.Miguel Cotto 2.Oscar De La Hoya 3.Roy Jones Jnr 4.Joe Calzaghe 5.Manny Pacquiao 6.Bernard Hopkins 7.Kelly Pavlik 8.Ricky Hatton 9.Juan Marquez 10.Antonio Margarito
Posted 21:00 4th August 2008
Kane Brookes says...
1.Pacman 2.Cotto 3.Pavlik 4. Calzaghe 5. Joan Guzman 6. Paul Williams 7. Juan Manuel Marquez 8. Juan Diaz 9. David Haye 10. Antonio Margarito. Just missing out Joel Casamayor, Nate Campbell, Abraham.
Posted 20:55 4th August 2008
Andre Johnson says...
1. Pacquiao 2. Calaghe 3. Pavlik 4. cotto 5. Marquez 6. Vazquez 7. John 8. Margarito 9.Haye 10. jones Jnr. If Floyd comes back it straight to number 1. Ricky flattened i mean Hatton just missed out.
Posted 16:51 4th August 2008
Simon Kearns says...
1. Pacquiao 2. Calzaghe 3. Pavlik 4. Cotto 5. Marquez 6. Hatton 7. Margarito 8. Haye 9. De la Hoya 10. Vasquez
Posted 16:48 4th August 2008
Adam Drewery says...
I wonder how many of yuo still have Cotto after his defeat, he looked bland, never came forward, decent defense and counter moves, but credit to margerito, never stopped!!
Posted 01:01 4th August 2008
Alan Worrell says...
1. Joe Calzaghe 2. Manny Pacquiao 3. Antonio Margarito 4. Miguel Cotto 5. Juan Marquez 6. Kelly Pavlik 7. Ricky Hatton 8. David Haye 9. Isreal Vaquez 10. Nate Campbell. Some may argue with myself putting Calzaghe top of the tree, but look at the facts, World Champion for 11 years, best in his weight class for 7 or 8 years and now a two weight world champion. Also feel that too many people have jumped on the "Hatton is finsihed" Bandwagon. Once again look at the facts, a four time two weight world champion and only lost too the best fighter of the current generation with the assistance of a bent Joe "Fair but Firm?????" Cortez. Alot of the others pisk themsleves. MAnny is fantastic, the fight last week between Cotto and Margarito is as good as any in living memory. Its just a shame because due to the lacklusture nature of the Heavyweight division I don't feel that David Haye will ever get the credit he deserves when he becomes undisputed champion in two weights.
Posted 11:09 3rd August 2008
Kevin Briggs says...
i carnt believe antonio margarito is not on anybody's list. even befor the cotto bout, yeah he has lost 5 fights but 3came beore he was 20 and he turned pro at 15. another was on cuts and the other was a close decision to paul williams
Posted 22:01 2nd August 2008
Martin Jones says...
1 - Pacquiao 2 - Juan Manuel Marquez 3 - Antonio Margarito 4 - Joe Calzaghe 5 - Oscar De La Hoya 6 - Kelly Pavlik 7 - Ruslan Chagev (when not injured) 8 - Jermaine Taylor 9 - Nate Campbell 10 - Joel Casssamayor
Posted 21:21 2nd August 2008
Chris Dowling says...
Ricky Hatton is far from finished, Lazcano is a very good durable fighter. There is still more to come from the hitman. The Pacman vs The Hitman has the potential to be one of the greatest ring wars of all time. 1. Manny Pacquiao 2. Joe Calzaghe 3. Ricky Hatton 4. Miguel Cotto 5. Israel Vazquez 6. Kelly Pavlik 7. J M Marquez 8. Antonio Margarito 9. Juan Diaz 10. David Haye.
Posted 14:29 2nd August 2008
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