Pound-for-pound: here is the top 10 we have picked to start the season

Protect yourselves at all times... our pound-for-pound top 10 is back!

Yes, the top 10 across the globe is here which means debate and disagreement galore, so take a scroll down and see if it matches up with your list.

It is of course purely subjective and as you read through, you will rarely find a right but of course, plenty wrongs in your opinion! And this top 10 is one person's and one person's only...

Enjoy!

#1 FLOYD MAYWEATHER

NICKNAME: Money
AGE: 37
RECORD: 46-0 (KO26)
HOLDS: WBC & WBA Super-World welterweigh titles
LAST: bt Marcos Maidana 12 MD, May 3, MGM Grand, Las Vegas
NEXT: Marcos Maidana, Sep 13, MGM Grand, Las Vegas
TWITTER: @FloydMayweather - 5.27M followers

Mayweather is still unbeaten, still the biggest box office draw but.... is he on the slide? Well, Marcos Maidana gave him the toughest time we've seen for a long, long time, even if two of the three judges didn't agree! To give him credit - which is something he rarely gets - Mayweather is of course giving him the rematch. Maybe the penny (or the millions of dollars) has finally dropped and Money wants to put on a proper show, where fans will see him on the offensive, taking a chance or two, against a guy on the way up. He is the best around, which is why we all stand in judgement...

#2 ANDRE WARD

NICKNAME: S.O.G
AGE: 30
RECORD: 27-0 (KO 14)
HOLDS: WBA Super super-middleweight title
LAST FIGHT: bt Edwin Rodriguez 12 UD, Nov 16, Ontario, California
NEXT FIGHT: Who knows? Promotional issues are to blame
TWITTER: @andreward - 179k followers

If this was making pounds-for-pounds in terms of entertainment, then Ward would be nowhere near the top 10, never mind the top. But love him or lie back and watch him win again, he is good. Very good. A stifling, slow but sure approach just schools the challenger and eventually shuts the fight down. Knockouts are not his game but sooner rather than later, he needs to play the entertaining game and realise that belts are no longer enough to sell-out the top venues. Carl Froch is the No 1 super-middleweight ticket seller - and he could beat Ward to Vegas, too.

 #3 MANNY PACQUIAO

NICKNAME: Pac-Man
AGE: 35
RECORD: 56-5-2 (KO 38)
HOLDS: WBO welterweight title
LAST FIGHT: bt Timothy Bradley 12 UD, MGM Grand, Las Vegas
NEXT FIGHT: Chris Algieri, Nov 22, Macao, China
TWITTER: @MannyPacquiao - 1.36M followers 

Should Pac-Man still be around... fighting at the top level, never mind in these rankings? Well, yes, if only to throw bounce-Pac-ability in there? Those two defeats in 2012 looked to be the end of the line but Brandon Rios and in particular, the revenge win over Timothy Bradley keep him firmly in the mix. Has the politics and showbiz taken a back seat because Manny can't have long left in the game, but is not going out without a bang. Will China be the final stop? You can never be sure, but while he's still here, we will all be watching...

#4 GENNADY GOLOVKIN

NICKNAME: GGG
AGE: 32
RECORD: 30-0 (KO 27)
HOLDS: WBA Super World middleweight title
LAST FIGHT:  bt Daniel Geale TKO 3,  Madison Square Garden, NY
NEXT FIGHT: Marco Antonio Rubio, Oct 18, Carson, California
TWITTER: @GGGBoxing - 50.9K followers

Is he going to be a GGGreat? It looks like it although the one thing he needs is what we consider a threat, a tough opponent who will put him to the test. We didn't really think that would be Daniel Geale but we didn't think he would batter him in three either, did we? Clubbing hard is one thing, controlling the ring, picking the right punch and being able to take a shot or two, suggest he has what it takes. And above all, he gets it, too. He called out Miguel Cotto and he looks ready to take over Madison Square Garden. He is intriguing to say the least.

#5 WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO

NICKNAME:  Dr Steelhammer
AGE: 38
RECORD: 62-3 (KO 52) 
HOLDS: IBF, WBO & WBA Super-World heavyweight titles
LAST: Alex Leapai TKO 5, April 26, Oberhausen, Ger
NEXT: Kubrat Pulev, Nov 15, Hamburg. Re-arranged
TWITTER: @Klitschko - 160K followers

He’s still ruling the world even if brother Vitali has stepped down. The heavyweight division has tried but as yet, have not come close and even age is not threatening his dominance. You can argue his opponents aren't the best, but well, they are all that is left to give it a go. Alexander Povetkin was supposed to be the one who had a chance and although Wladimir did not blow him away, he did rough him up and dominate. He still sells out huge stadiums in Europe, is still a big name in the world of sport and has a famous fiancée, of course! 

#6 GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX

NICKNAME: El Chacal (The Jackal)
AGE: 33
RECORD: 14-0 (KO 9)
HOLDS: WBA & WBO super bantamweight titles 
LAST FIGHT: Sod Kokietgym, KO 1, July 19, Macao, China
NEXT FIGHT: He is far from busy - so before the end of the year?
TWITTER: @RigoElChacal305 - 16.94K followers

Olympic, World, Pan-Am and National success as one of the most decorated and rated amateurs the sport has seen, but does that play a part in the paid pound-for-pound? Well in terms of the technique and ability he has honed, then yes. In terms of entertainment value and experience, no. He will be one of your love-or-loathers on here but at least he has not ducked anyone and when he did finally pull a KO out of the bag, even that came with controversy. His skills pay the bills but his feats do not put bums on seats. For now?

#7 NONITO DONAIRE

NICKNAME: The Filipino Flash
AGE: 31
RECORD: 33-2 (KO 21) 
HOLDS: WBA super world featherweight title 
LAST FIGHT: bt Simpiwe Vetyeka TD 5, Macao, China
NEXT FIGHT: Unbeaten Nicholas Walters, Oct 18, Carson, California
TWITTER: @flilipinoflash - 223K followers

Things haven’t gone that well of late for the Filipino Flash but he is still up there with the very best. At a mere 5′ 5½″ he has already won world titles at four different weights and you wouldn't put it past him making it at least five. Or will his size and a Rigondeaux return hold him back? He says the eye that caused the technical decision win over Simpiwe Vetyeka is on the mend, so whatever happens you know what we will get. The attack comes in hard and low and then the left arrives sooner or later and with such a high KO tally for the smaller divisions, he is a rarity. His timing and power would do damage further up the ladder!

#8 CARL FROCH

NICKNAME: The Cobra
AGE: 37
RECORD: 33-2 (KO 24)
HOLDS: WBA and IBF super middleweight titles.
LAST FIGHT: bt George Groves, TKO 9, May 31, Wembley Stadium
NEXT FIGHT: This winter, surely. After his latest television show...
TWITTER: @Carl_Froch - 450K followers

He may be taking a Tumble on the TV but it will not keep him down - as we all know. Yes he is in the twilight of his career but a look back at the list of big names, brutal fights and brilliant performances put him right up there. His technique has always been flawed so you might wonder how he beats some of the names on the list if their weights were matched. But then again, think who would beat him like Ward. Pascal, Taylor, Dirrell, Abraham, Johnson and Groves all tried and failed and while Kessler did, Froch was never going to let him do it again. A true warrior who never gets dull. 

#9 TIMOTHY BRADLEY

NICKNAME: Desert Storm
AGE: 31
RECORD: 31-1 (KO 12) 
HOLDS: -
LAST FIGHT: lost Manny Pacquiao 12 UD, December 4, MGM Grand, Las Vegas
NEXT FIGHT: Wants to fight in December after a calf problem
TWITTER: @Timbradleyjr - 61.3K followers

They say the 0 has got to go, so does that shunt you out of the top 10 on the back of it? Well not when you were beaten in a rematch by one of the long-standing P4P stars. Bradley's ability speaks for itself and injury problems have been mentioned on the back of the Pacquiao loss. There are no frills and spills from him outside the ring and he pretty much does what he says on the tin. The army discipline has played a huge part in getting him this far, but let's see if he can come again. At the age of 31...

#10 BERNARD HOPKINS

NICKNAME: The Executioner
AGE: 49
RECORD: 55-6-2 (KO 32)
HOLDS: IBF light heavyweight title
LAST FIGHT: bt Beibut Shumenov 12 SD, Apr 19, Washington  
NEXT FIGHT: Sergey Kovalev, Nov 8, Atlantic City. Who else?    
TWITTER: @THEREALBHOP - 114K followers 

There is a new era on its way but there has to be an old guard watching the gate, from left-field as usual, The Executioner. Ok, he has not stopped anyone for SEVEN years and 15 fights but of course, this man is almost half-a-century old and he is still taking on the best - and beating them. Yes in terms of box office he is at the bottom of the pile but he knows how to read a fight, he knows how to work out the opposition and he clearly knows how to get in their heads! Injuries, draws, no contests, unpaid sanctioning fees and the rest mean there will always be a story and a talking point. For once, his talent and longevity speak for themselves and would you confidently back anyone on this list to beat him?

If you agree or disagree or want to share your own top 10 then use the feedback section below, or via Twitter @SkySportsBoxing #SkyP4P