Manny Pacquiao: back on top as the unanimous number 1 P4P fighter in the world

Boxing Examiner | Eric Sloan
The pound-for-pound (P4P) landscape is moving a bit, but the trend remains with a significant number of fighters occupying an unjustified ranking or receiving too much credit for what they have accomplished in the past. Regardless, here is what November 2009 looks like:

Number 10. Rafael Marquez, Ivan Calderon, and Nonito Donaire (tie). Marquez and Calderon have been P4P staples in 2009; however, their stock is beginning to slide a bit. Donaire on the other hand finally made his first appearance this month, and a very good argument could be made that he should be ranked much higher than the last position.

Number 9. Chad Dawson. Dawson brings his undefeated record to Glen Johnson on November 7th for the second meeting between the two. 2010 should be an interesting year for Dawson in light of the fact that Bernard Hopkins publically declared to face the winner of Dawson-Johnson. More interesting though is that rumors are swirling that Dawson might be the guy who replaces Jermain Taylor in the World Boxing Classic if Bad Intentions pulls out. The SHOWTIME gig is a tough one to pull off, but Dawson or Allan Green? Exactly.

Number 8. Israel Vazquez. Vazquez is as tough as they come and deserves to be on every P4P list for as long as he is fighting. He may have a bit of ring rust from his extensive medical absence, but he will be back in top form soon and Vazquez-Marquez IV is unavoidable.

Number 7. Paul Williams. The Punisher would rank higher if The Ring would wake up. The Bible of Boxing does not have Paul ranked at all but Yahoo Sports has him at the number 3 position. Williams will face Sergio Martinez on December 5th and will hopefully still get his shot against Kelly Pavlik in 2010.

Number 6. Miguel Cotto. The outcome of Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao on November 14th will either cause Miguel's P4P stock to rise substantially or drop faster than a Brian Perez cannonball. Regardless, Miguel's P4P ranking is still being pushed down from his loss to Antonio Margarito. It doesn't seem to matter that he defeated the guy at number 3 and the fighter at number 2 has avoided him.

Number 5. Juan Manuel Marquez. Sure the guy was number 2 for most of the time that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. was playing shuffleboard. He lost the Mayweather comeback fight though for no other reason than Marquez is not a welterweight. He took more on than his physical size could deliver. Go back to lightweight, fight Edwin Valero, and retire.

Number 4. Bernard Hopkins. B-Hop dropped a spot this month for probably two reasons. First, he hasn't fought since October 2008. Second, his next fight is against Enrique Ornelas on December 2nd. Who? The stark reality is that Hopkins was a contemporary P4P great, but his best days are behind him. Sure he schooled the overrated Kelly Pavlik, but he was defeated by Joe Calzaghe. He also lost twice to Jermain Taylor. Hopkins' win over Winky Wright (July 2007) and Antonio Tarver (June 2006) have absolutely no relevance in November 2009. Defeat Chad Dawson and then we'll discuss further.

Number 3. Shane Mosley. Yes, the guy beat the snot out of Antonio Margarito. He also lost to the guy at number 6 and refuses to fight the guy at number 7. He wants Pacquiao and he wants Mayweather. Who doesn't? The bottom line is that Sugar Shane has been inactive since January and there is no reason for him to be ranked above any other welterweight on P4P basis. He will face Andre Berto in January 2010, which hopefully won't be his only fight of 2010.

Number 2. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Take almost two years off and then come back to fight a guy who is two weight divisions below you. Don't fight Miguel Cotto. Don't fight Paul Williams. Don't fight Shane Mosley. Tell us that money may be the reason that you won't face Manny Pacquiao. Who is left? Without question, Floyd, Jr. is a talented fighter and would likely be the favorite in any fight at 147lbs. At some point, however, he has to put legacy over money and take the tough fights like Sugar Ray Leonard did. Until then, Mayweather has not shown us why he deserves to be P4P ranked at all let alone the unanimous number 2 fighter in the world.

Number 1. Manny Pacquiao. It is nice to see that Yahoo Sports reversed its vote from last month to get Manny back as the unanimous number 1. Whether Pacquiao can hold the position for the remainder of 2009, however, remains to be seen. He has a tough test on November 14th that will either prove that Manny is one of the best fighters of the modern era or has finally reached the point where physical attributes trump speed and skill.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-8370-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m11d4-Manny-Pacquiao-back-on-top-as-the-unanimous-number-1-P4P-fighter-in-the-world