by: Dennis "dSource" Guillermo
Good day fight fans! After a few months of being out of commission, my mythical Pound-for-Pound boxing rankings is back to pay tribute to 2009's best fighters.
So without further ado, here's my year-ender Boxing Top 10 Pound-for-Pound best.
1. Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao
(50-3-2-37 KOs)
2009 Fights: May 2, 2009 KO victory over Ricky Hatton in 2 rounds for the linear jr. welterweight crown. November 14, 2009 12th round TKO victory over Miguel Cotto for WBO welterweight belt.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW AMAZING AP PHOTOS OF PACQUIAO'S DESTRUCTION OF MIGUEL COTTO >> (CLICK LINK)
Manny Pacquiao heads the list for obvious reasons. Pacquiao took the road less traveled coming from obscurity in the Philippines and working his way up and making a name for himself by defeating the best fighters he can find. He made the former linear 140 lb. champion Ricky Hatton, who was also undefeated in that weight class, look like a sparring partner. The victory solidified Pacquiao's claim as the best in the business and eliminated Hatton from any consideration of Top Pound-4-Pound billing.
What's Next? 2 words: Floyd Mayweather Jr.- well make that 3 words.
Shane Mosley (AP Photo)
2. Shane Mosley
(46-5-0-39 KOs)
2009 Fight/s: 9th round TKO victory over Antonio Margarito last January.
Some people might be wondering why I consider "Sugar" Shane Mosley my number two instead of Floyd Mayweather Jr. I am aware of The Ring rankings and these other websites' but my rating system is simply based on my logic. Mosley and Mayweather are both welterweights. Who did Mosley beat last? Who did Floyd beat last? Obviously, Mosley's emphatic victory over Antonio Margarito is more impressive than Floyd's win over the smaller Marquez.
Mosley is still showing people why he was once considered as the best fighter in the sport. The ageless Mosley has been written-off time and time again but was brilliant against Antonio Margarito last January. Against another Pound-4-Pound mainstay in Miguel Cotto prior to that, Mosley also stood toe-to-toe losing a close decision to the younger Puerto Rican. Some people say Mosley should've won the fight, regardless though, Mosley is still one of the best in the business.
What's Next? Mosley is scheduled to fight Andre Berto on January 30 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
3. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
(40-0-0-25 KOs)
2009 Fight/s: Unanimous decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19. The fight was at a catch-weight of 144 pounds. Mayweather was 3 pounds overweight and paid a penalty.
CHECK OUT FLOYD'S DOMINATING PERFORMANCE OVER JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ LAST SEPT. (CLICK LINK)
Love him or hate him, Floyd is indeed a great fighter. He showed flashes of his brilliance against Juan Manuel Marquez. As a fight fan though, I want to see Floyd's true greatness be tested against top flight competition the way Manny Pacquiao has all throughout his career. Even Mosley can dominate a smaller guy like Marquez or Pacquiao destroy an overpowered smaller foe like an Ivan Calderon. Until Floyd proves himself against bigger competition or the best in his weight class, he's going to have to settle on taking a backseat to those that actually do just that.
What's Next? Everyone is talking about a clash with Pound for Pound king Manny Pacquiao in March. Keep your fingers crossed because that truly will be the fight of the decade.
4. Bernard Hopkins
(50-5-1- 32 KOs)
2009 Fight/s: Unanimous decision victory over Enrique Ornelias last week in Philly.
Like fine wine, Hopkins seem to just get better with age. Unfortunately for his longtime nemesis Roy Jones Jr. the same thing can't be said about him. In what was supposed to be tune-up fights to build up their rematch for the ages, or should I say the "aged", Hopkins dominated and punished Ornelias into submission. Jones on the other hand was knocked out in the first round in Australia by Danny Green, all but squashing any possibility for their once upon a time dream rematch to happen. I wonder how much left "The Executioner" will continue to go on without any real bid superstars to give him a mega fight.
What's next? AARP. Kidding aside, who knows really? Hopkins has nothing left to prove.
5. Juan Manuel Marquez
(50-5-1-37 KOs)
2009 Fight/s: Lost a one-sided affair to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September. Defeated Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz last Feb. by TKO.
I commend Marquez for his gutsy showing against Mayweather. He deserves respect for not giving up. He could've walked away from the fight after Mayweather did not honor the 144 catch-weight. A lot of people put Marquez on top of their lists of the Pound-4-Pound best in merit of his excellent performances against Pacquiao. I think it's unfair for the Dinamita to be a side note to Pacquiao every time people talk about how good he is. Marquez is really an elite boxer in his own right. He's a master tactician in the ring together with his trainer Nacho Beristain.
What's Next? A bounce back fight against somebody his own size would be nice. Ricky Hatton's name has been floating around. Amir Khan is another option.
6. Paul "The Punisher" Williams - (38-1-0-27 KOs)
Most recent fight: Won a majority decision against Sergio Martinez in an epic battle last week. Won via decision against one of the craftiest boxers of the decade in Winky Wright last April.
Last week, Williams was in a war against Martinez. Somehow he still came out on top. Forget that judge Pierre Benoist scoring the bout 119-110 for Williams, because that probably was one of the hardest fights to score in recent memory. "The Punisher" is one of the most avoided boxers in the game today. He can fight anywhere from 147 to 160. It's quite amazing how some people have not given Williams the respect he deserves. His lone loss came against Carlos Quintana which he quickly avenged via 1st round TKO victory. Williams is tall and has tremendous reach advantage against pretty much anyone he faces in his division but packs the power and the offensive prowess to take advantage of his length. The scary thing is he only keeps getting better. No wonder people avoid him.
What's Next? Kelly Pavlik (if he won't back out again) is a possibility. That will be a great fight and should further solidify Punisher Paul as one of the sport's best.
7. Nonito Donaire Jr.
(22-1-0-14 KOs)
2009 Fight/s: Defeated Rafael Concepcion by unanimous decision last August. TKO victory over Raul Martinez in April.
"The Filipino Flash" is proving to be a great fighter by himself and is slowly stepping out of countryman Manny Pacquiao's shadow. Donaire Jr. can do it all inside the ring and has pop in his punches as well. Donaire is a boxing historian's dream fighter. He almost has no flaws. He's a very technically superb fighter, quick and punches hard. Perhaps that's also a reason why he is being avoided by the big names in his division.
What's Next? Scheduled to fight on Feb. 13 at the Las Vegas Hilton vs. Gerson Guerrero. A rematch with Darchinyan is also being considered.
8. Arthur Abraham
(31-0-0 25KOs)
2009 Fights: Destroyed Jermaine Taylor in 12th round KO last October. 10th round TKO victory against Mahir Oral in June. UD victory over Lajuan Simon in March.
Abraham proved that he is not just a European sensation when he demolished Jermaine Taylor at the Super Six tournament. Previous to that, his lone victory in the US was against Edison Miranda in 08 whom he TKOed in 4 rounds. Abraham is the real deal.
What's Next? Hopes to continue his momentum at the Super Six tournament against Andre Dirrell in March.
9. Vitali Klitschko
(38-2-0 37 KOs)
2009 Fight/s: TKO victory over Chris Arreola last September. TKO victory over Juan Carlos Gomez in March.
SEE HOW VITALI SYSTEMATICALLY DISMANTLED ARREOLA BACK IN SEPTEMBER >> (CLICK LINK)
After an impressive comeback victory over Samuel Peter in 2008 to capture the WBC heavyweight crown, the older Klitschko followed it up with two impressive victories over top heavyweight Juan Carlos Gomez and highly-touted Chris Arreola.
What's Next? Vitali is actually fighting Kevin Johnson tonight in Switzerland. A victory tonight puts him in Fighter of the Year contention. (But we all know who that award will go to right?)
10. Chad Dawson
(29-0-0-17KOs)
2009 Fights: UD victory in rematch against Glen Johnson last November. UD victory in rematch against Antonio Tarver in May.
Bad Chad is extremely skilled and technically sound and despite not having the explosive and exciting style like a Manny Pacquiao, his worth is undeniable as one of the sport's best.
What's Next? No scheduled fight yet. Bernard Hopkins needs a new dance partner though and with HBO investing a lot of money on Dawson, a date with "The Executioner" could be his coming out party.
Props & Honorable Mention: Wladimir Klitschko, Andre Ward, Juan Manuel Lopez, Israel Vasquez, Rafael Marquez, Hozumi Hazegawa, Tomasz Adamek, Chris John and Celestino Caballero.
Good day fight fans! After a few months of being out of commission, my mythical Pound-for-Pound boxing rankings is back to pay tribute to 2009's best fighters.
So without further ado, here's my year-ender Boxing Top 10 Pound-for-Pound best.
1. Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao
(50-3-2-37 KOs)
2009 Fights: May 2, 2009 KO victory over Ricky Hatton in 2 rounds for the linear jr. welterweight crown. November 14, 2009 12th round TKO victory over Miguel Cotto for WBO welterweight belt.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW AMAZING AP PHOTOS OF PACQUIAO'S DESTRUCTION OF MIGUEL COTTO >> (CLICK LINK)
Manny Pacquiao heads the list for obvious reasons. Pacquiao took the road less traveled coming from obscurity in the Philippines and working his way up and making a name for himself by defeating the best fighters he can find. He made the former linear 140 lb. champion Ricky Hatton, who was also undefeated in that weight class, look like a sparring partner. The victory solidified Pacquiao's claim as the best in the business and eliminated Hatton from any consideration of Top Pound-4-Pound billing.
What's Next? 2 words: Floyd Mayweather Jr.- well make that 3 words.
Shane Mosley (AP Photo)
2. Shane Mosley
(46-5-0-39 KOs)
2009 Fight/s: 9th round TKO victory over Antonio Margarito last January.
Some people might be wondering why I consider "Sugar" Shane Mosley my number two instead of Floyd Mayweather Jr. I am aware of The Ring rankings and these other websites' but my rating system is simply based on my logic. Mosley and Mayweather are both welterweights. Who did Mosley beat last? Who did Floyd beat last? Obviously, Mosley's emphatic victory over Antonio Margarito is more impressive than Floyd's win over the smaller Marquez.
Mosley is still showing people why he was once considered as the best fighter in the sport. The ageless Mosley has been written-off time and time again but was brilliant against Antonio Margarito last January. Against another Pound-4-Pound mainstay in Miguel Cotto prior to that, Mosley also stood toe-to-toe losing a close decision to the younger Puerto Rican. Some people say Mosley should've won the fight, regardless though, Mosley is still one of the best in the business.
What's Next? Mosley is scheduled to fight Andre Berto on January 30 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
3. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
(40-0-0-25 KOs)
2009 Fight/s: Unanimous decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19. The fight was at a catch-weight of 144 pounds. Mayweather was 3 pounds overweight and paid a penalty.
CHECK OUT FLOYD'S DOMINATING PERFORMANCE OVER JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ LAST SEPT. (CLICK LINK)
Love him or hate him, Floyd is indeed a great fighter. He showed flashes of his brilliance against Juan Manuel Marquez. As a fight fan though, I want to see Floyd's true greatness be tested against top flight competition the way Manny Pacquiao has all throughout his career. Even Mosley can dominate a smaller guy like Marquez or Pacquiao destroy an overpowered smaller foe like an Ivan Calderon. Until Floyd proves himself against bigger competition or the best in his weight class, he's going to have to settle on taking a backseat to those that actually do just that.
What's Next? Everyone is talking about a clash with Pound for Pound king Manny Pacquiao in March. Keep your fingers crossed because that truly will be the fight of the decade.
4. Bernard Hopkins
(50-5-1- 32 KOs)
2009 Fight/s: Unanimous decision victory over Enrique Ornelias last week in Philly.
Like fine wine, Hopkins seem to just get better with age. Unfortunately for his longtime nemesis Roy Jones Jr. the same thing can't be said about him. In what was supposed to be tune-up fights to build up their rematch for the ages, or should I say the "aged", Hopkins dominated and punished Ornelias into submission. Jones on the other hand was knocked out in the first round in Australia by Danny Green, all but squashing any possibility for their once upon a time dream rematch to happen. I wonder how much left "The Executioner" will continue to go on without any real bid superstars to give him a mega fight.
What's next? AARP. Kidding aside, who knows really? Hopkins has nothing left to prove.
5. Juan Manuel Marquez
(50-5-1-37 KOs)
2009 Fight/s: Lost a one-sided affair to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September. Defeated Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz last Feb. by TKO.
I commend Marquez for his gutsy showing against Mayweather. He deserves respect for not giving up. He could've walked away from the fight after Mayweather did not honor the 144 catch-weight. A lot of people put Marquez on top of their lists of the Pound-4-Pound best in merit of his excellent performances against Pacquiao. I think it's unfair for the Dinamita to be a side note to Pacquiao every time people talk about how good he is. Marquez is really an elite boxer in his own right. He's a master tactician in the ring together with his trainer Nacho Beristain.
What's Next? A bounce back fight against somebody his own size would be nice. Ricky Hatton's name has been floating around. Amir Khan is another option.
6. Paul "The Punisher" Williams - (38-1-0-27 KOs)
Most recent fight: Won a majority decision against Sergio Martinez in an epic battle last week. Won via decision against one of the craftiest boxers of the decade in Winky Wright last April.
Last week, Williams was in a war against Martinez. Somehow he still came out on top. Forget that judge Pierre Benoist scoring the bout 119-110 for Williams, because that probably was one of the hardest fights to score in recent memory. "The Punisher" is one of the most avoided boxers in the game today. He can fight anywhere from 147 to 160. It's quite amazing how some people have not given Williams the respect he deserves. His lone loss came against Carlos Quintana which he quickly avenged via 1st round TKO victory. Williams is tall and has tremendous reach advantage against pretty much anyone he faces in his division but packs the power and the offensive prowess to take advantage of his length. The scary thing is he only keeps getting better. No wonder people avoid him.
What's Next? Kelly Pavlik (if he won't back out again) is a possibility. That will be a great fight and should further solidify Punisher Paul as one of the sport's best.
7. Nonito Donaire Jr.
(22-1-0-14 KOs)
2009 Fight/s: Defeated Rafael Concepcion by unanimous decision last August. TKO victory over Raul Martinez in April.
"The Filipino Flash" is proving to be a great fighter by himself and is slowly stepping out of countryman Manny Pacquiao's shadow. Donaire Jr. can do it all inside the ring and has pop in his punches as well. Donaire is a boxing historian's dream fighter. He almost has no flaws. He's a very technically superb fighter, quick and punches hard. Perhaps that's also a reason why he is being avoided by the big names in his division.
What's Next? Scheduled to fight on Feb. 13 at the Las Vegas Hilton vs. Gerson Guerrero. A rematch with Darchinyan is also being considered.
8. Arthur Abraham
(31-0-0 25KOs)
2009 Fights: Destroyed Jermaine Taylor in 12th round KO last October. 10th round TKO victory against Mahir Oral in June. UD victory over Lajuan Simon in March.
Abraham proved that he is not just a European sensation when he demolished Jermaine Taylor at the Super Six tournament. Previous to that, his lone victory in the US was against Edison Miranda in 08 whom he TKOed in 4 rounds. Abraham is the real deal.
What's Next? Hopes to continue his momentum at the Super Six tournament against Andre Dirrell in March.
9. Vitali Klitschko
(38-2-0 37 KOs)
2009 Fight/s: TKO victory over Chris Arreola last September. TKO victory over Juan Carlos Gomez in March.
SEE HOW VITALI SYSTEMATICALLY DISMANTLED ARREOLA BACK IN SEPTEMBER >> (CLICK LINK)
After an impressive comeback victory over Samuel Peter in 2008 to capture the WBC heavyweight crown, the older Klitschko followed it up with two impressive victories over top heavyweight Juan Carlos Gomez and highly-touted Chris Arreola.
What's Next? Vitali is actually fighting Kevin Johnson tonight in Switzerland. A victory tonight puts him in Fighter of the Year contention. (But we all know who that award will go to right?)
10. Chad Dawson
(29-0-0-17KOs)
2009 Fights: UD victory in rematch against Glen Johnson last November. UD victory in rematch against Antonio Tarver in May.
Bad Chad is extremely skilled and technically sound and despite not having the explosive and exciting style like a Manny Pacquiao, his worth is undeniable as one of the sport's best.
What's Next? No scheduled fight yet. Bernard Hopkins needs a new dance partner though and with HBO investing a lot of money on Dawson, a date with "The Executioner" could be his coming out party.
Props & Honorable Mention: Wladimir Klitschko, Andre Ward, Juan Manuel Lopez, Israel Vasquez, Rafael Marquez, Hozumi Hazegawa, Tomasz Adamek, Chris John and Celestino Caballero.
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