bleSs
03-15-2009, 02:40 AM
1 http://espn.go.com/photo/2007/0911/box_ap_pacquiao_65.jpg
Manny Pacquiao
Junior welterweight
Age: 30 | Record: 48-3-2, 36 KOs
Hits: When the Pacman fights, the boxing world watches. He's one of the sport's biggest stars, he fights top-notch opponents, and every time he gets into the ring it's entertaining as hell. His next fight -- a serious challenge to junior welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton on May 2, in the year's biggest fight so far -- is no different. A victory over Hatton will put Pacquiao in rarified air, giving him a title in his sixth division -- including an unheard-of fourth lineal title.
Misses: Although you can't argue with Pacquiao's decision to face Oscar De La Hoya in December or Hatton in May, the fact that he never mentions a third fight against Juan Manuel Marquez as a possibility is unfortunate.
2 http://espn.go.com/photo/2007/1104/box_marquez_65.jpg
Juan Manuel Marquez
Lightweight champion
Age: 35 | Record: 50-4-1, 37 KOs
Hits: Marquez's ninth-round knockout of Juan Diaz on Feb. 28 was spectacular, easily the early front-runner for fight of the year. When Marquez is someday inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, it will be one of the victories people talk about as being an important part of his legacy. And remember, Marquez did it at age 35 in Diaz's hometown of Houston. Wins get no better.
Misses: Without an obvious major opponent or big-money fight at lightweight, Marquez likely will move up to junior welterweight. But he's already calling out retired (for now) welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr. If a fight with Mayweather ever does happen, Marquez may live to regret it.
3 http://espn.go.com/photo/2007/0721/box_g_hokins3_65.jpg
Bernard Hopkins
Light heavyweight
Age: 44 | Record: 49-5-1, 32 KOs
Hits: The "Executioner" still has the fire to fight and has turned his attention to challenging legit cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek in what would be an outstanding fight and an excellent promotion. A victory in the proposed bout would make Hopkins a legitimate three-division world champion and add one more massive notch to his Hall of Fame résumé.
Misses: With the retirement of Joe Calzaghe, the recent loss by Roy Jones Jr., Jermain Taylor's involvement in another fight, and Hopkins' saying he isn't interested in Chad Dawson, just who is there for Hopkins to fight in a big-time match?
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Shane Mosley
Welterweight champion
Age: 37 | Record: 46-5, 39 KOs
Hits: With the way he annihilated Antonio Margarito in January, Mosley showed he still has plenty left at age 37. Making the performance even more impressive was the fact that the fight took place just as Mosley was going through serious personal adversity, finalizing his divorce during training camp. How's that for focus?
Misses: Miguel Cotto and Top Rank weren't interested in a rematch and Floyd Mayweather Jr. rebuffed an offer for a fight. That has left Mosley without a big name to fight this summer. He hopes to face the winner of Ricky Hatton-Manny Pacquiao, but there's no guarantee he'll get that guy, either.
5 http://espn.go.com/photo/2006/0421/box_g_vasquez_65.jpg
Israel Vazquez
Junior featherweight champion
Age: 31 | Record: 43-4, 32 KOs
Hits: Although Vazquez has been out of commission because of eye injuries suffered during his blazing trilogy with Rafael Marquez, there is talk he may finally be ready to return to action around June. It will be great to see him back in action after a long layoff.
Misses: As much as we all love Vazquez and admire his heart and ability, he hasn't fought for a year, meaning he is precariously close to being dropped from the rankings.
6 http://espn.go.com/photo/2008/0617/box_calderon_65.jpg
Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon
Junior flyweight champion
Age: 33 | Record: 32-0, 6 KOs
Hits: The best little guy in the business has been out of action since last summer because of a serious cut suffered in his technical-decision victory over Hugo Cazares in their rematch, but Calderon is ready to return for a possible fight in May. It will be nice to see the sport's most technically proficient fighter back in action.
Misses: Can't he just put on four pounds and move up to flyweight for bigger challenges?
7 http://espn.go.com/photo/2007/1109/box_cotto_weighin_65.jpg
Miguel Cotto
Welterweight titlist
Age: 28 | Record: 33-1, 27 KOs
Hits: In his return from a TKO loss to Antonio Margarito last summer, Cotto looked like he hadn't missed a beat while smashing England's overmatched Michael Jennings to win a vacant belt in February. That victory set the stage for another big-time fight, a likely June 13 unification match against rough and tough Joshua Clottey in one of the best fights you can make in the sport. And get this: It would air on HBO, not pay-per-view.
Misses: Although there always will be questions about whether Margarito cheated to beat Cotto by wearing loaded hand wraps, the bottom line is that it's hard to shake the image of Cotto taking a knee twice in the 11th round to signal the end of their fight.
8 http://espn.go.com/photo/2007/0302/box_marquez_65.jpg
Rafael Marquez
Junior featherweight
Age: 33 | Record: 37-5, 33 KOs
Hits: Although it's been a year since he lost to Vazquez in their epic third battle -- the 2008 ESPN.com Fight of the Year -- Marquez is close to getting back to work. Promoter Gary Shaw says he may take a tune-up bout in Mexico in the spring or early summer, perhaps as a prelude for a fourth fight with Vazquez.
Misses: As much as we all love Marquez (as we do Vazquez), he hasn't fought in a year. To be ranked, you have to fight.
9 http://espn.go.com/photo/2008/0731/box_f_williams_65.jpg
Paul Williams
Interim junior middleweight titlist
Age: 27 | Record: 36-1, 27 KOs
Hits: Unable to land a big fight at welterweight or junior middleweight, Williams is moving to the middleweight division to face the tricky and well-respected Winky Wright, who despite a long layoff should still be considered a threat until proven otherwise.
Misses: Neither Williams nor Wright are the most charismatic fighters or proven ticket sellers, making their fight a hard sell to the casual fan.
10 http://espn.go.com/photo/2007/0918/box_g_pavlik_65.jpg
Kelly Pavlik
Middleweight champion
Age: 26 | Record: 35-1, 31 KOs
Hits: Pavlik did a good job of putting his October butt-whipping by Hopkins behind him, dominating mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio for a ninth-round TKO on Feb. 21 in front of a passionate, sold-out hometown crowd in Youngstown, Ohio.
Misses: Other than a fight against titleholder Arthur Abraham, which can't be made at the moment, there is very little in the way of big fights for Pavlik at middleweight, a storied division that is pretty weak right now.
Manny Pacquiao
Junior welterweight
Age: 30 | Record: 48-3-2, 36 KOs
Hits: When the Pacman fights, the boxing world watches. He's one of the sport's biggest stars, he fights top-notch opponents, and every time he gets into the ring it's entertaining as hell. His next fight -- a serious challenge to junior welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton on May 2, in the year's biggest fight so far -- is no different. A victory over Hatton will put Pacquiao in rarified air, giving him a title in his sixth division -- including an unheard-of fourth lineal title.
Misses: Although you can't argue with Pacquiao's decision to face Oscar De La Hoya in December or Hatton in May, the fact that he never mentions a third fight against Juan Manuel Marquez as a possibility is unfortunate.
2 http://espn.go.com/photo/2007/1104/box_marquez_65.jpg
Juan Manuel Marquez
Lightweight champion
Age: 35 | Record: 50-4-1, 37 KOs
Hits: Marquez's ninth-round knockout of Juan Diaz on Feb. 28 was spectacular, easily the early front-runner for fight of the year. When Marquez is someday inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, it will be one of the victories people talk about as being an important part of his legacy. And remember, Marquez did it at age 35 in Diaz's hometown of Houston. Wins get no better.
Misses: Without an obvious major opponent or big-money fight at lightweight, Marquez likely will move up to junior welterweight. But he's already calling out retired (for now) welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr. If a fight with Mayweather ever does happen, Marquez may live to regret it.
3 http://espn.go.com/photo/2007/0721/box_g_hokins3_65.jpg
Bernard Hopkins
Light heavyweight
Age: 44 | Record: 49-5-1, 32 KOs
Hits: The "Executioner" still has the fire to fight and has turned his attention to challenging legit cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek in what would be an outstanding fight and an excellent promotion. A victory in the proposed bout would make Hopkins a legitimate three-division world champion and add one more massive notch to his Hall of Fame résumé.
Misses: With the retirement of Joe Calzaghe, the recent loss by Roy Jones Jr., Jermain Taylor's involvement in another fight, and Hopkins' saying he isn't interested in Chad Dawson, just who is there for Hopkins to fight in a big-time match?
4 http://espn.go.com/photo/2008/0522/box_a_mosley_65.jpg
Shane Mosley
Welterweight champion
Age: 37 | Record: 46-5, 39 KOs
Hits: With the way he annihilated Antonio Margarito in January, Mosley showed he still has plenty left at age 37. Making the performance even more impressive was the fact that the fight took place just as Mosley was going through serious personal adversity, finalizing his divorce during training camp. How's that for focus?
Misses: Miguel Cotto and Top Rank weren't interested in a rematch and Floyd Mayweather Jr. rebuffed an offer for a fight. That has left Mosley without a big name to fight this summer. He hopes to face the winner of Ricky Hatton-Manny Pacquiao, but there's no guarantee he'll get that guy, either.
5 http://espn.go.com/photo/2006/0421/box_g_vasquez_65.jpg
Israel Vazquez
Junior featherweight champion
Age: 31 | Record: 43-4, 32 KOs
Hits: Although Vazquez has been out of commission because of eye injuries suffered during his blazing trilogy with Rafael Marquez, there is talk he may finally be ready to return to action around June. It will be great to see him back in action after a long layoff.
Misses: As much as we all love Vazquez and admire his heart and ability, he hasn't fought for a year, meaning he is precariously close to being dropped from the rankings.
6 http://espn.go.com/photo/2008/0617/box_calderon_65.jpg
Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon
Junior flyweight champion
Age: 33 | Record: 32-0, 6 KOs
Hits: The best little guy in the business has been out of action since last summer because of a serious cut suffered in his technical-decision victory over Hugo Cazares in their rematch, but Calderon is ready to return for a possible fight in May. It will be nice to see the sport's most technically proficient fighter back in action.
Misses: Can't he just put on four pounds and move up to flyweight for bigger challenges?
7 http://espn.go.com/photo/2007/1109/box_cotto_weighin_65.jpg
Miguel Cotto
Welterweight titlist
Age: 28 | Record: 33-1, 27 KOs
Hits: In his return from a TKO loss to Antonio Margarito last summer, Cotto looked like he hadn't missed a beat while smashing England's overmatched Michael Jennings to win a vacant belt in February. That victory set the stage for another big-time fight, a likely June 13 unification match against rough and tough Joshua Clottey in one of the best fights you can make in the sport. And get this: It would air on HBO, not pay-per-view.
Misses: Although there always will be questions about whether Margarito cheated to beat Cotto by wearing loaded hand wraps, the bottom line is that it's hard to shake the image of Cotto taking a knee twice in the 11th round to signal the end of their fight.
8 http://espn.go.com/photo/2007/0302/box_marquez_65.jpg
Rafael Marquez
Junior featherweight
Age: 33 | Record: 37-5, 33 KOs
Hits: Although it's been a year since he lost to Vazquez in their epic third battle -- the 2008 ESPN.com Fight of the Year -- Marquez is close to getting back to work. Promoter Gary Shaw says he may take a tune-up bout in Mexico in the spring or early summer, perhaps as a prelude for a fourth fight with Vazquez.
Misses: As much as we all love Marquez (as we do Vazquez), he hasn't fought in a year. To be ranked, you have to fight.
9 http://espn.go.com/photo/2008/0731/box_f_williams_65.jpg
Paul Williams
Interim junior middleweight titlist
Age: 27 | Record: 36-1, 27 KOs
Hits: Unable to land a big fight at welterweight or junior middleweight, Williams is moving to the middleweight division to face the tricky and well-respected Winky Wright, who despite a long layoff should still be considered a threat until proven otherwise.
Misses: Neither Williams nor Wright are the most charismatic fighters or proven ticket sellers, making their fight a hard sell to the casual fan.
10 http://espn.go.com/photo/2007/0918/box_g_pavlik_65.jpg
Kelly Pavlik
Middleweight champion
Age: 26 | Record: 35-1, 31 KOs
Hits: Pavlik did a good job of putting his October butt-whipping by Hopkins behind him, dominating mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio for a ninth-round TKO on Feb. 21 in front of a passionate, sold-out hometown crowd in Youngstown, Ohio.
Misses: Other than a fight against titleholder Arthur Abraham, which can't be made at the moment, there is very little in the way of big fights for Pavlik at middleweight, a storied division that is pretty weak right now.