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August, 2009
By Josh Jacobs
VegasInsider.com
For much of the summer Vegasinsider.com's boxing Power Rankings have taken a back seat in what's usually the time to shine for the sport. In the wake of recent tragedies coupled with the degraded quality of championship matches, it seems that the recent lull in the sport has been dramatically magnified.
Boxing is in need of a few hard hitting, fast paced action fights to get the sport back on its feet. Now that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez are shaping up for an exchange in September, Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams have settled their financial differences for a get-together sometime this year (check the rankings on both fighters for breaking news) and the culmination of a blockbuster bout between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto in November it's time to restructure the rankings in high anticipation for the events to come.
Of course there are not enough words that can express the sorrow that boxing has endured this summer, but let's turn the page to a new chapter in the sport, one that is sure to finish up 2009 on the right note.
49-3-2; 37 KOs
The more I think about this mega bout between Pacquiao and Cotto the more I'm left scratching my head on how this fight will, or should, end up. There's no question that Pac-Man deserves all the kudos for still placing No. 1 in the Rankings, but then again is there really anyone else even remotely close as top dog? Getting back to the matter at hand, who has the best chance at savoring the victory in November? Is Pacquiao's speed and fleet feet enough to throw the hard hitting Cotto for a loop, or can the Puerto Rican force dethrone today's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter? Answers to these questions won't be easy to answer leading up to the big night, but rest assured that extensive coverage of this exchange will expose every angle as we inch closer. |
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49-5-1, 32 KOs
Trying to be different or just plain original in this month's Power Rankings isn't going to work out as planned (at least until you get down to the bottom of the list). And for our next fighter… Bernard Hopkins is just about everyone's No. 2 in a pound-4-pound hierarchy. Despite not throwing the leather since beating down Kelly Pavlik in October of last year, 'X' has been in a holding pattern. Contracts, schedules, financial conflict or whatever else can be blamed on the delay might not be a delay at all. In-fact there's talk that Hopkins wants one more fight to go down before driving off into the sunset for good. Do we believe him? I'll say no but the options for an early 2010 fight are intriguing. Right now Hopkins has to make a decision whether to take on the winner of the Chad Dawson-Glen Johnson meeting or go head-to-head against cruiserweight titlist Tomasz Adamek. |
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50-4-1, 37 KOs
There's just an awkward feeling at placing Marquez No. 3, but that's not to take anything away from this distinguished fighter. Marquez has been preparing for Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s come back since early summer time (Mayweather's "claimed" rib injury set the first date back). But time is winding down and a rescheduled, Sept. 19 showdown shouldn't disappoint. Two things to be concerned about in Marquez's corner; the weight difference and the 'unknown' factor of what Mayweather will look like based on missing close to two years in the ring. Having never fought above 135, Marquez could look and act like the "much" smaller man here, but that's half of the excitement leading to the beginning of round one. |
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46-5-0, 39 KOs
I'll admit it, the April Rankings had Paul Williams at No. 4 and not much has changed since then. Well that mistake has been rectified, and Mosley will get the bump up to No. 4 based on his ability to take on high quality opponents even at the ripe age of 37. The problem is Mosley isn't on the radar for an up-and-coming match. This must change soon if "Sugar" is to continue posting high rankings on a monthly basis, and more importantly, not losing his touch with the inactivity. Word on the street is Mosley could sign the dotted line against Joshua Clottey. Remember it was Clottey that fought Cotto to a much debated split decision loss in June. Whatever the past story was, Mosley needs to secure to a fight soon cause he's not getting any younger waiting around the ropes. |
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37-1-0, 27 KOs
Williams now sitting at the No. 5 spot is through no fault of his own. In-fact "The Punisher" is one of the hottest fighters not only in the light middleweight division but in all of boxing. However, the criteria that has pushed him below Mosley hinges on the lack of big name fighters he's faced, or has had problems securing contracts with. But what he might lack in his portfolio is also a double edged sword as most big names feel their risking too much against the southpaw specialist. Again, this is not a flaw against Williams. But justice might finally be coming to the Williams' camp as a huge October throw down against Kelly Pavlik could have Paul sitting very high in the driver's seat.
Breaking news coming off the wire has the fight postponed for an undisclosed date. Sources indicate that Kelly Pavlik continues to experience problems from a staph infection that first began six months ago. What's disturbing is Pavlik has missed appointments with his doctor, causing the infection to worsen over time. So what we have here is a health and scheduling problem. To be honest if this fight was totally scrapped I wouldn't be that surprised, especially given the difficulty of securing a contract from the very start (and the relationship between Top Rank and Pavlik's managerial team). |
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34-1-0, 27 KOs
Hard hitting yet cut prone Miguel Cotto will get a shot at proving he's to be considered at the top of the pound-for-pound list. There are some concerns heading into the mega match with Manny Pacquiao though. Does the win against Joshua Clottey raise more questions then answers (mainly based on the controversial decision reached by the judges)? Will his face stand up to the speed and quantity of shots that Pacquiao is capable of launching? And will meeting Pac-Man at a catch weight of 144 pounds impact any aspect of Cotto's game? Whichever the wind blows on Nov. 14, you can bet the house that this fight won't disappoint. |
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35-1-0, 31 KOs
They say a fighter doesn't become great until he takes his first loss. For Kelly Pavlik that time has already come and gone. Now the question remains; does Pavlik what it takes to become great, thus immortalizing him in the sport? Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. After a lot of negotiating, Pavlik now has a shot at proving to the world that Paul Williams isn't all he's cracked up to be. But that's a lot easier said then done. This fight was that close to not even taking place. Top Rank Promotions chairman Bob Arum and Pavlik's manager Al Haymon have a history of hatred. But the two camps were able to burry the hatchet for the time being (or maybe the fact that Arum had nothing to do with the negotiations helped out in this one). The Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City will be the location on Oct. 3 and HBO will be providing coverage of this much hyped event. Right it down in the calendar because you're not going to want to miss this one.
As mentioned with Paul Williams, the planned Oct. 3 bout will be postponed for the time being. Please check back for any updates regarding Kelly Pavlik's health and the future of this bout. |
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25-0-0, 20 KOs
Taking a different approach, Carl Froch nails the No. 8 spot. Some may gag at this move but hold on a minute. Israel Vazquez, who's held this spot off and on with Rafael Marquez, has been idle for some time now thanks to the severe beatings suffered in the trilogy warfare with Marquez. Marquez did return to the ring, defeating Jose Francisco Medonza back in May, but we're not talking about cream of the crop opponents. For Froch, a 12 round finishing off of Jermain Taylor was impressive as his No. 1 ranking in the supper middleweight division continues to garner positive reinforcement. Next up is Andre Dirrell of Flint, Michigan. The 12-round, WBC super middleweight fight will take place in Froch's hometown of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. Talk about home field advantage here folks. Early looks at this one have Dirrell as the faster, more skilled fighter. But let's not count Froch out just yet. October 17 is the planned throw down. |
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30-0-0, 24 KOs
Arthur Abraham is one of the toughest figures in boxing today. The problem is his resume of wins has been against relatively obscure opponents. But ranked third in the world in the super middleweight division and still undefeated, Abraham is no doubt for real. The good news is that the German resident and Armenian born warrior will face down-and-out fighter, Jermain Taylor in Germany on Oct. 17. This is exactly the way to begin uncovering the power puncher, revealing to the rest of the globe that he has what it takes at 29 to perk interest on a world wide level. |
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32-0-1, 6 KOs
The lightweight divisions never get as much promotion and discussion compared to their heavier weight counterparts. But that hasn't stopped me from inserting Ivan Calderon into the mix, or more like keeping him there as the last installment of the power rankings proves. Calderon is coming off a tough six-round technical draw against hard as nails, Rodel Mayol of the Philippines. But fear not as the two speed freaks will meet for a rematch in Puerto Rico on Sept. 12. Let's see if Calderon will remain undefeated or if Mayol can come out of right field for what would be the biggest win of his career. |
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