Now that boxing has finally got cranked back up for a new year, it's time to revisit the power rankings. Two of the top 10 boxers from our final edition of 2008 were in action in January, with Andre Berto holding on to win against Luis Collazo. Antonio Margarito wasn't as fortunate, getting knocked out by Shane Mosley and falling out of the top 10.
For the uninitiated, this isn't a pound-for-pound list, but a part-mathematical (to me), part-magic (to the other BoxingWatchers staff!) formula that measures performance over a rolling three-year period, rewarding activity, decisive victories and the winning percentage of defeated opponents. The theoretical maximum score is 36, with anything approaching or exceeding 20 reflecting a high level of recent dominance.
Without further ado:
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.96 - It looks like he will fight in March, but an opponent has yet to be finalized. If he goes past that point without fighting, he'll start falling in our rankings due to inactivity.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 23.67 - When brother Vitali decided to face a mandatory challenger instead, Wlad ended up with a date to face the man ranked right below him on this list. That means Klitschko, who's been efficient but not very exciting, may finally be in a bout worth watching.
3. David Haye - 21.07 - He's been asking for it and now he's got his shot at a Klitschko. It's put up or shut up time for the Hayemaker.
4. Celestino Caballero - 20.72 - Returns to the ring in March in his homeland of Panama to take on Jeffrey Mathebula.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 17.62 - His upcoming fight with Ricky Hatton was on, then off, but now is said to be a done deal. The atmosphere should be terrific and the Hitman almost can't help but put up a better fight than the Golden Boy.
6. Andre Berto - 17.54 - The WBC welterweight champion got the year off to a rousing start by squeaking past Collazo. He'll have to jockey for position for a big fight in the crowded 147-pound division.
7. Vic Darchinyan - 17.00 - He flip-flops with Berto this month but could go right back up again if he takes care of Jorge Arce on Feb. 7. The Raging Bull's mouth is almost as entertaining as his fighting style.
8. Paul Williams - 15.89 - Neither he nor Winky Wright (remember him?) are big draws, so it will be interesting to see if their April 11 showdown generates any buzz. The Punisher has earned a big payday in this writer's opinion.
9. Kelly Pavlik - 15.36 - The Ghost is saying all the right things as his Feb. 21 return to middleweight approaches. If he handles Marco Antonio Rubio without much trouble, we'll know he's been able to put his loss to Bernard Hopkins behind him.
10. Miguel Cotto - 14.07 - Speaking of avenging losses, Cotto will look to do the same as the co-feature on the Pavlik PPV. All of a sudden a rematch with Margarito doesn't seem as definite as it did just a few weeks ago.
The next 7: Chris John, Juan Diaz, Nonito Donaire, Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, Juan Manuel Marquez, Joe Calzaghe
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6 comments:
I think Vic should be higher, Haye lower, and probably Berto lower.
no, Arthur Abraham should be higher.
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#1 is pretty high on the list
How do you get higher than #1? LOL!
How come Margarito isn't in the top 3????? Didn't you guys know he beat Cotto last year!!!!!!!
Dont get me wrong guys, I actually like Margarito, just thought he was overrated. I believe he's innocent in the hand wrapping incident as well.
I would like to see Abraham vs Sturm vs Pavlik, any combo with those fighters.
Curious as to where Marquez would be in the list if he beat Diaz convincingly too.
Just ranting on...
well, these power rankings roll over three years, and most fans, including myself, have short memories.
JMM
W TKO7 Jandeeng
W KO9 Jaca
W UD12 MAB
W UD12 Juarez
L SD12 Pacman
W TKO11 Casamayor
That's not a bad 3 year run. Only one loss but a split one against a top 3 fighter.
If he knocks Diaz out, he would have to fly up the list. I don't think will happen. I do think he's going to win though.
and I would like to see Sturm against any name fighter. Doesn't look likely. Per everything I've read across many different sites, they all seem to say his promoter is happy with Felix collecting big checks in his home country and not venturing out.
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