Friday, November 27, 2009

PACQUIAO NO. 1, MAYWEATHER NO. 2 POUND-FOR-POUND

Manny Pacquiao remains the number one pound-for-pound boxer in the whole world after he successfully demolished Miguel Cotto in their Firepower encounter last week. In the latest Ring Magazine ratings, the most authoritative journal in boxing, Pacquiao is still number one as of November 22, 2009.


This is the 312th straight week that the Pacman has been rated among the top ten boxers in the world in any weight division by the Bible of Boxing. He still remains as The Ring junior welterweight champion since he knocked out Ricky Hatton.

But stalking at number two is the former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr. who recently made a comeback after a convincing win over Juan Manuel Marquez. Formerly, Mayweather was the top pound-for-pound boxer for several months before hanging his gloves. But the lure of money and fame made the undefeated boxer stage a successful comeback against the equally famous Marquez.

At No. 3 is Shane Mosley, the WBA welterweight champion. At No. 4 is Bernard Hopkins, at No.5 is Marquez, the WBO, WBA, and The Ring Lightweight champion. At No. 6 is Filipino champion Nonito Donaire, at No. 7 is Cotto, No. 8 is Celestino Caballero, the WBA and IBF junior featherweight champion, at No. 9 is Chad Dawson, and at No. 10 is Paul Williams.

There are no other big fights in sight that could equal the fame and fortune of the encounter of the two pound-for-pound kings. Pacquiao stole the limelight from Mayweather after he retired two years ago. And the “Pretty Boy” can’t afford to look at “The Pacman” sitting at the throne he used to sit and the crown he used to wear as the king of all weight divisions.

Now the boxing world would want to see the two kings collide to settle once and for all who the real ruler is. A mega buck fight of the two renowned boxers could break all existing pay-per-view records.

The undefeated Mayweather could not stand staying on the number two slot to a man who he thought was smaller and has collected three defeats compared to his unblemished pro career. But the boxing world has seen Pacquiao as a demigod who ruled his kingdom by defeating big names in the sport once dominated by heavyweights.

Pacquiao has contributed much to the shift of the enthusiasm of the boxing lovers from the heavyweight to the lighter divisions when the Mexican and other Latin stars dominate the featherweight to the welterweight divisions.

One by one Pacquiao knocked them out from Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Marquez, Emmanuel Lucero, Jorge Solis, Oscar Larios, and Hector Velasquez. After stopping Latin-American Oscar de la Hoya and David Diaz, British Ricky Hatton, and Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao is going to face an African American for the first time in the flamboyant Mayweather.

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