Marquez Wanted 50-50 Split, Blood Tests For Pacquiao

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told Sports Illustrated that he was approached on Thursday by Top Rank for a trilogy bout between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez.

A shocking demand was made by Marquez. He requested a 50-50 split on the money with Pacquiao. For a guy chasing a Pacquiao trilogy since their 2008 rematch, Marquez found an amazing way to say "no thank you."

In a move we all expected, Marquez, like Floyd Mayweather Jr., made a demand for random Olympic style drug tests. BoxingScene.com reported on December 24 that Marquez would demand random drug tests for a trilogy bout with Pacquaio.

Schaefer told BoxingScene.com, also last month, that Pacquiao would have to take random blood tests for a fight with any Golden Boy Promotions fighter - and that includes Shane Mosley.

Promoter Gary Shaw predicted this would happen during a December interview with BoxingScene. He said back then - "If he doesn't do the tests with Mayweather, I believe the only fights that Pacquiao will be able to get are with fighters who are with Top Rank. All other promoters are going to want to know that they are fighting on level playing field."

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum told SI that he won't even consider any form of testing that is beyond what a state commission requires for any future fight with Pacquiao. He blames himself for making the mistake of even considering random blood testing during the Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations. Pacquiao will now face another Joshua Clottey, also with Top Rank, on March 13.

"This is beyond stupid," said Arum. "That was my biggest mistake, allowing any of this to happen. I should have said no. We're not revisiting [blood testing]. We're not negotiating with these punks anymore. If Mayweather wants to fight Pacquiao down the road, he will have to go by the testing the state commission asks for. If not, life goes on."

Source: Mark Vester  | BoxingScene.com

KO of the Year: Pacquiao-Hatton

While the boxing world and even the sports world as a whole wait to see whether Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. can overcome their stalemate over the drug-testing protocol for their tentative March 13 fight, we can at least revel in one of the greatest moments of Pacquiao's storied career.

Already a five-division champion when he met Ricky Hatton, Pacquiao -- the Filipino idol coming off his destruction of Oscar De La Hoya -- was gunning for a title in a record-tying sixth division when he met "The Hitman" on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Hatton was the junior welterweight champion and unbeaten at 140 pounds, having lost only to Mayweather in a 2007 welterweight title fight.

The excitement was palpable in Vegas. Some 25,000 British Hatton fans had crossed the pond to party like it was 1999, and a sold-out arena of 16,262 -- mostly Hatton supporters -- rocked the house, including verse after verse of their "There's Only One Ricky Hatton" song.

They didn't celebrate for long.

The much faster Pacquiao dropped Hatton hard twice in the opening round and finished him in ruthless fashion in the second round with one of the greatest knockouts in recent memory. It was the obvious choice for the 2009 ESPN.com Knockout of the Year.

Just as the 10-second warning sounded to signal the end of the round was coming, Pacquiao unleashed a full-leverage perfect left hand that crashed into Hatton's chin and knocked him stiff. Hatton fell sideways, going down hard and hitting his head on the canvas. He came to rest flat on his back in the center of the ring, his arms at his sides and his body perfectly aligned on the Rockstar Energy Drink logo.

"Boom! Oh, my gosh! What a straight left hand," HBO's Jim Lampley exclaimed. "And will Hatton make it up from this, or is that it? No way. That is that. What an amazing knockout shot. That is the most spectacular one-punch shot of Manny Pacquiao's incredible career!"

While a joyous Pacquiao celebrated with his team, Hatton was visibly gasping for air as referee Kenny Bayless kneeled beside him. He immediately called off the fight with one second left in the round and attempted to extricate Hatton's mouthpiece as his family looked on in horror from ringside.

"I really didn't see the punch coming, but it was a great shot," Hatton said after being examined by ringside medical personnel and regaining his senses.

The following afternoon, Pacquiao watched a DVD of the fight for the first time with about 15 people in his hotel suite at Mandalay Bay. When the knockout punch landed, Pacquiao turned to a reporter sitting next to him and said unprompted: "Yeah, it's a good shot. I felt it on my knuckles."

Then the reporter asked Pacquiao whether he thought it would hold up as the knockout of the year.

"Yeah, I think so," Pacquiao answered.

Now he knows it.

Brian Viloria KO11 Ulises Solis (April 19 at Manila, Philippines)

Viloria sure lived up to his nickname -- "The Hawaiian Punch" -- as he obliterated Solis with a single right hand to the chin to win a junior flyweight title with four seconds left in the round. Viloria got awesome leverage on the shot, turning into it with all his might. Solis went down to all fours and put his forehead on the canvas. Then he rolled over on his back, struggled to a sitting position and eventually went back to the mat, where medical personnel rushed to his side and gave him oxygen.

Juan Manuel Marquez KO9 Juan Diaz (Feb. 28 at Houston)

This was one of the year's best fights. It also featured several candidates for best round, and it ended with one of the year's best knockouts. Marquez, the lightweight champ, came to Diaz's hometown to defend against the former titleholder, and they waged a tremendous battle that ended with the exclamation point of a big Marquez knockout blow.

Marquez had found a home for his effective uppercut early in the highly competitive fight. With Diaz bleeding from a cut in the eighth, Marquez began to take over and, in the ninth, finished off Diaz. Marquez initially dropped Diaz face-first into the ropes with an uppercut. Moments later, he splattered Diaz in the middle of the ring with a series of blows capped by -- what else? -- a murderous right uppercut as referee Rafael Ramos immediately waved off the fight.

"What you just saw was a really good young fighter knocked out by a great old fighter," HBO's Max Kellerman said, describing the scene at ringside.

Shane Mosley TKO9 Antonio Margarito (Jan. 24 at Los Angeles)

Mosley, who had been hammering Margarito (sans illegal padding that had been discovered in Margarito's mitts in the dressing room before the fight) all night, had finally dropped him at the very end of the eighth round. As the ninth round began, Mosley continued his assault.

"This fight could be stopped any second now," HBO's Jim Lampley blared. "Margarito is getting hit flush with every right hand!" After eating a few more shots, Margarito crumpled again in a corner as referee Raul Caiz moved in to stop the fight.

"Shane Mosley has annihilated Antonio Margarito," Lampley exclaimed. Given the reputation Margarito had for an indestructible chin, it was a stunning scene. Mosley, who won the welterweight title again in an upset, had closed the show in style, outlanding Margarito 21-0 in the ninth round.

Source: ESPN Go

Who are the 10 best pound-for-pound boxers?

1. MANNY PACQUIAO – 50 Wins, 3 Losses, 2 Draws, 38 KO’s. When you end 2008 with a spectacular stoppage of Oscar De la Hoya and continue into 2009 with perhaps the knockout of the year over Ricky Hatton and then throw in a brutal affair with Miguel Cotto for a 12th round stoppage, it’s hard to argue against Manny Pacquiao atop anyone’s list. The little man keeps knocking out presumably bigger opposition in one-sided fashion at an alarming rate, making the one-time unknown Filipino boxing's fastest rising star and biggest cash cow.

2. FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. – 40 Wins, 0 Losses, 25 KO’s. To retire ... or not to retire ... that is the question – answered by Floyd “Money” Mayweather when he returned at the tail end of 2009 after a 21 month layoff to defeat Juan Manuel Marquez in rather easy fashion. Most people either love or hate Mayweather – hate being the preference – but one thing is for certain, boxing is in a better position with him inside the ring. Mayweather has become a main street box office hit, despite drawing criticism for what some observers see as a “pick and choose” opponent luxury. Mayweather appears ready to give the fans what they want, as he is tentatively scheduled to face pound-for-pound No. 1 ranked Manny Pacquiao this March. Or maybe not.

3. BERNARD HOPKINS – 50 Wins, 5 Losses, 1 Draw, 32 KO’s. Anyone who saw Bernard Hopkins out-box middleweight champion Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik at a catch weight of 170 lbs can only use one word to describe it: masterful. The stubborn old man (Hopkins is nearly 45) failed to carry the momentum, however, by nit-picking in a verbal war with Roy Jones Jr., and basically sitting out over a year until a dream bout with Jones was set in stone for the spring of 2010.

Hopkins fought just once in 2009 in a tune-up against Enrique Ornelas -- opposite Roy Jones Jr. vs. Danny Green on the Versus Network – with the expectation that each man would win and coast to a big money bout against one another. Jones Jr. failed to live up to the hype and Hopkins scored a lackluster 12-round decision. Hopkins will need to secure a big fight in 2010 and be more active if he hopes to retain his ranking among the pound-for-pound best.

4. JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ – 50 Wins, 5 Losses, 1 Draw, 37 KO’s. The best Mexican fighter in the world knocked out lightweight superstar Juan Diaz in 9 rounds back in February and then did the unthinkable – leaped up two weight classes to challenge the consensus “best fighter in the world,” Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the welterweight division. Marquez was given a slight chance due to Mayweather’s long lay-off but as many predicted he was virtually shutout over 12 rounds. Marquez is still the WBO/WBA lightweight champion of the world and is slated to fight in May against a high profile opponent.

5. SHANE MOSELY – 46 Wins, 5 Losses, 39 KO’s. Somewhere Miguel Cotto and Kermit Cintron are thanking Shane Mosley’s team for discovering the illegal plaster of paris hand wraps that were found with Antonio Margarito in his dressing room prior to his fight with Mosley. Mosley went on to overwhelm Margarito en route to a TKO win in 9 rounds in January. Since then Mosley has done everything in his power to get a big money fight against a viable opponent – going as far as to call out Floyd Mayweather immediately after he defeated Juan Manuel Marquez – but was unsuccessful and therefore only fought once in 2009. Mosley is scheduled to face the fast rising Andre Berto on January 30 hoping that a win against Berto will give him leverage to face the winner of Pacquiao-Mayweather.

6. PAUL WILLIAMS – 38 Wins, 1 Loss, 27 KO’s. Paul Williams is thought of as the dark horse of boxing and 2009 proved to be yet another difficult year for the lanky competitor to secure a big fight against middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. Pavlik pulled out of the fight on two different occasions, citing a staph infection as the medical reason. Williams kept on moving with a lopsided points victory over the fading Winky Wright in May and then a spirited and energetic battle with Sergio Martinez in December.

Williams appears eager to face the division's best – from welterweight to possibly super middleweight – if the price is right. It’s highly unlikely the Williams people will want to try to negotiate a possible third attempt at fighting Pavlik, however 2010 will prove to be a make or break year for Williams.

7. CHAD DAWSON – 29 Wins, 0 Losses, 17 KO’s. Chad Dawson has fought 4 times since 2008, with two wins apiece over the super lightweight’s senior citizen circuit – 41-year-old Antonio Tarver and 40-year-old Glenn Johnson. The wins haven’t been spectacular but the younger Dawson has done what was needed of him to ensure his career keeps moving forward. With Roy Jones losing in Australia to Danny Green this past month all intentions for Dawson move toward securing a big money fight with Bernard Hopkins – who despite his age, 44, would be a significant step up in opposition and bring Dawson into the main stream consumer’s living room.

8. MIGUEL COTTO – 34 Wins, 2 Losses, 27 KO’s. Miguel Cotto always comes to fight and 2009 was no different. Coming back from a questionable loss to Margarito marred by illegal hand wrap speculations, Cotto blasted out the under-matched Michael Jennings, won a split decision over Joshua Clottey and then was brutally stopped in a classic thriller against Manny Pacquiao in the 12th round. Cotto has taken a lot of punishment in his last three years and has shown signs of regression inside the ring. Boxing fans will always admire Cotto for his willingness to trade and his heart of a champion, but it would be best suited for Cotto to hang it up after 2010 strictly from a health standpoint.

9. CELESTINO CABALLERO – 33 Wins, 2 Losses, 23 KO’s. Nobody in their right mind gets excited to face a six-foot 122lb monster like Celestino Caballero – just as Steve Molitor, the one-time badass who was knocked out in 4 rounds by Caballero. At 33 and fighting in the bottom weight classes of boxing when it comes to a public perspective, here’s hoping Caballero can get the always coveted big payday fight before it’s too late.

10. ANDRE WARD – 21 Wins, 0 Losses, 13 KO’s. Super middleweight gatekeeper Edison Miranda and journeyman Shelby Pudwill were nice wins for the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, but what Andre Ward did to Mikkel Kessler – Showtime’s Super-Six Tourney favorite – winning a dominating technical decision due to cuts caused by headbutts in the 11th round -- in November will change the young man’s career forever. Ward is scheduled to face Jermaine Taylor in the second round of the Super Six in April. Another win, despite the mileage on Taylor’s body, will bring him one step closer to winning the tournament and becoming the ultimate player in boxing.

That’s my list and I’m sticking to it ... I think. Agree or disagree? Send me your own personal list and let the debating begin. Happy Holidays to all IJS readers... see you in 2010.

The 10 Best Boxers of the Decade

When separating the best from the rest, especially in boxing, every detail of a fighter’s career matters. More important than the number of wins he chalked up or the number of titles he captured are questions like who he fought and how he performed against his best opponents. Did he ever look vulnerable and how did he respond to adversity?

And when looking at the best of a decade, longevity comes into the discussion. Was the fighter able to maintain a championship pace for nearly all 10 years or just five? Battling the inevitability of getting older, did he somehow manage to improve as a fighter? Did he extend his career beyond the average expiration date or did he never recover from a particular defeat?

Whittling down the details takes time, but this system seemed a fair and accurate way to go about determining just who were the best fighters from this decade:

Setting the time parameters from 2000 to 2009 and looking at each man’s biggest fights, who was the best in the sport the longest?

With that out of the way, it’s time to unveil…

The 10 Best Boxers of the Decade


10. Wladimir Klitschko (Decade Record: 22-2-0)

In the wake of Lennox Lewis’ retirement, Wladimir suffered major setbacks but still emerged from one of the more drab eras in heavyweight history as the most skilled and consistent heavyweight in the world. Klitschko seized two of the belts from the fractured heavyweight crown – the closest anyone has come to unifying and giving boxing its first undisputed heavyweight king since Lewis.

9. Shane Mosley (Decade Record: 13-5-0, 1 NC)

Coming into the new millennium, Shane Mosley was recognized as the best lightweight in the world. He got his first taste of the big time in 2000 with a win over Oscar De La Hoya and never looked back. Never one to back away from a fight, Mosley has taken on the best the sport has to offer.

8. Winky Wright (Decade Record: 12-2-1)

Winky Wright had a hard time breaking out of anonymity in the 90s but he kept at his craft and carved out his own niche at junior middleweight while awaiting his opportunity. When the time arrived, he came up big with wins over Shane Mosley and Felix Trinidad before dropping decisions to a bigger Bernard Hopkins and the awkward, high volume puncher Paul Williams.

7. Joe Calzaghe (Decade Record: 19-0-0)

One of only two undefeated fighters on the list, Joe Calzaghe ended his career in 2008 after racking up 21 successful defenses of the super middleweight title. He beat Bernard Hopkins for the light heavyweight crown but a lack of formidable opponents at 168 pounds and a failure to land fights with top light heavyweights like Roy Jones Jr. – who was far past his best when Calzaghe fought him – keep Joe from a higher rating, but his talent is not questioned.

6. Miguel Cotto (Decade Record: 34-2-0)

Unlike the other names on this list, Miguel Cotto’s entire career has taken place in the 2000s. And with only two losses, one against a man much higher up on this list, his career has been a steady one highlighted by hard-fought wins against Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and Joshua Clottey.

5. Juan Manuel Marquez (Decade Record: 20-3-1)

Incorporating more brawling into his scientific approach to boxing, Marquez won the hearts of the Mexican people by nearly getting the best of Manny Pacquiao on two occasions and coming out on top in wars with Marco Antonio Barrera, Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz.

4. Marco Antonio Barrera (Decade Record: 16-5-0)

Entering the year 2000, Marco Antonio Barrera was considered past his best. But after taking an undefeated Erik Morales to the limit, altering his style from brawler to technician and outclassing an undefeated Prince Naseem Hamed, he never looked better. Barrera went on to win a classic trilogy against Morales.

3. Bernard Hopkins (Decade Record: 14-3-0)

If longevity is the mark of a champion, then Bernard Hopkins is undisputed. Soon to be 44 years old early in 2010, he got his big break by knocking out an undefeated Felix Trinidad in 2001. Hopkins proceeded to record 20 defenses of the middleweight title before his streak was ended with two razor-thin losses to Jermain Taylor. Hopkins then beat linear light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver before losing his second divisional title to Joe Calzaghe.

2. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Decade Record: 18-0-0)

Undefeated in 13 years as a professional, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has proven himself the most complete fighter in the world over the last quarter century. A five-division champion with wins over Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, Zab Judah, Jose Luis Castillo and Diego Corrales, Mayweather now aims to cement himself as one of the greatest fighters of all time with a win over Manny Pacquiao this spring.

1. Manny Pacquiao (Decade Record: 23-1-2)

From his breakout performance against Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in 2001 to his career-best knockout win over Miguel Cotto last month, Manny Pacquiao improved every time he stepped in the ring. During the decade, he captured titles in seven divisions, four of them linear divisional titles. He defeated three of the names on this list and next has a shot at a fourth when he takes on Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a fight that is estimated to set earnings records.

Others for Consideration

While many more fighters made their mark on boxing over the last decade, not all of them were able to sustain to the same degree that these 10 did. Oscar De La Hoya, Erik Morales, Kostya Tszyu, Ricky Hatton and Vitali Klitschko all made their case in the 2000s but fell short for various reasons.

De La Hoya participated in more big fights than any fighter before him but suffered five defeats in the decade. Morales competed in classic after classic but failed to rejuvenate his career for the long haul after two losses to rival Barrera. Although he remains the last man to beat Pacquiao, Morales was twice knocked out in rematches and ended his career on a four-loss slide.

140-pound supremacy transitioned from Tszyu’s hands from 2000 to 2005 into Hatton’s hands until 2009, thereby splitting the decade in half and denying either a spot in the list. And though it appeared heavyweight domination was sure to be Vitali’s after coming up short in a brutal battle with Lewis, injuries forced him into a four-year layoff, thereby opening the door for his brother, Wladimir, to climb into the list in his place.

Closing 2009 - BoxingScene’s Pound for Pound Top Ten

With the significant results for the year tallied, and the anticipation for 2010 already building, this marks the final look at the top fighters in the sport for this year.

Not much has changed since Manny Pacquiao’s Welterweight win over Miguel Cotto provided the last shake up, but there has been enough in December to merit some shifts in the ratings. While others move, only one departs.

Exiting the top ten is Cotto. It is no insult to Cotto. The Puerto Rican star has faced a tougher field of comp over the last few years than almost anyone in the sport and deserves full credit for it, but the reality is he has also taken full punishment in the ring. Resume does not, in this case, overcome the combination of the performances of another and two brutal stoppage losses in Cotto’s last four fights.

The focal point remains the top two slots. The clock is ticking and the world will know soon enough whether Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather comes together on March 13, 2010 or not. If the answer is no, it will only mean postponing the inevitable…and probably milking a few extra dollars as the want to see them do battle grows to rabid levels.

Until they lock horns, it’s highly unlikely anyone climbs higher than third. In a sport which manages to field a top ten in seventeen weight classes, that’s not so bad.

These are the Boxing Scene Pound for Pound ratings.

1) Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KO)
Age: 30
Current Titles: WBO Welterweight (147 lbs.); World Junior Welterweight (140 lbs.)
Career Titles: World Flyweight/112 lb. champion (1998-99); World Featherweight/126 lb. champion (2003-2005); World Jr. Lightweight/130 lb. champion (2008); additional alphabelts at 112, 122, 130, and 135 lbs.
Last Five Opponents: Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, David Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez

Next Opponent: TBA

The Take: This is Pacquiao’s spot to lose and Mayweather’s to take. Some would say take back, but unlike Pacquiao, Mayweather never made the demands on the top slot Pacquiao has. Mayweather sort of inherited it based on past accomplishment and visible talent as Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones faded from their peaks, later strengthening his position with a solid 2006-07 campaign. Conversely, Pacquiao has become nothing short of a phenomenon. His knockout win over Miguel Cotto on November 14, 2009, gave him a title claim in his record seventh weight class from Flyweight to Welterweight from ages 19-30. It adds more shine to a resume which featured a record fourth lineal World championship after Pacquiao’s May drubbing of Ricky Hatton. He skipped two classes, Jr. Bantamweight and Bantamweight, altogether. In six of seven classes, Lightweight excluded, he defeated either the perceived best man in class or someone with a strong claim to the top, defeating three easy future Hall of Famers in Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez at Featherweight and Jr. Lightweight. Once upon a time, Jimmy McLarnin and Tony Canzoneri were able to compete with world class talent across a similar scale variance. That was over seventy years ago. Roberto Duran did it in more recent vintage and Tommy Hearns started bigger but also played huge spreads. Only all-time greats have ever done what Pacquiao is doing right now. Readers may draw what conclusions they will from that.

2) Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KO)
Age: 32
Current Title: None
Career Titles: World Jr. Lightweight champion (1998-2001); World Lightweight champion (2002-04); World Welterweight/147 lbs. (2007-09); additional alphabelts at 130, 135, 140, 147 & 154 lbs.
Last Five Opponents: Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Carlos Baldomir, Zab Judah

Up Next: TBA

My Take: Mayweather has taken so many lumps for his choices of opposition over the last few years that the general quality has become underrated. The underwhelming 2003-05 run was a disappointing waste of prime, but most his last five wins have come against good, sometimes very good, if not great opposition. It’s really the story of his career, even when he was fighting some beasts at 130 and 135 lbs. There’s a lot of good, even some very good, which make the picture of a great fighter, but Mayweather has lacked most what lays before him. In Manny Pacquiao, he has an undeniably great opponent. As good as Marquez has been from Featherweight through Lightweight, he didn’t fit that bill in a Welterweight fight. Pacquiao has proven he does. Mayweather’s accomplishments already make him a Hall of Famer, with genuine World championships at 130, 135 and 147 lbs. along with belts at 140 and 154. Now he has the sort of dance partner who can push his legacy towards the levels which Mayweather would claim he’s already reached. He’ll enter with advantages in defensive technique, height, and reach while probably giving up a hair in speed and certainly in power. It’s a perfect match-up for Mayweather and for the boxing world.

3) Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO)
Age: 38
Current Title: WBA Welterweight
Career Titles: World Welterweight (2000-02); World Junior Middleweight (2003-04); Additional Alphabelt at Lightweight
Last Five Opponents: Antonio Margarito, Ricardo Mayorga, Miguel Cotto, Luis Collazo, Fernando Vargas (twice)

Next Opponent: January 30, 2010 vs. Andre Berto (25-0, 19 KO)

The Take: Shane Mosley can’t be blamed if his mind wanders already to some late date in 2010, to a moment when he might be able to snare a shot at the winner of Pacquiao-Mayweather. For his sake, he’d better not let it wander when next he steps in the ring. Andre Berto is a more serious threat than most realize, the first man Mosley has faced in years who will be markedly quicker of hand and young enough to have something to prove. It’s the sort of challenge Mosley has gained a reputation for and the perfect opportunity to get his career back on track after finding himself shelved for almost all of 2009 following a career re-defining victory over Antonio Margarito.

4) Paul Williams (38-1, 27 KO)
Age: 28
Current Title: None
Career Titles: Two alphabelt reigns at Welterweight
Last Five Opponents: Sergio Martinez, Winky Wright, Verno Phillips, Andy Kolle, Carlos Quintana (twice)

Next Opponent: TBA

The Take: Williams continues to find new ways to impress. In his last outing, he was hurt badly and dropped at the end of the first round and yet found a way, a will, to win by night’s end even if the scoring of the fight left the verdict with a less than ‘official’ feel. That the fight with Sergio Martinez took place at all is just as impressive. In a situation like what Williams found himself in, when a crack at World Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik fell apart, many a fighter would have looked for a placeholder opponent until the money fight could be resuscitated. Williams instead took on one of the elite Jr. Middleweights in the world and wound up in a Fight of the Year candidate. Few big names have had interest in Martinez just as few, once upon a time, had much interest in Antonio Margarito. Williams is building a big name by being the interested party and keeps passing tests. Avenging a loss? Williams came back from a decision defeat to stop Quintana in one round. Pushing aside the past? Williams became the first man to stop Phillips since the Reagan Administration and shut out Winky Wright. Now we’ve seen just how much heart he has in the Martinez war. He’s a fluid, exciting offensive fighter but lapses in defense could prove problematic if, in 2010, the heavy handed Pavlik ends up in the other corner as expected. If he can win there, he’s already said he’d be happy to do a rematch with Martinez. The one-time Welterweight (who still claims he can make it that far down the scale) is poised for a make or break year in terms of just how elite he will be.

5) Chad Dawson (29-0, 17 KO)
Age: 27
Current Title: None
Career Titles: Another Alphabelt at 175
Last Five Opponents: Antonio Tarver (twice), Glen Johnson (twice), Epifanio Mendoza, Jesus Ruiz, Tomasz Adamek

Next Opponent: TBA

The Take: This Light Heavyweight star in the making has put together an impressive run since toppling veteran Eric Harding in 2006. His win over Adamek was almost bell to bell control; Adamek has since established himself as the best Cruiserweight in the world and is now busting up Heavyweights. Johnson and Tarver give him wins over two recent, popular choices for Light Heavyweight champion of the World. Johnson was hell the first time around but Dawson showed his learning curve in a decisive technical victory in their November 2009 rematch. What Dawson has lacked is a compelling young opponent who can match his speed and play on his willingness to fight, sometimes to his own detriment. The Johnson rematch victory gave Dawson the interim WBC belt at 175. The full belt is held by the athletic and exciting Jean Pascal. Logically, the two would seem headed for a clash in 2010 and given the speed and willingness to battle both men have it should be a circled date on any boxing fan’s calendar.

6) Bernard Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KO)
Age: 44 Years Young
Current Title: None
Career Titles: Ring Light Heavyweight/175 lb. titlist (2006-2008); World Middleweight/160 lb. Champion (2001-2005); Alphabelt titles at 160 lbs. from 1995-2005
Last Five Opponents: Enrique Ornelas, Kelly Pavlik, Joe Calzaghe, Winky Wright, Antonio Tarver

Next Opponent: TBA

The Take: After taking over a year off, Hopkins returned in December with a nice workout against the Middleweight Ornelas. It was supposed to be a shake the rust off moment as he prepared for a ‘generation in the making’ rematch with Roy Jones. Jones went and got dusted by Danny Green in Australia and Hopkins may just end up heading down under himself to face Green next. If so, it’s an interesting affair. Green is a better fighter than most realize, a fighter once expected to be a major player who had some bad luck, and a couple bad losses, at bad times. As another positive, Green’s also not a Middleweight, something Hopkins has faced in three of his five fights since moving to Light Heavyweight. Hopkins slides to this slot (from third) if only because the men above him are seeking out the toughest challenges now rather than coasting on past accomplishment. In Dawson’s case, that means actively seeking Hopkins while Hopkins picks his spots. The only real ratings that matter come when a fighter is gone and Hopkins has shored those up. He’s one of the game’s living legends and he’s earned the right, from a business perspective, to whatever he wants. Heading into 2010, others have earned the right to move ahead of him until Hopkins (inevitably?) reminds the world again just why he’s so special in the first place.

7) Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KO)
Age: 36
Current Title: World Lightweight/135 lb. Champion (2008-Present)
Career Titles: Alphabet titles at 126, 130 lbs.
Last Five Opponents: Floyd Mayweather Jr., Juan Diaz, Joel Casamayor, Manny Pacquiao, Rocky Juarez

Next Opponent: TBA

The Take: It may seem unfair for Marquez to drop in the ratings after Mayweather, even if he gains a spot back after Pacquiao-Cotto. He made a bold move, challenged the scale, and lost to a man who probably beats him at any weight. Life, much less boxing, is not fair and the calendar has much to do with his fall on this chart. The list of men who moved up in middle age, took a bad loss, and returned to be champions is short for a reason. Shane Mosley, as noted, has done it but Marquez isn’t quite the same caliber athlete. History says his best days will be behind him, particularly faced with the speed of young Lightweights. He could prove the world wrong but he’ll need to do so to move back to where he was. As it stands, he is a testament to patience. A fighter who waited years for his first belt, still more for a chance to be a star, has gone from good fighter to Hall of Famer all since 2004. The loss to Mayweather cannot change that and a proposed match with former Jr. Welterweight champ Ricky Hatton could be a nice reminder for all.

8) Hozumi Hasegawa (28-2, 12 KO)
Age: 28
Current Title: WBC Bantamweight
Last Five Opponents: Alvaro Perez, Nestor Rocha, Vusi Malinga, Alejandro Valdez, Cristian Faccio

Next Opponent: TBA

My Take: The old saying goes that punchers are born, not made. How then to explain the explosions coming from the fists of Japan’s Hasegawa, the world’s premiere 118 lb. warrior? For the fifth fight in a row, Hasegawa sent his opponent home early. To Alvaro Perez’s credit, he lasted longer than the four men before him, making it all the way into round four before being flattened. It’s not that his opponents have been world beaters. They have merely been good, solid professionals for the most part but two of them (Rocha and Malinga) had never been stopped. Hasegawa did both challengers in the first round. It’s an exciting turn for a fighter who looked like a win-by-work rate sort when he defeated the excellent Veeraphol Sahaprom for his belt in 2005. The way Hasegawa is dispatching of foes speaks to a fighter who, with ten title defenses under his belt, has reached the peak of his powers. The scuttlebutt has Hasegawa moving out of the Bantamweight division, with one publication even citing a possible bout at against the world’s top Featherweight, WBA titlist Chris John. John, like Hasegawa, is a double digit title defender and a clash would be the rare all-Asia clash that gets the English speaking boxing world buzzing. No matter who he faces, Hasegawa has proven his talent is too great to be restricted only to Japan any longer. The world needs to see him and Hasegawa has earned to right to show the world what he’s got.

9) Timothy Bradley (25-0, 11 KO)
Age: 26
Current Title: WBO Jr. Welterweight
Career Titles: Additional alphabelt at Jr. Welterweight
Last Five Opponents: Lamont Peterson, Nate Campbell, Kendall Holt, Edner Cherry, Junior Witter

Next Opponent: TBA

My Take: The exit of Cotto from this list makes room for Bradley, the best active fighter in arguably boxing’s deepest pool of talent today. There are some divisions which struggle to field more than five real candidates for the top of the class. Jr. Welterweight has a top ten which isn’t big enough for all of the talent swimming around. Bradley burst from the pack in 2008 with an upset win, on the road, over the long avoided Brit Junior Witter to win the WBC belt. Since then, he’s only faced one fighter (Cherry) who would be considered a softer touch and through 2009, Bradley found ways to look better in each outing. He came off the floor to win a unification battle with Holt and was dominating veteran former Lightweight titlist Nate Campbell before an accidental cut shortened their affair in the third. Perhaps most impressive, Bradley bested the unbeaten Lamont Peterson while showing off a fully developed toolbox. Bradley began aggressively, dropping Peterson, and then met him in the trenches for sustained warfare as Peterson willed himself back into the fight. As Peterson got close, Bradley changed tactics again, moving and boxing to contain the affair. He has become a genuine jack of all trades, a combination of elite speed, footwork, defense, and offensive activity who reminds that the application of the sweet science need not be dull.

10) Ivan Calderon (33-0-1, 6 KO)
Age: 34
Current Title: World Jr. Flyweight/108 lb. Champion (2007-Present)
Career Titles: Additional alphabelts at 105 & 108 lbs.
Last Five Opponents: Rodel Mayol (twice), Hugo Cazares (twice), Nelson Dieppa, Juan Esquer, Ronald Barrera

Next Opponent: TBA

The Take: Sliding a couple of spots to ten after Bradley and Hasegawa’s closing efforts in 2009, there is a temptation to drop Calderon from the ratings altogether after a blasé year. Perhaps it wasn’t what it appeared. While the circumstances were controversial, Rodel Mayol followed two competitive affairs with Calderon (a technical draw and loss, both shortened by cuts) with a win over the 108 lb. division’s longest reigning titlist, Edgar Sosa. Hugo Cazares, since his second loss to Calderon in 2008, has emerged as a serious force at 115 lbs. Arguably the best pure boxer of the decade, Calderon is certainly aging but his highest profile fights yet could be coming together in 2010. A showdown with fellow 2000 Olympian and IBF titlist Brian Viloria could, probably will, happen and give Calderon his biggest stage to date. Already an impressive 17-0-1 in title fights, Viloria as win number eighteen would only add to the most impressive little man career outside Asia since Ricardo Lopez ruled the bottom of the scale.

Five More Who Could Easily Be Here: Chris John, Nonito Donaire, Arthur Abraham, Miguel Cotto, Celestino Caballero

Five More Who Could Be Here Shortly: Andre Ward, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Andre Berto, Roman Gonzalez, Sergio Martinez

As always, feel free to agree…and disagree. This list is for entertainment purposes only and based purely on imagination, hypotheticals and conjecture just like every other pound for pound list ever written. Neither it nor any other such list made up of such illusory ingredients should be used to forward corporate agendas of any kind.

That doesn’t make it any less fun to argue about.

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Roach: Pacquiao won’t suffer JMM’s fate in Floyd’s hands

As promoters work on the final details of the planned Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. super bout, coach Freddie Roach assured that the Filipino champ won’t suffer the same abuse absorbed by Juan Manuel Marquez in Floyd’s hands.

In an interview with BoxingScene.com, Roach said he will make sure that Mayweather will stick to the weight stipulated in the bout.

“I'm tired of guys signing the contracts and not living by them. If he (Mayweather) signs a contract at 147, that's the weight we are fighting at,” said Roach in a report by BoxingScene.com.

He added: "147 [lbs] is the weight. They are fighting for Manny's title at 147.”

Mayweather was widely criticized for failing to meet the agreed 144-pound catch weight in his bout with Marquez last September. Although Mayweather was penalized with a $600,000 fee, the added weight gave the comebacking boxer a considerable size advantage that allowed him to easily defeat Marquez.

Roach said if Mayweather fails to make the 147-lb limit for his fight with Pacquiao, the boxer's team will simply walk away from the fight.

'Different strategy'

The American trainer said they will prepare a different strategy against Mayweather, who remains unbeaten in 40 fights because of his evasive tactics inside the ring.

Roach said that if an agreement is finally sealed, Team Pacquiao will likely return to Baguio City, where the Filipino prepared for his title tiff against Puerto Rican champ Miguel Cotto.

And since Mayweather is no ordinary fighter, they will start camp early.

"I want to start camp early. A month in Baguio, a month in LA and then the final week in Vegas,” said Roach.

The boxing hall-of-famer said the fight will boil down to ring generalship and he see’s his ward winning by decision.

"I think it's going to be a tough fight for both guys. I think Pacquiao will win a twelve round decision,” he said.

Hatton and Marquez verbally agree to fight

According to Golden Boy Promotions matchmaker Eric Gomez, lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez and former jr. welterweight champion Ricky Hatton have verbally agreed to fight each other some time in 2010.

The announcement was made shortly after Paulie Malignaggi's dominant unanimous decision victory over Juan Diaz. When Malignaggi expressed his strong desire to face either Marquez or Hatton in his next bout, Gomez quickly shot down those plans when he revealed the news of the the verbal agreement during the post-fight press conference.

Although a verbal agreement doesn't necessarily mean that a fight is close to being finalized, it does give an indication that Hatton is indeed planning on making his return to the ring some time in the new year.

Of course, that news should come as no surprise to FightHype readers as Hatton practically let the cat out of the bag nearly two weeks ago in an interview with FightHype's own Mike Juhas.

"I'm starting to get that itch again and in the new year, I'll have a serious think about things," he would tell Juhas. "I don't want to drop any levels. I've fought the top ten guys, obviously Pacquiao and Mayweather. Kostya Tszyu was number two when I beat him and Castillo was around nine or ten. That's the type of level where I want to be," he continued.

Marquez was considered by many to be one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport prior to his unanimous decision loss to Floyd Mayweather. In fact, he's still currently ranked #5 by Ring Magazine, so it would appear that Marquez presents the perfect level of competition that Hatton is looking for.

The bout would likely take place at Hatton's natural fighting weight of 140 pounds as Marquez previously expressed his plans to continue campaigning at jr. welterweight in hopes of becoming the first Mexican to win a world title in four different weight classes. "It's time to rest, return in 2010 and try something at super lightweight with fighters like Ricky Hatton," he comment just days after his loss to Mayweather. "I would like to make history at the age of 36."

Assuming plans move forward, the decision likely means that Marquez will be vacating his WBO lightweight title as he was recently sent a letter with an ultimatum to face interim champion Michael Katsidis or he would be stripped.