By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
The Yahoo! Sports monthly rankings underwent big changes in October despite the fact that none of the top-ranked fighters were in action.
Manny Pacquiao, who faces Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas in what is expected to be a high-paced bout, supplanted Floyd Mayweather Jr. for the top spot. Mayweather had a one-point edge over Pacquiao in September, but Pacquiao climbed past him by five points in October.
Do you agree with this Rankings?
1. Manny Pacquiao
Points: 238 (13 of 25 first-place votes)
Record: 49-3-2 (37 KOs)
Title: Ring Magazine super lightweight champion
Last outing: TKO2 over Ricky Hatton on May 2
Previous ranking: 2
Up next: vs. No. 6 Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14
Analysis: A Pacquiao-Mayweather fight in 2010 could be the richest bout ever
2. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Points: 233 (15 of 28 first-place votes)
Record: 40-0 (25 KOs)
Title: No title
Last outing: W12 over No. 6 Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19
Previous ranking: 1
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis: Was brilliant in one-sided beatdown
3. Paul Williams
Points: 165
Record: 37-1 (27 KOs)
Title: Interim WBO junior middleweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Winky Wright on April 11
Previous ranking: 3
Up next: Dec. 5 vs. TBA
Analysis: Can he fight and compete in three divisions simultaneously?
4. Shane Mosley
Points: 148
Record: 46-5 (39 KOs)
Title: WBA welterweight champion
Last outing: TKO9 over Antonio Margarito on Jan. 24
Previous ranking: T4
Up next: Welterweight unification fight with Andre Berto in January
Analysis: On outside looking in on Pacquiao, Mayweather sweepstakes
5. Juan Manuel Marquez
Points: 131
Record: 50-5-1 (37 KOs)
Title: WBA, WBO, Ring lightweight champion
Last outing: L12 to No. 1 Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Sept. 19
Previous ranking: 6
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis: Had nothing to offer against Mayweather
6. Miguel Cotto
Points: 129
Record: 34-1 (27 KOs)
Title: WBO welterweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Joshua Clottey on June 13
Previous ranking: 7
Up next: vs. No. 1 Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas
Analysis: Showed much moxie fighting for 10 rounds with deep gash above eye
7. Bernard Hopkins
Points: 115
Record: 49-5-1 (32 KOs)
Title: Ring light heavyweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Kelly Pavlik on Oct. 18
Previous ranking: T4
Up next: vs. Enrique Ornelas on Dec. 2 in Philadelphia
Analysis: Needs a win to set up pay-per-view bout in 2009 with Roy Jones Jr.
8. Chad Dawson
Points: 57
Record: 28-0 (17 KOs)
Title: IBF light heavyweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Antonio Tarver on May 9
Previous ranking: 8
Up next: Rematch with Glen Johnson on Nov. 7 in Hartford, Conn.
Analysis: Hopes to make statement with clear win over veteran Johnson
9. Arthur Abraham
Points: 43
Record: 31-0 (25 KOs)
Title: None
Last outing: TKO12 Jermain Taylor on Oct. 17
Previous ranking: NR
Up next: vs. Andre Dirrell on Jan. 23 at TBA
Analysis: Could become star in Super Six tournament
10. Wladimir Klitschko
Points: 33
Record: 53-3 (47 KOs)
Titles: IBF, WBO heavyweight champion
Last outing: TKO9 over Ruslan Chagaev on June 20
Previous ranking: 10
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis: Recovering from surgery and won’t fight until early 2010
Juan,your remarks are spot on except for what you said about De La Hoya..He was in it for the money and had passed his used by date,if Pac had,nt got him.one of the younger guys would have,Like I said before Pac is overrated ..But I totally agree about what you said.Mayweather will eat him alive when and if they fight,and of course they will if pac gets past Cotto.However I am looking foreward to the fight and hope that Pac and Cotto live up to the hype..Just to add,I do not and never will follow this pound for pound crap,just as I don,t follow the alpherbet titlesthat have now made a mockery of the sport that I loved so much..rosco
Hi. I really think that pound for pound should also have a weight class because i don’t agree with the rankings of undefeated fighters.
Please understand that to put all the weightclass together like that is wrong. Pacquiao has 3 loses with two knockout in his record..Pacquiao is dangerous though because he is training alot harder with Fredy Roach one hell of a trainer that has gotten Pacquiao this far. Pacquiao is also determine by working out harder then ever. He will not be able to beat Mayweather because Mayweather beat better fighters and has never been beaten. His style is defense first then offense, to strong for the smaller Pacquiao. Mayweather has beaten the best and their are so many superstar fighters out there right now it isn’t funny. Mayweather will roll Pacquiaos punches and destroy him with jabs and counterpunches with every arsenal mayweather has. i know that. De La Hoya was not himself that night because he lost to much weight and Power. If you see that fight closer he was not even throwing punches in close and could not even move. It wasn’t that pacquiao was faster because he was. De La Hoya Defeated Himself by fighting at the lower weight. I know De La Hoya is better then that. .Mosley will destroy Pacquiao. Mosley is deadly right now. Look at what he did to Margarito. Cotto is also a great fighter Clottey and Berto so many to name that i am sorry if i didn’t put you down in the welterweight list.
Bori_4 _life I tend to agree. Although Floyd is remains greatly talented and skilled, the other fighters that have remained active and doing what they’re supposed to do… FIGHT, are not getting their WELL EARNED proper recognition!! To disregard them seems unfair. Floyd won easily but DIDN’T take a p4p RISK so….. the #2 rating seems to be a bit too high. He needs to face top level fighter of his own weight to earn such a prestigious ranking. This isn’t about just “showcasing” skills, it’s MORE about proving worth facing the best in you weight class. Let’s NOT forget how he conveniently decided to retire when he was being pressured by the fans and media to face Williams, Mosley, Margarito and Cotto after the Hatton fight. He returned for the money AND because he no longer will be pressured to face Williams. Anyway, to MERIT top p4p ranking a fighter must display p4p fighting spirit AND… must ACCEPT p4p challenges!!
i dont get mayweather being number 2 with a long layoff and a comeback against a man 2 weight divisions smaller than him…. bernard shouldnt be in this list and klitschko either. the heavyweight division is horrible full of no talent boxers…e gino gd call. cotto is gonna have to put a whoopin on him bad
Question: Everyone seems to have COMPLETELY ruled out the possibility of this fight going the limit. Now, should it go the whole twelve rounds…. what are the chances of Cotto getting a fairly close but DESERVED decision?? Will he have to win 8 CLEAR rounds in order to be declared a the winner and STILL…… ??? I have a feeling that the majority of the close rounds will given to Manny, just for being Manny. Not knocking Pac, he’s a future ATG, win or lose. Just the way I see it.
Rankings are wrong because Mayweather never lost he should be number one. Mayweather beat the day lights out of Juan Manuel Marquez better then Manny Pacquiao did. His style his hard to hit him flush perfect counter to Pacquiao style. Pacquiao is dangerous to any weighterweight fighter because he is super fast in throwing punches and moves nicely.
Miguel Cotto will have to throw stiff jabs and hard combinations and move side to side even counterpunch going in or out. Cotto Most fight or get knockout by Manny Pacquiao who is no joke. “My pick may the best man win this SuperFight! I hope both fight a awesome classic fight of the year and that they come out well from this fight.
@E. “Gino” Morales Febus you got a very good point. I agree with you.
P4P ranking should be defended by staying relatively active…. AND WINNING. Hopkins has won ONE fight in OVER TWO YEARS, has lost THREE out of his last six and has fought FIVE times in the last FOUR years!! But STILL, because of his last win over a fighter that honestly “anit all that”, he continues to rank high on most all p4p list. A GROSS disrespect for the greats of yore.
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