Fightnights Pound for Pound Rankings May 2013

The Fightnights Pound for Pound Rankings have been updated. These rankings are based upon a fighter's resume and the classic "what if" scenarios. If they were all the same weight, who would be the best top ten fighters on the planet and how would they rank against each other in mythical fights. Of course, that's why these rankings cause so much debate and anger, because no one ever really knows. But that's why everyone loves them. Enjoy! 

1. Floyd Mayweather

What else is there to say about the reigning pound for pound king? Nobody can beat Floyd Maweather right now. At 36 he’s on the top of his game. The number one spot has been rightfully his the past couple years. Inconsistency plagues other fighters while Mayweather just continues to shine through everyone they put in front of him. Guerrero barely landed anything clean and flush through 12 rounds. Mayweather is the pound for pound King, but danger looms in moving up to 154. The question, is Mayweather vs Canelo next? We’ll see.

2. Andre Ward

A should injury has an inactive Ward itching to get back into the ring. He’s proven his dominance over the last three years by embarrassing the best of the super middleweight division the same way Mayweather has the welterweights. He also defeated light heavyweight champ Chad Dawson. Ward has the same question looming around him as Mayweather does, who can beat him? It doesn’t look like anyone can at 168. Ward’s number two spot goes untested.

3. Juan Manuel Marquez

In the last seven years, Marquez has only lost to two people. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, who were both 1 and 2 on the P4P list at the time. And both losses to Pacquiao were controversial. So why should anyone else be at number 3? Marquez exacted revenge on Manny with a brutal KO. He continues to dominate at a high level. Next up is Timothy Bradley, which is an excellent fight. 

4. Wladimir Klitchsko

Say what you want about the Klitchsko’s, but they absolutely dominate fights. Wladimir deserves this spot. He alone has made the heavyweight division look like a bunch of amateurs. Without him in the game, the heavyweight division actually looks like a decent division with some exciting fights, and that says a lot about how good Klitchsko is. Can he beat some of the guys lower than him on this list if they were the same weight? Maybe not, but that’s a big maybe. These rankings aren’t just about that. So he’s rightfully at number four. Alexander Potvekin is next.

5. Sergio Martinez

It’s surprising to have him this high after his last performance against Murray. But Murray is a tough opponent and Martinez was just coming off of surgery. Giving him the benefit of the doubt he still deserves to be top 5. But he’s getting to that point where he can fall very fast. He won’t fight the rest of the year, which means his performance against Murray is all there is to go by as the guys below him move up. By the end of the year he’ll be much lower, but right now he’s still a top 5.

6. Guillermo Rigondeaux

A win over Nonito Donaire deserves a catapult into the pound for pound rankings. Six is still a little high for just one big win, but honestly, who can beat this kid? Because of the popular opinion that no one in the world can beat this guy at the same weight, and because of a dominate performance against Nonito Donaire, he sneaks up to number six. 

7. Abner Mares

Right behind Rigondeaux is Abnar Mares. He won a tough fight against Daniel Ponce De Leon at his 126 debut. Mares is special. The kid puts on exciting fights and just keeps winning. He went right for the champion for his debut at 126 and won by TKO. That says a lot. Unfortunately because of the Cold War the fans won’t get to see Mares vs Rigondeaux next, which should have been next. 

8. Manny Pacquiao

Manny is Manny. Yes he lost by a brutal KO to Marquez, but he’s the only opponent that has even given Pacquiao a little problem in the last eight years. Pacquaio still deserves to be on this list because he can be put up against anyone on it at the same weight and have a very good shot at winning the fight. The loss to Timothy Bradley doesn’t count in anyone’s books. Anyone that has any sort of boxing knowledge at least. Next up either Brandon Rios or Mike Alvarado.

9. Saul Alvarez

When a special fighter comes along with a lot of hype around him, the mixed feelings in the boxing world toward the fighter are voiced with extreme. Just ask Floyd Mayweather. Canelo Alvarez showed his boxing ability in defeating Austin Trout. The kid has all the tools to be great, and he’s very young. Also, put him up against anyone on this list and he can beat them. Is he flawed? Yes, everyone is. If he wasn’t he would be higher. But he gets better with each fight and honestly has the best shot from 140 to 154 to beat Floyd Mayweather, who could be next. It’s what the fans want.

10. Timothy Bradley

This one gets the credit to Twitter. By allowing the fans to vote between a few different fighters, Timothy Bradley was voted over Carl Froch, Bernard Hopkins, Adrien Broner and Vitali Klitchsko for the tenth spot on the rankings. At this far down there are always a ton of fighters that can be put at number 10. Bradley has very credible wins on his resume including ones over Alexander and Peterson.(Pacquiao doesn’t count as a win) He’s got a huge test next against Juan Manuel Marquez. That fight will decide if he truly deserves to be on this list.