New p4p lists & greatest fighters of past 25 years

Comment and make your own!

Current

1. Manny Pacquiao-beat JMM in a close decision to win the linear championship at 130 lbs. Moves up to dominate a weaker champion in David Diaz to capture a world title in his 5th weight class. Then he moves up to welterweight in battering the once-great De La Hoya in 8 one sided rounds.

2. Juan Manuel Marquez-lost a close decision to Pac earlier this year, then moves on to win the linear lightweight championship over Casamayor to become a 3 division champion.

3. Joe Calzaghe-Beat Hopkins in a close decision then looked impressive albeit against a Roy Jones well past his best days. Held both the 168 and 175 titles before he vacated the supermiddleweight championship.

4. Bernard Hopkins-Lost a close decision to Calzaghe in a fight he nearly won then dominated undisputed middleweight champion Pavlik in what was widely considered the best performance of the year before Pacquiao's masterpiece.

5. Israel Vasquez-Finished his trilogy off with a triumphant win over Rafael Marquez in which he needed a 10-8 final round to get. Possibly the greatest fight this decade. His body of work the past few years keep him at 5.

Greatest fighters over the past 25 years

1. Pernell Whitaker-still the best IMO. Looked the greatest on films and ATG's struggled to take rounds off him let alone fights at his peak.

2. Roy Jones Jr.-Still holds on to the #2 spot but it is slipping. He needs to retire before he keeps tarnishing his carrer. His dominace at his peak still keeps him at #2 though.

3. Manny Pacquiao-His stock moves up big after tonight. DLH is far past his best but DLH has fought so many great fighters, some bigger, some smaller, and no one has even come close to doing this to him. Let alone a former Bantamweight. Dismantled a near prime Barrera in 2003. 1-0-1 against a peak Marquez. Both fights were close and the 2nd you could argue for Marquez but the first should have probally gone to Pacquiao.

What hurts him the most is the first Morales fight. Morales was already past his best but beat Manny in a close but clear decision. Erik is an ATG though and Pacquiao then procceded to stop Morales in their 2nd and 3rd fights. This resmue is there. 2 ATG's at their best, 2 past their best and one of them was much bigger.

Titles in 5 weight classes even though he was never thought of as man at 112 and 135 is still up in the air his work at 122, 126, and 130 is very impressive.

4. Evander Holyfield- Won bronze at the Olympics after a controversal DQ ruined his chances at LHW Olympic gold. Turned pro at 175 lbs. Moved up in weight and in only his 12th fight beat ATG Dwight Muhammad Qwai to become the linear Crusierweight champion. Widely regarded at the best ever in that respected weight class. Moved up to heavyweight and beat the likes of Bowe, Mercer, Tyson, Moorer, Cooper, Holmes and Foreman. Regarded as on of the 10 greatest heavyweight champions ever.

5. Bernard Hopkins or Julio Caesar Chavez

I still can't decide who was the greater champion.

 

Does the fact he ruled the roost for the better part of a decade make you bitter?

 

I have Floyd at #7. He is an ATG but Hopkins' longevity and the fact he is still world class nearly 15 years after he won his first world title makes him greater. Chavez had a fabulous carrer as well and at his best no one in his era but Whitaker could come close from 130-140. Some people say I rate Chavez too low but I think around #30 all time is a good spot for him.

Floyd's talent is supreme but his activity against other world class fighters
seperates him from the first tier ATG's.

 

Oscar has been fading for a few years now. He was subpar against an hesitant Mayweather who didn't even want to pull the trigger other than countering enough to win rounds. Oscar's jab didn't even look good after 6 rounds. It was slowing down and getting timed against an almost non existant workrate. It was almost a sparring session. An Oscar of 1997-2000 would have won that fight convincingly. DLH was even more on the downslide against Forbes, and he finally looked shot tonight.

This is why I am thinking #3 may be a little too high. I had him at #10-12 before this fight but I don't see how you could have him lower than #5-6 now. The fact that he once held a title at 19 years of age at 112 lbs and is now 29 and not only beating but completely whooping DLH at 147 speaks volumes on his p4p greatness.

I wanna know where these claims also about Pacquiao having a weak chin have been proven true? The KO loss against Torrecampo was not legit. It has been a while but it looked like he was hit in the thigh and definately does not show a shaky chin or weakness to the body.

I haven't seen his other stoppage loss but all this talk about Pacquiao being stopped before and his chin will fail him at higher weights seems like completely a myth. Marquez stunned him a few times but Marquez has very deceptive power, really hurt Barrera, and did what Chico Corrales could not do and that is stop Casamayor.

 

Losses are losses and they go against a fighter because it illustrates a fighters weakness. I haven't seen his other stoppage loss but the problem with that loss to Torrecampo is it probally should not even be a loss! He was hit below the trunks.