I think the two most improtant factors are: 1 - Quality of opposition beat. 2 - Manner of victory (a boxer will make a bigger leap in the ratings if he scores a more conclusive victory. Conversely someone like Rafael Marquez will drop to a lesser degree after a defeat due to the manner of the defeat - his third contest with Vasquez). Then you have a plethora of other options you can tag on or take off at your leisure. Like, winning titles in a higher weight class etc.
Quite simple to me, it's who is the best boxer, regardless of weight. I hate this recent idea that you prove your p4p worthiness by moving up. It can be a factor but it's not compulsory. Yet you hear people say 'how can he be p4p when he's only won titles in one division'. Duh. It was a lot easier to do when there was more concensus about who the best fighter in each division was!
That's very true. Its hard when four guys hold four different belts within a division and don't try and unify (a lot of this seems to go on at Straweight; there haven't been many unifications that I can remember of there). It also links in with your weight jumping argument, where a guy will move up and win a title, maybe defend it once, and then move up again without taking on the perceived best in the division.
I agree that P4P generally is based on record and acheivement then recent form. The problem with P4P lists is that it can become incredibly difficult to justify massive changes in a P4P list. For example, when Mosely beat Marg I instantly put Mosely in at about #5 on my P4P list. But prior to that, I didnt have him ranked. People were then asking how I could justify him being so high given I didnt have him top ten previously. In those terms, I couldnt justify it. I think P4P is like an elephant for me. Difficult to describe but you'll know it when you see it.
Not always, an easy/wide win often leads to claims that the opponent was 'overrated' or 'shot' which can lessen the acheivement than a hard fought but deserved victory.
I have Vlad there or there abouts on the edge of the top 10. Vitali is a few places outside. But, in general I have a natural bias towards the lower weight categories, and I believe the pool of talent is deeper there. Plus the P-4-P thing works against the HW's to a certain extent, because there is no upper weight limit in the division. You have guys like the Klits fighting with big "natural" weight advantages over there opponents, and there is no denying that it takes a bit of the shine off some of their victories.
I would go along with that.I don't bother with these lists really but I imagine Wladimir would be somewhere 8-10 and Vitali just missing out. Oh and Vitali enjoys more than just 'natural' physical advantages
Wtf?! In that case, Hatton is in the top 10 without doubt, ahead of all these silly names like Bradley, Callebro and Lopez.