Here's my go at a p4p list...

Well, I am not obsessed about the statistics, even when they happen to be "W"s or "L"s, because sometimes there's a world of difference between one win and another. They shouldn't all count the same.

I am sure Hopkins is cunning/intelligent enough to make it look very ugly for Calzaghe. But remember, Bika made Calzaghe look awful too and the fight was close! Didn't make Bika a top 10, 20 or even 30 fighter, did it? So, if Hopkins gets the nod because he's managed to disrupt the action so much and makes it a really ugly, horrible (non-really-boxing-fight), Calzaghe will fall some places on my list since he couldn't take charge and stay on top of the situation, but Hopkins won't climb more than a few places for me. (Hopkins cannot get better by cheating or turning it into a non-boxing match). Compare Tszyu v. Hatton, for example. Hatton shouldn't be given as much credit for that win given the way he won, for example. Nor should the faded Tszyu be penalised so much for losing to Hatton, given the way the fight was fought.

Hopkins can only get better by implementing a boxing strategy that works in his advantage, shows up his own skills and neutralises the advantage of his opponent as much as possible. If he does all that pretty much by the book and puts in an unexpectedly great performance, he will climb a lot, possibly even over Calzaghe. But that would be a miracle. Calzaghe wouldn't fall that much if he still puts in a very good performance but is beaten by the better man, in that case.

 

I wasn't sure about these two...thanks for that...I'll take your advice.:good

 

List re-edited; please comment on this list now:

Floyd Mayweather
Manny Pacquiao
Joe Calzaghe
Juan Manuel Marquez
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Joan Guzman
Ivan Calderon
Miguel Cotto
Cristian Mijares
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Israel Vazquez
Rafael Marquez
Mikkel Kessler
Juan Diaz
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Chris John
Ricky Hatton
Kelly Pavlik
Chad Dawson
Wladimir Klitschko
Arthur Abraham
Winky Wright - MW
Cory Spinks
Vernon Forrest
Shane Mosley
David Haye
Jermain Taylor
Bernard Hopkins - LHW
Fernando Montiel
Ruslan Chagaev
Lucian Bute
Anthony Mundine
Edwin Valero
Enzo Maccarinelli

Any glaring faults with this list?:think

I've put Winky down one and Cotto up one (he is more disciplined in implementing the gameplan than Mijares who gets all macho and pays for it, unlike Guzman, who makes them look foolish...don't think it makes much difference, though...same game-park area.

 

peter5, TFFP and McGrain, how far up would you put David, on this list?

 

In the end, I don't think it matters much whether someone is 2 places up or down around the No. 10 mark...but it matters whether Hopkins is the 4th best in the world, Winky the 9th and whether Pavlik is considered better than them, I think.

 

Think Chris John is unerrated but I am not sure about him either. Someone please advise, if you know him well.

Calzaghe is that high despite his recent messy exploits, because of his career and legacy defining fight - Kessler.

 

I cannot make a big difference between Pac and JMM at this stage. They kind of go together. So they would both have to fall together too. We'll watch their fight and Calzaghe's fight against Bhops and then we'll be sure.:good

But if Pac v. JMM is contested and close, unless Calzaghe outwits Hopkins and nullifies all his cunning completely, the list stays as it is for me. Not a big difference at the top for me at all.