Pound for pound top 25 17/7

mc grain did you just pull these names out of a hat?
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Pretty decent list McGrain, my only major gripe would be RJJ being in there. The guy hasn't won a meaningful fight for 5 years, how can you be in the top 50 P4P if that is the case? And I don't think Nonito Donaire should be rated so highly after having had so few fights.

Here's mine:

1.Manny Pacquiao
2.Juan Manuel Marquez
3.Miguel Cotto
4.Joe Calzaghe
5.Israel Vasquez
6.Kelly Pavlik
7.Bernard Hopkins
8.Ivan Calderon
9.Joel Casamayor
10.David Haye
11.Arthur Abraham
12.Cristian Mijares
13.Rafael Marquez
14.Antonio Margarito
15.Winky Wright
16.Ricky Hatton
17.Joan Guzman
18.Paul Williams
19.Chris John
20.Fernando Montiel
21.Oscar De La Hoya
22.Shane Mosley
23.Wladimir Klitschko
24.Mikkel Kessler
25.Nate Campbell

Honourable mentions to Juan Diaz, Chad Dawson, Nonito Donaire, and Edwin Valero.

 

A solid list, McGrain, with a few thoughts:

1) I think Cotto belongs above JMM and arguably Calzaghe, obviously depending on the results of next week. Marquez's reputation is based largely on fights in which he is 0-1-1.

He just doesn't have the resume to support being No. 2, even if he did push Pacquiao to the limit. Manny is a valid, yet vulnerable No. 1, IMO.

2) I think Pavlik is too high. Although I think Hopkins is too highly regarded on most lists, it wouldn't shock me if Bernard beats him. And I suspect Kessler (who legitimately was dropped by you) would dominate Pavlik.

3) Perhaps I would drop Hatton a couple spots, but that one doesn't bother me. He's still a tough out.

4) You've explained Donaire already. Fair enough.

5) I like the Margarito call. He has a style that troubles everyone at 147.

6) Hoya is too high. No meaningful wins in a long time, looked shitty against Forbes, too.

7) I've been arguing for the past year that Wladimir should be in the top 20. Glad to see someone agrees.

8) Jones is way too high, as others have mentioned. If there's one philosophical difference in our viewpoints, it's that I think you value mystique and all-time standing to a greater degree in a contemporary sense.

Roy hasn't beaten an A opponent since 2003 and has been stopped twice and unconvincing in his recent wins. I wouldn't have him in a top 50, as I think you have to at least consider many top-five Ring contenders in a given class ahead of him.

If I follow, it appears your logic is that he will be competitive against No. 3, thus justifying his position. To me that's a dangerous precedent, because were he to fight No. 24, Chad Dawson, he would get dominated in the worst possible way.

All in all, a mighty fine effort.

 

Why is Roy on that list beating an inactive, old Trinidad at light heavy means little. Tarver or Johnson deserve to be higher then him, Jones has not beaten a top ten fighter since 2003. Cassamyor should probably take his place.