1. Pac 2. Pavlik 3. Winner of Coto - Marga 4. Winner of Casa - JMM 5. Wlad (if he can gets past Tony Thompson)
Pac has the strongest case thus far: Beat JMM, the best of the superfeatherweights and one of the p4p bests. Then moves up to lightweight and wins another title. He'll have another big fight in the fall (likely Valero). If he wins that fight, he's fighter of the year. Pavlik's year was 2007, when he took the boxing world by storm and KO'd Taylor and Miranda. In 2008, he has looked less impressive, barely winning the second Taylor fight. The Lockett fight as well as the upcoming bout against Rubio are tuneup-caliber fights. Not impressed Cotto/Margarito will be fight of the year for sure.. but fighter of the year for the winner? I don't know. Margarito definitely has a stronger case than Cotto after destroying Kermit again. The only fight Cotto has taken in 08 thus far was Gomez. He's gonna have to finish the year strong to make his case over Pacquiao.
I agree with your assessment of Pacquiao and the Battle between Cotto and Margarito as Fight of the Year.
No Wlad in your horizon buddy? After his devastating performance against Sultan? If he gets past of Thompson who displayed two impressive TKO in the past? still just asking
Pac is on his way to have both JMM and Hatton/Valero this year. Fighter of the year if any of those comes off in my opinion.