By Albert Alvarez
I am not really too big on pound for pound lists, but recently I have been getting asked a lot on who would I say are the very best pound-for-pound fighters boxing today. So I decided to look deep into the question and was able to produce the list below. Keep in mind that this is my personal OPINION on MY top 10 pound-for-pound fighters. I tend to not pay too much attention to records, but aim to look directly at the entire arsenal of a fighter in this “what have you done for me lately’’ world that we live in.
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr.- The way that Floyd Joy was able to toy with Robert Guerrero in his last fight was quite impressive. The footwork he used was spectacular, and it allowed for him to fire out short left hooks that made Guerrero think twice about shooting out certain punches. Floyd is still the very best at making key split second adjustments.
Andre Ward
2. Andre Ward- A lot of fans seem to be turned off by the cuff em’ & sock em’ style used by Ward. I, however, enjoy the manner in which he operates. Ward can box you on the inside and on the outside. Because of this, he just may be the most complete fighter in the sport.
3. Guillermo Rigondeaux- Rigo is a straight up razor. The kid is the absolute best at using distance by keeping you right where he wants you. He has the quickness and power to keep his opponents scared to death of closing in on him. Rigo’s defense is up there with Floyd.
4. Vitali Klitschko- Nobody does a better job at being able to control the opposition with the jab. Vitali and his brother do not get the full credit that they truly deserve. All they do is go out there and dominate their opponents, but are still viewed as boring. When other outspoken fighters out box their foes, fans call it putting on a clinic. When the Klitschko brothers do it, it somehow becomes a tedious task to watch them dominate.
5. Juan Manuel Marquez- His footwork, jab, counter punching mastery, and his heart are just some of the things that make Juan Manuel a very special fighter.
6. Wladimir Klitschko- Same thing noted about Vitali above can be applied here. Get no R E S P E C T.
7. Timothy Bradley- Bradley was stretched out in his last fight against Provodnikov and received a gift against Pacquiao. But man, Timmy’s willpower is second to none.
8. Sergio Martinez- His fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. took so much out of Maravilla, but when Sergio is on his game, watch out!
9. Abner Mares- Mares has no problem facing any fighter, any style, at anytime or anywhere. He digs deep each and every time out.
10. Bernard Hopkins- The old master, B-Hop may be a lot older than his foes, but he still is able to go out there and teach the younger fighters tough-earned lessons. His dedication to the sport is out of this world.
***Next in line-Danny Garcia, Gennady Golovkin, Adrien Broner, Canelo Alvarez, Mikey Garcia, Terence Crawford
****Most Exciting to see- Brandon Rios, Lucas Matthysse, Gennady Golovkin, Mike Alvarado, Omar Figueroa, Manny Pacquiao, Victor Ortiz, Amir Khan, Leo Santa Cruz
