411 Boxing Pound for Pound Ratings: December 2010

Posted by Ramon Aranda on 12.24.2010

From Manny Pacquiao and Wladimir Klitschko to Sergio Martinez, Andre Ward, Floyd Mayweather and more, the 411 Staff breaks down their top pound for pound boxers! Check out the full article to see who placed where and why!

Boxing sure made quite a splash over the past few weeks, after a pretty lackadaisical nine months. Luckily for boxing fans, a lot of the matchups that took place from September through December involved a couple of pound for pound entrants and a few that are pretty borderline.

And so without further a do, we give you our pound for pound ratings for December and the end of 2010.



10. Lucian Bute (27-0, 22 KOs) - Bute had himself a fine 2010 with two defenses of his IBF super middleweight title. Bute completely obliterated Edison Miranda early in the year with a devastating TKO and then followed it up in October with a knockout over Jesse Brinkley. Over the course of the last two years, the Canada-based Romanian has improved his game and has demonstrated quite an offensive arsenal. "Le Tombeur" is without question among the best at 168 pounds, with only Andre Ward competing for the top spot. Was signed to a multi-fight deal a few months ago by Showtime, who's currently holding the Super Six World Boxing Classic and clearly has a host of top opponents for Bute to face after the conclusion in the tournament. For now, he'll stay busy as he awaits a winner. He's currently scheduled to face Brian Magee on March 19 in Montreal.



9. Timothy Bradley (26-0, 11 KOs) - "Desert Storm" is finally getting the showdown he's been looking for - a unification bout with fellow junior welterweight titleholder Devon Alexander. The fight is set for January 29 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit, Michigan. Bradley was a bit inactive in 2010, only fighting once in July but he put on a fine performance against knockout artist Luis Carlos Abregu. The winner of his fight with Alexander will put himself in great position for a clash with Amir Khan down the line for 140-pound supremacy.



8. Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 48 KOs) - Wladimir was supposed to have knocked out Dereck Chisora by now but an injury during training camp forced Klitschko to withdraw from his title defense earlier this month. The word on the street is that his team is negotiating for a heavyweight unification bout against WBA titlist David Haye, who has been ducking and dodging the Klitschko brothers for some time now. We're told a 50-50 split is being offered but nothing is solid as of yet. We'll continue to wait it out to see if this matchup actually gets done for 2011.



7. Vitali Klitschko (41-2, 38 KOs): Another fight and another dominant performance by Dr. Iron Fist. Klitschko tattooed Shannon Briggs all over the ring last October for twelve one sided, and horrific rounds in which Briggs barely put up a fight. Briggs ate right hands like they were candy but somehow managed to stay on his feet which is a rarity against Klitschko and his high KO percentage. Asked about retirement, Vitali is sticking to his guns about fighting for as long as he feels he can do it. If that's any indication, then Klitschko should be around for quite a bit longer. As of today, nothing is yet planned for Vitali's return to the ring but whomever it is, you can bet a KO is right around the corner.



6. Nonito Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs) - Donaire closed out his 2010 campaign with a brutal beatdown of Vladimir Sidorenko at the Honda Center in Anaheim during the first weekend of December. With the win, Donaire set himself up for the fight he's been longing for against WBO bantamweight titlist Fernando Montiel. The two will meet in Las Vegas on February 19 in a fight that is sure include plenty of fireworks. Donaire is one of the game's best, but has been kept down by broken promises and scared opposition. Finally, Top Rank and Montiel are delivering the goods and fans won't want to miss out.



5. Andre Ward (23-0, 13 KOs) - Easily one of the top two at 168 pounds, Andre Ward has all the momentum on his side as he heads into the semi-finals of the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Ward will take on Arthur Abraham early next year at a site to be determined. Though not necessary, Ward took on a dominated the formidable Sakio Bika last month in a non-tournament bout, to successfully defend his WBA super middleweight title for the second time. With each outing, the Oakland, Calif. native continues to raise his stock.



4. Sergio Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KOs) - With one left cross, Sergio Martinez not only catapulted himself to #4 on our list from his previous #10 spot, but he also knocked out Paul Williams - both literally and also off our pound for pound list. Just a few short weeks ago, Martinez defended his middleweight championship in grand fashion by nearly taking Williams' head off in the 2nd round of their rematch. Many expected another war, like their 2009 clash and though the first round was just that, it wasn't long before Martinez decided it was time to go home. Without question, a knockout of the year candidate with Martinez establishing himself as one of the game's best. "Maravilla" is set to return on March 12 on HBO, though no opponent has been named as of now.



3. Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KOs) - Just when it seemed that Sergio Martinez would take the #3 spot, Marquez goes out and puts on a beautiful performance against Michael Katsidis. Despite the 3rd round knockdown, Marquez fought a brilliant fight, using pin-point accurate combinations and impressive head movement to frustrate and finally stop the durable Katsidis in another Fight of the Year candidate. Even at his advanced age, Marquez continues to show why he's among the best fighters of his era, hands down. A third fight with Pacquiao is a no-go, but Erik Morales seems to want a piece of him next year.



2. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs) - What else can be said about Floyd at this point. He's without question one of boxing's best with only Pacquiao rivaling him in talent and accomplishments. He may in fact be the best, but until he faces the Pacman, we won't know for sure. Unfortunately, his antics outside of the ring have become a major distraction and his willingness to step into the ring seems to be withering. Here's hoping in 2011, he finally signs on for boxing's biggest fight.



1. Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) - Pacquiao was absolutely merciless in his lopsided thrashing of Antonio Margarito this past November. Even with a 17 pound disadvantage, Pacquiao was too quick, too mobile and too good against his opponent. Having just turned 32, Pacquiao has perhaps lost a bit of a step, but he remains too talented for anyone inside the ring. Mayweather may be his Kryptonite but his reluctance to get in the ring with Pacquiao only enhances the Pacman's stature. Not waiting around for Floyd to get his act together, Pacquiao already has a May 7 fight set to go. Unfortunately for boxing fans, it's against a rapidly aging Shane Mosley in what has to be one of the biggest letdowns of 2011 - without the year even beginning yet. Pacquiao is expected to steamroll past Mosley but Andre Berto or Juan Manuel Marquez, the other two available options, would have been a much better sell. He'll no doubt get plenty of criticism in the coming months for that decision.

------------------------

Honorable Mention - Fernando Montiel, Miguel Cotto, Hozumi Hasegawa, Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chris John and Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.