Not much action involving our top 10 during March. Arthur Abraham retained his title, as expected, but that was the only man to have a fight this month. That being said, there was no movement in our rankings. Hey, it’s going to happen sometimes folks.
Inside Fights Pound-for-Pound Rankings
1. Manny Pacquiao
Last Month: 1
Pacquiao has proven to be the uncontested #1 lb-for-lb fighter in boxing. He will look to continue his run at the top when he takes on Ricky Hatton in May.
2. Juan Manuel Marquez
Last Month: 2
Juan Manuel posted an awesome performance in his last fight against Juan Diaz. He looks to fight in only big fights from here but it’s going to take a Pacquiao loss for Marquez to ever take the top spot.
3. Bernard Hopkins
Last Month: 3
Hopkins was upset in our lb-for-lb tournament but still remains one of the best fighters in the world today at the age of 44. He’s nearing a potential fight with cruiserweight kingpin Tomasz Adamek, provided Adamek doesn’t immediately move to heavyweight.
4. Israel Vazquez
Last Month: 4
Vazquez is still recovering from eye surgery and hopes to get back in the ring by June or July. We will all wait with bated breath for his return.
5. Paul Williams
Last Month: 5
Williams has a big test this month against Winky Wright. Or Winky Wright has a big test against Paul Williams. Williams always creates a tough matchup with his length.
6. Shane Mosley
Last Month: 6
Mosley is looking for big fights but needs to wait for the Pacquiao-Hatton fallout before he makes anything official. Many fights loom and Sugar Shane will be eager to take on any challenge.
7. Chad Dawson
Last Month: 7
Dawson’s rematch with Antonio Tarver was rescheduled for May. We’re just waiting for that to be over with so Dawson can move on to more intriguing matchups.
8. Arthur Abraham
Last Month: 8
Abraham retained his middleweight title against Lajuan Simon in March. Hopefully this is his warmup for a fight with Kelly Pavlik. That’s the middleweight fight that needs to be made.
9. Jermain Taylor
Last Month: 9
Taylor fights super middleweight champion Carl Froch this month and a good showing against Froch could move Taylor up the charts.
10. Miguel Cotto
Last Month: 10
Cotto is looking to make another statement in his next fight this summer, most likely against Joshua Clottey. Cotto needs a big win to reestablish himself as the cream of the welterweight crop.
Others Receiving Votes: Rafael Marquez, Kelly Pavlik
April Fights to Watch
Corey’s Pick: Paul Williams vs. Winky Wright
April 11th on HBO
“The fight of the month for April was a very easy pick for me: Paul Williams vs. Winky Wright. There are so many question marks in this one, it’s hard to figure out where to begin. At the moment, I truly cannot pick a winner, so I’m intrigued to say the least. Winky has been known to get into some good fights with guys that pack a punch and throw a lot of leather (Vargas and Taylor, for example), so I think it will be exciting. The only shortcoming for this fight is that it doesn’t hurt the loser much, which takes away some of the appeal. If Wright loses, he’s been off for 21 months anyway. If Williams loses, he’ll probably just go back down to 154 or 147 where he is easily among the top 2 in either weight class. But a win for either guy does mean a lot; Winky, in terms of career extension; Williams, in terms of breaking through with his biggest win yet.” – CW
Trent’s Pick: Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Gerry Penalosa
April 25th on HBO
“This topic is the April fight to “watch.” There are many more exciting fights to watch this month than Williams-Wright. Lopez-Penalosa is not as even a matchup as Williams-Wright but it will certainly be more exciting to watch. Juan Manuel Lopez is the kind of fighter that you need to watch regardless of his opponent. Penalosa, to his credit, is a world champion and has never been knocked out. However, that is at the bantamweight level. The last time Penalosa tried to take super bantamweight gold he was easily handled by Daniel Ponce De Leon. Lopez KOd De Leon in the first round of their fight. It won’t be a close fight, but it will surely be an exciting fight.” – TP
