BoxRec

I think that most media outlets use the wrong criteria for determining their P4P lists so let's see who's on everyone's list. Keep in mind that this is not a list of the highest grossing PPV stars or who has the largest fan base. Instead, try to imagine every boxer is at the same exact weight. If all of these boxers were fighting at the same weight, who would you put your money on? I realize that it's not easy but that's really what this list is about. Pound for Pound...equal to equal...who's the best? Here's my top 5...let's see yours.

1. Gennady Golovkin
2. Floyd Mayweather
3. Terrance Crawford
4. Sergey Kovalev
5. Leo Santa Cruz

Honorable Mention: Wladimir Klitschko, Andre Ward, Danny Garcia, Gullermo Rigondeaux, Vasyl Lomachenko.

Easy!!!!

1. Charlie Zelenoff
2. Derrick the Giant
3. Tattooed Asian Muscle head
4. Violent Dreadlock Criminal
5. Deontay Wilder

Anyone's P4P list that doesn't include the following has a list that should be checked:

1. Mayweather
2. Ward (even though he hasn't done much lately)
3. Pacquiao
4. Klitschko
5. Bradley/JMM=tie

Basically a P4P list has nothing to do with PPV numbers but has everything to do with one's skills and in essence it is like literally saying if all of these guys were the same size/weight class then who would be able to beat who?

Skillwise on this list no other fighters would be able to beat these guys if they were all the same size/weight class.

Let's remember that any pound for pound list is an opinion, and that no one's opinion is wrong. Disagree, but it is only an educated/non-educated guess.

That being said, here is my list:

1. Floyd Mayweather
2. Manny Pacquiao
3. GGG
4. Erislandy Lara
5. Andre Ward

I would have Ward higher, but his inactivity works against him. Lara is on there because he beat Canelo in my opinion. JMM is not on there because he is basically retired, or soon will be. To me guys like Crawford, Thurman, Brook, Khan, etc need to win some big fights still to be on there. Danny Garcia has lost all of his momentum since his big win over Matthysse. Kovalev has a big win over a 50 yr old guy, but the jury is still out imo.

Badhusker wrote:Let's remember that any pound for pound list is an opinion, and that no one's opinion is wrong. Disagree, but it is only an educated/non-educated guess.

That being said, here is my list:

1. Floyd Mayweather
2. Manny Pacquiao
3. GGG
4. Erislandy Lara
5. Andre Ward

I would have Ward higher, but his inactivity works against him. Lara is on there because he beat Canelo in my opinion. JMM is not on there because he is basically retired, or soon will be. To me guys like Crawford, Thurman, Brook, Khan, etc need to win some big fights still to be on there. Danny Garcia has lost all of his momentum since his big win over Matthysse. Kovalev has a big win over a 50 yr old guy, but the jury is still out imo.

Garcia lost momentum? Yet andre Ward hasn't fought in over a year?
I do not understand the logic.Could you please explain?

ward
mayweather
pacman
rigo
ggg

ward will be back shortly and start off where he left off

Here is a list nobody can argue with

#1
#2
#3
#4
#5

P4P lists isn't necessarily about who you've beaten lately; it is mostly a category of skills based on the notion that if these top guys were in any weight class how effective would they be.

SRR was the boxer that the P4P was based on and basically it was stated then that if SRR was size proportionate for any weight class he'd be able to dominate any and every fighter in that perspective class.

Sure who you've fought and how you beat them matters but there is no way that someone here can honestly tell me that Erislandy Lara would be able to beat Andre Ward if they were in the same weight class.

Please elaborate on that last one, I'd love to hear the logic if there is any to explain how he'd be able to do that.

Rigondeaux
Mayweather
Golovkin
Pacquiao
Crawford

In my opinion at least, Lara has not lost yet, and totally dominated the guy that dominated Cotto. (Trout) Canelo got the decision, but you have to land more than 50 body shots to win a fight. Lara's mistake was that he didn't engage enough, and should have. If in the same weight class, yes, Lara would compete just fine vs Ward. Unrealistic to fantasize about though, and that is part of the reason arguing about pfp status is pointless, and simply opinions.

I should have put Rigo on my list instead of Lara, or Ward. I can't even remember the last time Ward fought, and the inactivity, whether his fault or not, works against him. There are a lot of retired guys we could include on the list, but being active counts. They didn't leave Mayweather on the lists during his absence.

As far as my Danny Garcia comment, he has been active, but his very, very, questionable win vs Herrera, then his KO of Rod Salka (who the fornicate is that?). Those wins don't do anything for your imaginary pfp status, or credibility.

maybe lara hasn't lost but he sure as hell didn't beat molina and he screwed himself running like he stole something against canelo.

Noone knows who would win if they were the same weight. You people can barely predict who wins in the same weight class let alone p4p. Well here is my list then:

Kovalev (too intelligent, too crusher)
Maywhether (the impregnable defense tower)
Pacquiao (fast feet, fast hands)
Klitchko (jab and grab, in a positive sense)
Rigondeaux (the real machine)
Golovkin (the unstoppable seek and destroy)
Ward (half decent TV pundit)

Tarkus wrote:Noone knows who would win if they were the same weight. You people can barely predict who wins in the same weight class let alone p4p.

Yep that sums all of us up pretty well

fergusg wrote:

caldo2025 wrote:I think that most media outlets use the wrong criteria for determining their P4P lists so let's see who's on everyone's list. Keep in mind that this is not a list of the highest grossing PPV stars or who has the largest fan base. Instead, try to imagine every boxer is at the same exact weight. If all of these boxers were fighting at the same weight, who would you put your money on? I realize that it's not easy but that's really what this list is about. Pound for Pound...equal to equal...who's the best? Here's my top 5...let's see yours.

1. Gennady Golovkin
2. Floyd Mayweather
3. Terrance Crawford
4. Sergey Kovalev
5. Leo Santa Cruz

Honorable Mention: Wladimir Klitschko, Andre Ward, Danny Garcia, Gullermo Rigondeaux, Vasyl Lomachenko.

You seem to grant an honorary rite of passage for your favourite fighters to be ranked in the top five pound-for-pound, without them having to face top-tier world-ranked opposition that are considered in their physical prime.

He explains in his post, quite clearly, how he intends to rank the p4p list.
Not on resume, not on what level they have fought at, not what they've earned (financially or through achievement).
But plain and simple, if everyone weighed the same, who would win?

probably how "pound for pound" should be assessed when you consider what pound for pound means.

davie wrote:

fergusg wrote:

caldo2025 wrote:I think that most media outlets use the wrong criteria for determining their P4P lists so let's see who's on everyone's list. Keep in mind that this is not a list of the highest grossing PPV stars or who has the largest fan base. Instead, try to imagine every boxer is at the same exact weight. If all of these boxers were fighting at the same weight, who would you put your money on? I realize that it's not easy but that's really what this list is about. Pound for Pound...equal to equal...who's the best? Here's my top 5...let's see yours.

1. Gennady Golovkin
2. Floyd Mayweather
3. Terrance Crawford
4. Sergey Kovalev
5. Leo Santa Cruz

Honorable Mention: Wladimir Klitschko, Andre Ward, Danny Garcia, Gullermo Rigondeaux, Vasyl Lomachenko.

You seem to grant an honorary rite of passage for your favourite fighters to be ranked in the top five pound-for-pound, without them having to face top-tier world-ranked opposition that are considered in their physical prime.

He explains in his post, quite clearly, how he intends to rank the p4p list.
Not on resume, not on what level they have fought at, not what they've earned (financially or through achievement).
But plain and simple, if everyone weighed the same, who would win?

probably how "pound for pound" should be assessed when you consider what pound for pound means.

How would Wlad fight if he was a lightweight? It would not be the same way he fights as a heavyweight.
The theory of if everyone was the same weight is great but it does not work.
Fighters use their advantages.Some of these advantages are only so because of the division they are in.
Would Pacquiao still be as fast as a 6 foot 210 lb heavyweight? I doubt it.

Of course, you shouldn't be imagining 200-lb Pac or 140-lb Wlad. A decision of who would win in an imaginary matchup should be made based on combination of skills/power/chin/heart/etc. of a certain boxer relative to an average level of his weight class. Of course, there is no accurate way to do that, so such rankings are very subjective. However, they are still less ridiculous than purely resume based rankings. A best ranking would probably be some combination of resume in the last 2-3 years and boxer's "level" mentioned before.

davie wrote:He explains in his post, quite clearly, how he intends to rank the p4p list.
Not on resume, not on what level they have fought at, not what they've earned (financially or through achievement).
But plain and simple, if everyone weighed the same, who would win?

probably how "pound for pound" should be assessed when you consider what pound for pound means.

Exactly how it is supposed to be done!! When SRR was coined P4P it simply meant that if he was in any weight class given he and his opponents were the same size that he'd have enough skills to outbox anyone.

Anyone who adds anymore to it than that is only doing it to discount a fighter that they don't like or to add in a fighter that they do like.

P4P is what it is as stated above.

Floyd, Andre, Guillermo for sure is my top 3 although I suppose Andre's inactivity could have bounced him at this point. The bottom of my top 5 I'm a lil less secure on. Terence, Manny, Wlad & GGG (& probably a couple other guys that I'm not thinking of right now) are all guys I could see rounding out the top 5.

Vasyl shouldn't be in any P4P discussion even as an honorable mention. I guess if we had a under 10 fights P4P list Vasyl would be among that list if not #1.

Mayweather
Golovkin
Gonzalez
Rigondeaux
Klitschko

right now based on who beats who in a p4p sense

1. rigondeaux
2. pacquiao
3. golovkin
4. mayweather
5. lara



rigondeaux is #1 because right now he is the most skilled boxer int he world, even more athletic than floyd and surely more powerful in his punches. also still prime time.

pacquiao regained the #1 because he showed class from the past, while surely being outside of his prime, his blistering speed and super quick footwork would still be to much for barely anybody.

golovkin would normaly lose against floyd in a p4p sense, because lets face the truth, ggg doesnt have the quickness hand and footspeed to deal with floyds moving and floyds overall speed level. but since we talk right now and not the floyd of 5 years ago, than i have to give ggg the advantage. floyd clearly had problems with limited and in comparison to ggg inferior boxer and if maidana had what some say a draw in the first fight and a close second fight, were the ref had to be bought by tmt and never gave maidana a single chance to box inside, were maidana is the most effective. than past prime now mayweather would certainly have great difficulties with prime destroyer golovkin.

mayweather is past prime and not the same boxer he used to be, but still good enough for most top boxer, he simply that good.

lara would beat mayweather, longer reach, bigger, stronger, very athletic, great footwork, simply a full grown 154 and mayweather is 147 and just would struggle against a guy similar as athlatic and quick and technicly well rounded. but we talk p4p and same size same weight floyd beat lara.

Chepppaaa wrote:right now based on who beats who in a p4p sense

1. rigondeaux
2. pacquiao
3. golovkin
4. mayweather
5. lara



rigondeaux is #1 because right now he is the most skilled boxer int he world, even more athletic than floyd and surely more powerful in his punches. also still prime time.

pacquiao regained the #1 because he showed class from the past, while surely being outside of his prime, his blistering speed and super quick footwork would still be to much for barely anybody.

golovkin would normaly lose against floyd in a p4p sense, because lets face the truth, ggg doesnt have the quickness hand and footspeed to deal with floyds moving and floyds overall speed level. but since we talk right now and not the floyd of 5 years ago, than i have to give ggg the advantage. floyd clearly had problems with limited and in comparison to ggg inferior boxer and if maidana had what some say a draw in the first fight and a close second fight, were the ref had to be bought by tmt and never gave maidana a single chance to box inside, were maidana is the most effective. than past prime now mayweather would certainly have great difficulties with prime destroyer golovkin.

mayweather is past prime and not the same boxer he used to be, but still good enough for most top boxer, he simply that good.

lara would beat mayweather, longer reach, bigger, stronger, very athletic, great footwork, simply a full grown 154 and mayweather is 147 and just would struggle against a guy similar as athlatic and quick and technicly well rounded. but we talk p4p and same size same weight floyd beat lara.

WTF??

For me

1: Floyd Mayweather
2: Manny Pacquiao
3: Wladimir Klitschko
4: Canelo Alvarez
5: Sergei Kovalev

Chepppaaa wrote:right now based on who beats who in a p4p sense

1. rigondeaux
2. pacquiao
3. golovkin
4. mayweather
5. lara



rigondeaux is #1 because right now he is the most skilled boxer int he world, even more athletic than floyd and surely more powerful in his punches. also still prime time.

pacquiao regained the #1 because he showed class from the past, while surely being outside of his prime, his blistering speed and super quick footwork would still be to much for barely anybody.

golovkin would normaly lose against floyd in a p4p sense, because lets face the truth, ggg doesnt have the quickness hand and footspeed to deal with floyds moving and floyds overall speed level. but since we talk right now and not the floyd of 5 years ago, than i have to give ggg the advantage. floyd clearly had problems with limited and in comparison to ggg inferior boxer and if maidana had what some say a draw in the first fight and a close second fight, were the ref had to be bought by tmt and never gave maidana a single chance to box inside, were maidana is the most effective. than past prime now mayweather would certainly have great difficulties with prime destroyer golovkin.

mayweather is past prime and not the same boxer he used to be, but still good enough for most top boxer, he simply that good.

lara would beat mayweather, longer reach, bigger, stronger, very athletic, great footwork, simply a full grown 154 and mayweather is 147 and just would struggle against a guy similar as athlatic and quick and technicly well rounded. but we talk p4p and same size same weight floyd beat lara.

Cheppy,

How would Pacquiao do against Lara? You are on the spot.

ikorolev wrote:Here is a list nobody can argue with

#1
#2
#3
#4
#5

• Leo Santa Cruz – Is not even considered the best in his own weight-class, as that privilege goes to Guillermo Rigondeaux. The calibre of opponents he’s faced has been typically quite poor and it is astonishing that he was matched-up against a man like Manuel Roman in his most recent bout.

• Terence Crawford – Even though he’s possibly fighter of the year and has scored impressive victories over the likes of Raymundo Beltran, Ricky Burns & Yuriorkis Gamboa… through no fault of his own, the calibre of the men he fought does not quite warrant a top-five pound-for-pound ranking, because his last three opponents were flawed (i.e. Gamboa is a natural featherweight, fairly old and was ring-rusty; Burns has only won one of his last four fights and his best performances were at 130lbs; and Beltran was merely a solid contender). The men that the "Hunter" fought in 2014 were all naturally smaller fighters than himself (who started his career as a 140lb-er).

• Sergey Kovalev – Even though Krusher’s victory over Bernard Hopkins was really impressive, let’s not forget that he actually defeated a man that was almost 50 years old and was himself not considered as a top-ten pound-for-pounder. His other notable victories over Gabriel Campillo & Nathan Cleverly doesn’t warrant such high praise (in the extra critical context of the pound-for-pound rankings). Kovalev has enormous potential, but he’s not a top-five pound-for-pounder... just yet, but I'm sure he'll get there pretty soon (opponents' permitting).

• Gennady Golovkin – Is a tremendously exciting fighter, but the best victory on his resume was against the faded and terrified Daniel Geale. The other guys he’s defeated were merely borderline top-ten 160lb-ers at best (i.e. Stevens, Macklin & Rubio). If his career had been managed better, he could have been a PPV superstar by now, but instead he has to face mediocre quality opposition and there are no big fights on the horizon in the short-term. I admit that he’s a borderline pound-for-pounder, but the sad fact remains that he hasn’t fought a marquee name... and this unfortunately undermines his obvious talents.

It is clear to me that caldo2025 didn’t instruct us disregard the resumes of the men under consideration… and to be honest, it’s impossible to construct such lists without considering each fighters’ feats in the context of the calibre of opposition that they have overcome (i.e. it's much easier to look awesome against mid-tier anonymous names than against a fellow pound-for-pounder in their physical prime).

It is my belief that no man should be granted an honorary rite of passage to being classed as a top-five pound-for-pound fighter, without being involved in a career defining bout against a truly top-ranked opponent.

Therefore, in my humble opinion, four of the men named by caldo2025 should only really be considered as very good fighters with enormous, but (as yet) unfulfilled, potential… they simply haven’t defeated enough quality at this point in time to have earned the right to be regarded as a top-five pound-for-pounder.[/quote]

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young roy jones jr started his career by boxing ricky randall, a guy with a very bad record, roy beat the guy in 2 rounds. roy was like 19-20 years old, and when you look at him boxing in his first fight and you look as an boxing expert, either you one or you not, i am one, than you see what is important in boxing, more important than record or championchip, the most important thing is ability, skills. roy was only 19 and had 1 fight over a nobody and too me he would have beaten p4p wise somebody ranked like a p4p king, at that time, somebody like pernell or toney. why? because even so he was only 19, he was more athletic, faster and stronger than those guys, thats why.

ggg and kovalev are the real deal, regardless if they did or did not fight an a level boxer yet.