By Richard McManus

As most know, the mythical Pound for Pound ranking system is a methodology devised by the boxing public as a means of measuring fighters from various weight classes, divisions and eras against one another.  The historical basis within the sport dates back to the days when “Sugar” Ray Robinson was the best fighter in the world and people needed a way to express his status as such.

Today, the Pound for Pound rankings are used much the same way as the College Basketball Top 25 rankings.  Once a fighter earns top status he either rises or falls based on certain factors such as recent performance, level of competition, activity/inactivity or the performance of other top fighters. 

For example, Roy Jones Jr. was the consensus Pound for Pound fighter for a number of years with boxers such as Shane Mosley, Marco Antonio Barrera, Floyd Mayweather and others coming in just below.  When Antonio Tarver knocked out Roy in April of 2004 it was assumed that Floyd Mayweather would obtain the number one ranking upon his next win just as the Number 2 College Basketball team does when the Number 1 team loses. 

Another way of looking at it would be to say that Floyd was scheduled to move to #1 status or that he did so by default. 

Interestingly, Floyd was handed the mantle of #1 Pound for Pound fighter in the world after his unanimous decision win over Demarcus “Chop Chop” Corley.  The interesting part is that Zab Judah beat Corley in similiar fashion ten months earlier and at the time of Judah’s win nobody dared move Judah anywhere near the Top 10.

The fact of the matter is that most of the truly impressive elements of Mayweather’s boxing resume are traced to the time he spent in the 130 and 135-pound divisions, from three to six years ago. 

He nearly cleaned out the Junior Lightweights with several impressive wins.  Among his 130-pound division highlights were the knockout of Diego Corrales (which at the time was a near mega-fight), a questionable TKO win over Angel Manfredy, the stoppage of Genero Hernandez and an assortment of wins over the likes of Jesus Chavez, Emanuel Augustus, Justin Jukko and others. 

Admittedly, many of Mayweather’s wins at 130 look good on paper now but didn’t look so good while they were happening.  Many of Mayweather’s wins were boring affairs in which Floyd hid in a defensive shell in between sporadic offensive bursts.  His method of countering his opponent’s attacks with an exaggerated defensive style and his tactic of blocking punches with his shoulder while leaning back on the ropes served not only to frustrate his opponents, it also frustrated fans.  Should boring fights count toward #1 status? 

Upon moving up to Lightweight, Mayweather had two close decision victories over Jose Luis Castillo (many observers believe that Castillo deserved the decision in their first meeting) a win over Victoriano Sosa and a stoppage of Philip N’dou.  The N’dou fight was particularly noteworthy because it was a fight in which N’dou was hyped as a worthy opponent but in reality had seldom fought off the African continent and didn’t have wins over anybody of note. 

In 2004, Mayweather moved up to 140 and scored wins over the aforementioned Corley, the lightly regarded Henry Bruseles and the slower Arturo Gatti.  Then at 147, Mayweather scored a 6th round stoppage over the 35-year-old ring weary former champion Sharmba Mitchell. 

Floyd, like Oscar de la Hoya and Shane Mosley before him, strategically avoided the longtime Top 5 Pound for Pound list resident and former 140-pound king Kostya Tszyu while passing through the division.  Others like Sharmba Mitchell and Zab Judah know why. 

As a side note, is there any doubt that Tszyu would have stopped Corley (and he would have looked good while doing so)?  Even Miguel Cotto was able to accomplish that feat and Cotto has rarely been spotted near the top 5 on any list.

Mayweather has also not as of yet stepped in the ring Ricky Hatton, although that fight still has a good chance of being made and for the sake of the integrity of the sport, it should be.  The #1 Pound for Pound fighter in the world shouldn’t be perceived as avoiding anybody.  And with Hatton following Mayweather up to the Welterweight division - there is no more time for excuses.

Now that brings me to another fighter, namely Ronald “Winky” Wright.  Winky has never been able to be in a position to avoid or duck anybody. 

He has three lopsided wins over two of the best fighters of the past 10 years, Felix Trinidad and Shane Mosley.  Mosley’s recent win over Vargas proved he is still a legitimate top fighter and shows more than anything that it was the style of Wright (and Vernon Forrest) that posed so many difficulties for the former #1 Pound for Pound king. 

Floyd has one lopsided win over a Top 10 fighter (Diego Corrales) and that fight was three weight classes and six years ago.     

Dating back more than ten years Wright has been taking on and beating the toughest fighters in the 154-pound division.  He’s built his 154-pound championship resume by hand carving out wins over several world champions and other top fighters like Shane Mosley (2 times), J.C. Candelo, Bronco McKart (3 times), Andrew Council, Keith Mullings and Tony Marshall.  And upon moving up to the 160-pound division he took on and thoroughly defeated by unanimous decision the thin-legged killer, Felix Trinidad. 

Of his three losses, two came when he traveled to the home continent of his opponent and left with a close decision defeat.  The other was a controversial majority decision loss to Fernando Vargas in which many observers felt that the younger, more marketable fighter was given the nod merely based on his upside. 

And then we have a fighter like Manny Pacquaio who not only has recent wins over two Top 10 fighters, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, but those two wins are by stoppage.  He also has a dramatic draw on his resume with another Top 10 fighter, Juan Manuel Marquez.

Manny Pacquaio has been in the ring with the three best Featherweights of the last five years, three Pound for Pound Top 10 fighters and he more than held his own.  A case could be made that he is the best Featherweight of this generation. 

Compare that with Floyd Mayweather.  Not since Jose Luis Castillo at 135 and Diego Corrales at 130 has Mayweather faced a legitimate threat or Top 10 Pound for Pound opponent. 

Besides that, he’s the kind of fighter that lives by the credo of “win ugly now, look good next time”.  The trouble is that there rarely, if ever, has been a next time.  On the contrary, Pacquaio wins and looks good in the same fight.

Now, there is no doubt and no question regarding the skills or talent of Mayweather.  He has all the gifts and ability and by all accounts works as hard as any champion in the game.  But, if there is to be any serious discussion about who is the best Pound for Pound fighter in the game it shouldn’t be treated like a lifetime achievement award.    

Contact Richard at rmcm12@hotmail.com