Who Will Be the Best P4P Fighter in Five Years?
If you ask boxing fans who the best pound for pound fighter in the world is right now, you’ll almost certainly hear one of two names: Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather was the undisputed king of boxing before he went into a brief retirement after beating Ricky Hatton in December 2007. In the 21 months he was away from the sport, Pacquiao stepped into the spotlight and emerged as the predominant name in the sport. Mayweather’s return has created a logjam at the top of boxing which will hopefully be decided by a fight between the two later this year.
While Mayweather and Pacquiao are currently at the top of the sport, time is catching up to both. Mayweather is 33 and Pacquiao is 31. Pacquiao has several other careers in his native Philippines (included recently being sworn into the country’s Congress) and appears ready to retire soon. While Mayweather appears to be showing no signs of slowing down, it’s hard to imagine that he can retain his hand speed and quickness deep into his 30s. Chances are that the decline of his skills will happen sooner rather than later.
Five years ago, Mayweather was just beginning to make a name for himself as an elite pound for pound fighter. Meanwhile, Pacquiao was known as an entertaining but wild fighter engaging in wars in the super featherweight division. Today they stand at the pinnacle of the sport. But who will replace them at the top of the mountain? There are several possible choices for who might be considered the best pound for pound boxer in the world in 2015:
Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KOs): With the years of hype that the Olympic silver medallist has had since turning pro in 2005, it’s easy to forget that the WBA junior welterweight champion is only 23. He has a combination of power and technique unique in the sport - only a possibly fragile chin can slow him down. His dominant performance under the tutelage of Freddie Roach in beating Paulie Malignaggi in June showed that he has barely scratched the surface of his potential.
Nonito Donaire (24-1, 16 KOs): It appears that only boredom can slow down the 27-year-old from California. His interim WBA super flyweight world title defence against Hernan Marquez on July 10 was so easy that the naturally-orthodox Donaire fought southpaw for the first four rounds before stopping Marquez in the eighth round.
Timothy Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs): Once considered to be an underdog, Bradley has become the recognized best fighter today in the highly competitive junior welterweight division. He’s moving up to welterweight when he takes on Luis Carlos Abregu on July 17 and he’s already talking about challenging Pacquiao in the near future. At 26, he has perhaps the most potential of any fighter in the world.
Andre Ward (22-0, 13 KOs): The former Olympic gold medallist has become the favourite to win the Super Six World Boxing Classic after being the only fighter to win his first two bouts. His dominating performance against Allan Green in defending his WBA super middleweight crown in his last bout showcased his previously unknown ability to mix it up inside, a new element for the slick and technically sound 26-year-old fighter.
Chad Dawson (29-0, 17 KOs): There might not be another fighter in the world with the complete skill set that Dawson has. Unfortunately, he’s spent his last two years showing it off while fighting over-the-hill opponents (with two matches each against Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson). The 27-year-old will finally get a chance to prove his abilities against another up-and-coming fighter when he challenges Lucian Bute for the WBC light heavyweight title in August.
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