Dissecting The Decade

by Dafs117

When deciding pound-4-pound rankings, minor details make the difference between making the cut, or just missing out. The depth of the division, performances against the highest calibre of opponents, and the fighters’ defects on the big stage are just some of the things someone should take into consideration when rating and separating the best from the rest. In boxing, it’s always a tough task, and it’s commonly whatever takes your fancy.

So before I disappoint you all and make you start waving your fist in fury at the computer screen, I’ll give you a little insight in the mind of yours truly.

What I tend to look for is longevity. If someone has been at the top of his game, and able to maintain his performance output throughout the decade, for me, it seals the deal. How much of a decline a fighter goes through after hitting his prime, did he adjust his style to deal with his age, or was he like fine wine, getting better with age?

If there are many great fighters with a nano-meter of distance separating their achievements, I search for the career defining moment. The outskirts of the top 10 is always tricky, but without further ado, here are my top 20 fighters of the ‘00s:

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Five Fights That Define Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao KO 2 Ricky Hatton, 5/2/2009

Manny had already shown what he could do against a much larger De la Hoya, now this was to be his second fight as a major player and attraction on the world stage.

Ricky Hatton was the lineal Jr. Welterweight champion and a fixture in the division since 2001. Despite a loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007, Hatton had never been defeated at his natural weight of 140 lbs.

Pacquiao flattened Hatton in a brutal stoppage that had Hatton stretched out on the canvas for several minutes.

Excellent win for Manny and a strong second chapter to the book entitled, "Manny Pacquiao, Superstar."

Manny Pacquiao RTD 8 Oscar De la Hoya, 12/6/2008

Not his best performance, but certainly his biggest. Manny beat and humiliated The Golden Boy before forcing De la Hoya to quit between rounds eight and nine. Alot has been said about De la Hoya's physical condition coming into the fight and that may or may not detract from the victory for some, but coming into the bout, De la Hoya was a huge favorite and the idea of a Pacquiao win was the punchline to a bad joke for most experts.

Thus began the transformation from Manny Pacquiao, "Fight Fan Favorite" to Manny Pacquiao, "Superstar."

Manny Pacquiao TKO 10 Erik Morales,
1/21/2006

Maybe Morales was on a losing streak when this rematch took place, but there was no denying that this was still "El Terrible."

This was a big match for Manny, who had been beaten by this same man just about a year earlier. It was the official announcement to the world that Manny Pacquiao was for real.



Manny Pacquiao L UD Erik Morales, 3/19/2005

Pacquiao, for the first time in his career, was fighting someone who wasn't looking to walk right through him; Morales was a veteran champion who boxed perfectly and used flawless technique to keep a hard-charging Pacquiao at bay.

What most defined this fight was not Pacquiao losing, but Pacquiao's desire to keep chugging along in his career. He would come back to beat Morales twice in rematches.


Manny Pacquiao TKO 11 Marco Antonio Barrera, 11/15/2003

Manny was unknown by all but the most hardcore of fans and was expected to be just a "stay busy" fight for Barrera. The Mexican warrior was at the height of his fame after having beaten Hamed, Morales, Tapia and Kelley in 4 of his previous 5.

Plans changed drastically, however, as Pacquiao tore into Barrera and beat him at every aspect of the game. He literally steamrolled the "Baby Faced Assassin" and forced Barrera's corner to stop the contest in the 11th.

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