23.01.06 – By Aaron King
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (140)
Pretty Boy received a forced lesson in humility – set up for the biggest payday of his career, only to see it go down the drain when Zab Judah inexplicably lost to Carlos Baldomir. The fight’s still on, but with much less zip. Thanks Zab.
2. Winky Wright (160)
Fight with Jermain Taylor seems in peril, although it will happen sooner or later. He wants 50-50, and by all means, he shouldn’t get it. In the meantime, he has little room to move after a tougher-than-expected win over Sam Soliman..
3. Marco Antonio Barrera (130)
Has a date set for March 25 against lightweight titlist Jesus Chavez or perhaps even Jorge Barrios. Word is that it won’t be a pay-per-view. Either matchup is a doozy.
4. Jermain Taylor (160)
Victory over Bernard Hopkins in the rematch was by no means convincing or dominating, but there is no disputing who kingpin at middleweight is. Because of that, he should get at least 60% against Wright. That isn’t happening and neither is the fight for the time being.
5. Ricky Hatton (140)
Scored a solid 10th round knockout over tough ex-title holder Carlos Maussa. Hopefully now he can make some big things happen in a very talented section of the boxing landscape. The consensus Fighter of the Year may come to the U.S. after being signed by one of the plethora of promoters who are courting him.
6. Manny Pacquiao (130)
Pacquiao’s victory over Erik Morales was dominant enough that he may deserve to be higher than six. Some have said that Morales is a shot fighter, but he didn’t seem that way through the first five rounds. Pacquiao just beat him up and took the flames from the usually fiery Morales.
7. Jose Luis Castillo (135)
The third (possibly not final) meeting against Diego Corrales is postponed for late Spring, early Summer in (my mother’s hometown) El Paso, Texas. Chico’s rib injury may be a blessing in disguise, especially for Corrales, giving both men more time to recover from the torrent pace of their series, which would have been three fights in nine months.
8. Antonio Tarver (175)
Despite having some excellent fights on the table, a third match with Glenn Johnson or a date with Taylor, he’ll probably elect to stay at heavyweight after his portrayal of Mason “The Line” Dixon for the upcoming Rocky movie.
9. Rafael Marquez (118)
Great TKO win over a tough Silence Mabuza, but there is little chance that we will see Marquez at bantamweight much longer.
10. Juan Manuel Marquez (126)
Being relegated to the number 10 spot is by no means Marquez’s fault. His manager Nacho Beristain has done anything but manage his ultra-talented fighter. After his upcoming fight against Chris John in his homeland of Indonesia, hopefully Marquez can get a fight with Pacquiao. At 31, he’s running out of time.
Next in line (in alphabetical order): Ivan Calderon, Joe Calzaghe, Martin Castillo, Diego Corrales, Bernard Hopkins, Glenn Johnson, Jeff Lacy, Antonio Margarito
On another note, I have to say a word about my hometown Pittsburgh Steelers. I have obligations to tend to today, but nobody should expect to pull me from the television today. My prediction, the “Steel Curtain” shuts down the Denver running game and forces Jake Plummer to make mistakes. Pittsburgh wins 27-17 and goes to Detroit.