by James Slater – As respected by fight fans more than any other set of rankings – whether they be those of an organisation or those of another publication – Ring magazine’s ratings of fighters are unbiased and based solely on merit. As such, 30-year-old Manny Pacquiao will be feeling great right now, as he has just been propelled to the number-one spot in Ring magazine’s welterweight rankings.
Primarily due to the way he dismantled the incredibly brave Miguel Cotto this past Saturday, “Pac-Man” is now recognised by “The Bible Of Boxing” as the world’s premiere 147-pounder. Not bad at all for a fighter who turned pro down at 106-pounds, and who has fought just twice at welterweight!
And though some people will no doubt disagree with Ring’s selection, it’s tough to place any other fighter ahead of Pacquiao at welterweight. Former holder of the top spot (the Ring championship is vacant at 147) Shane Mosley has a loss to the man Pacquiao beat up, in Cotto and “Sugar” has also been inactive since his January win over Antonio Margarito..
While Floyd Mayweather Junior, Pacquiao’s most obvious rival at 147, has fought just once, against a lightweight who had moved up in weight, in the past 23-months.
As for Paul Williams, he is no longer ranked by Ring at welterweight, due to “The Punisher” having moved up in weight.
So, despite the fact that he has only beaten two welterweights (great ones as they were) in Oscar De La Hoya and Cotto, Pacquiao deserves his lofty ranking. Sure, “Money” Mayweather will never accept any rival fighter being ranked above him in the weight class he currently occupies, but it’s up to Floyd to prove he is the better fighter. And as we all know, the mega Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is something that basically has to happen for a number of different reasons.
Needless to say, “Pac-Man” is still seen by Ring as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. Interestingly, Cotto remains in the magazine’s top-five at welterweight, dropping to number-four. Mosley is now ranked at number-two, and Mayweather resides at number-three.
One look at Ring magazine’s welterweight ratings let’s a reader know, the 147-pound division has not been this talent-rich for a long time! And Manny the magnificent is the top dog. Let’s see how long the Filipino southpaw can hold onto his ranking.