By Jake Donovan

It began as a long ago vision with HBO, at least according to an interview conducted with KO Magazine in the early 1990's. The idea that not only were there too many weight classes (which there are), but the fact that there are any weight classes at all.

While most were figuring out the best way to match champion versus champion (remember, this was a time when alphabet sanctioning bodies still received some shine and their claimants were universally regarded as world champions), the self-proclaimed Network of Champions wasn't interested in champions at all, but figuring out the best way to create a scenario where we're instead left with the last man standing.

It took nearly 20 years to make that dream come true, but here we are, foaming at the mouth anytime a fighter even ponders moving up, as we already have him moving up two more weight classes to fight one of the game's best.

Don't believe me? I offer Exhibit A, Bernard Hopkins' unanimous decision win over Winky Wright last July. The bout was billed as a pound-for-pound matchup, with both regarded by many as among the world's ten best fighters heading into the fight. One magazine (more on them later) even claimed the world light heavyweight championship to be at stake.

There were better things to do for both fighters. None was more obvious than when Wright showed up looking like he trained at Krispy Kreme in efforts to climb up to 170 lb. The payday wasn't that lucrative to where Winky couldn't have instead more actively pursued a rematch with Jermain Taylor, or worse, accepted the terms initially offered to him by Lou DiBella, as Wright stood to make more than he took home for the Hopkins fight.  

Certainly Hopkins had better things to do – like actually defend his mythical title against a fellow light heavyweight. For those who claim the 42-year old as the king of the 175 lb. division, keep in mind his proposed match with Joe Calzaghe, tentatively scheduled for April but still not yet official, will result in a two-year stretch, come this June, since Hopkins last fought someone ranked there.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. appears headed for the same path. It's been "only" a year and change since he won the linear welterweight crown from Carlos Baldomir, yet his next defense against an actual welterweight will be his first. His two fights since then, while far and away the two most lucrative in 2007, came at 154 lb (against Oscar de la Hoya) and a defense against 140 lb. king Ricky Hatton last December.

Netting well over $20 million for the fight, it's understandable why Hatton would put his undefeated record on the line. But those who honestly believed in the Mancunian's chances of emerging victorious were ignoring recent history, never mind intangibles. Hatton proved to be a fish out of water just 19 months prior, in his razor-thin points win over Luis Collazo. Some claimed it to be a matter of styles more than weight, yet had no answers as to how Hatton would contend with a fighter as highly skilled as Floyd at that same weight.

So two of the more high-profile fights in 2007, and twice we learned that the loser had no business fighting at the contracted weight (though quite honestly, Hatton loses to Floyd at any weight). Yet here we are in 2008, still buying into every rumor, no matter how ridiculous.

If you believe everything you read, then you already began trying to figure out how Manny Pacquiao could put on upwards of 14 lb. to challenge Oscar de la Hoya at a catchweight of 144 lb. (never minding that Oscar hasn't fought below welterweight in over a decade).

Once that scenario didn't quite read as well as the fantasy initially sounded, you became willing to accept a junior welterweight version of Pac-Man, one that could challenge Ricky Hatton somewhere down the road. Hey, let's have Manny traveling to England for the fight, while we're at it. And why not? It was just a few weeks ago where everyone pretended that de la Hoya would actually concede hometown advantage to Hatton for a May fight at welterweight.

Here's an even crazier idea: we could return from fantasy land and simply worry about all of the fights that can still be need, none that would require fighters implementing Coronas and Doritos into their pre-fight diet in maintaining their walk-around weight.

While it's admirable when a fighter is able to tear through the ranks and still remain successful (reasons why Mayweather and Pacquiao occupy the top two slots of most pound-for-pound lists, as have Roy Jones, Felix Trinidad, Oscar de la Hoya and Shane Mosley before them), dominating multiple weight classes isn't a necessity in ruling the sport (Hopkins' decade-long middleweight title reign being enough to be considered among the world's best; ditto for Joe Calzaghe after a 15-year career exclusively spent at super middleweight). It's even less of a necessity when there's already plenty of unfinished business in the division in which you presently reside, and in some cases can't even definitively claim the top spot.

The following is a breakdown of what's being proposed in the careers of four of the sport's best, along with what needs to be done in the division at which they already campaign, and what will most likely happen. The order being from heaviest to lightest:

David Haye (20-1, 19KO, Linear Cruiserweight Champion)

What's been rumored: A move to heavyweight, rumored as early as the moment the Brit's muscular arms were raised in victory after climbing off the canvas to stop two-time cruiserweight king Jean-Marc Mormeck last November. Haye previously tested the heavyweight waters, the most recent occurrence being his April tune-up against Tomasz Bonin in London. Haye won by 1 st round knockout, leading many to believe that the all-action fighter could possibly help revive what had long been boxing's glory division. The latest heavyweight rumors had Haye possibly facing former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman in early 2008.

What's still left to do: With Haye and O'Neill Bell both claiming victories over Mormeck in the past two years, a head-on collision between the two heavy-handed, defensively-challenged bombers wouldn't be such a bad thing. That of course, would be dependent upon the erratic Bell resurfacing. The Jamaican went AWOL last summer, shortly before his comeback fight that never was, Not that anyone noticed; with only 5 fights in the past the past five years, it's not as if Bell was active even when he was accounted for. That would leave Steve Cunningham and Enzo Maccarrinelli as the best of the rest, certainly plausible alternatives. Cunningham is coming off of a spirited, come-from-behind knockout win on the road in Germany against Marco Huck. With his two prior fights coming in Poland against Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, Cunningham has more than proven both his worth as a top cruiserweight and his willingness to travel in order to make a major fight happen. Maccarrinelli is the more flawed of the two, but also enough to give any top cruiserweight fits. Oh and he's also based and very popular in Wales, which would make an all-UK showdown an instant hit.

What's most likely to occur: The best of both worlds: The UK gets its first blockbuster fight of 2008, and American audiences get to watch. Haye-Maccarrinelli is penciled in for March 8 in London, and will now air on Showtime Championship Boxing. Rather than face a heavyweight in the ring, Haye goes head-to-head with a heavyweight clash on television, with Oleg Maskaev-Samuel Peter filling HBO's slot on the same evening.

Floyd Mayweather Jr (39-0, 25KO, Linear Welterweight Champion)

What's been rumored: Seemingly, everything but an actual fight in the near future. Long vacation, possibly exiting the game on top and undefeated record fully intact, or even a move to Mixed Martial Arts. Money Mayweather insisted after his 10 th round knockout of Ricky Hatton that there's nothing left to prove, and even that he was beginning to grow a little bored with the sport that's made him rich beyond his wildest dreams. Of course, he made similar comments following the de la Hoya business convention, and again six months prior at the post-fight press conference following his title win over Carlos Baldomir.

What's still left to do: If Mayweather wants to retire at age 31 and having won linear and alphabet titles in five weight classes, he's more than earned the right, and in fact more fighters should be encouraged to go out on top and while all of their faculties are still intact. But if he's not going to retire, then there are absolutely no excuses for fights with undefeated top threats Miguel Cotto and/or Paul Williams to not occur in 2008. Nor does it fly, the demand that both need to fight the best, including each other, before warranting consideration for a fight against His Floydness. Cotto's faced four legitimate Top-10 welterweights in a span of 11 months, in an era where most top fighters can't even be bothered to show up more than twice, and not always against respectable opposition. Williams finally stepped it up after building up his record against a collection of retreads, but the step up was a huge win, putting on an impressive boxing display in outpointing Antonio Margarito, and replacing the Mexican as Boxing's Most Unwanted in the process.

What's most likely to occur: After a banner year for the ridiculously deep welterweight division in 2007, look for the bunch to be stuck on stupid for most of 2008. In a perfect world, Mayweather guns for repeat Fighter of the Year honors by taking on and defeating Cotto. But this being the world we actually live in, Floyd will stall for as long as he wants to, while continuing to seek the fights that make more dollars for his bank than sense to boxing fans.

Ricky Hatton (43-1, 31KO, Linear Junior Welterweight Champion)

What's been rumored: As mentioned earlier, possible catchweight bouts against either Oscar de la Hoya or Manny Pacquiao. Both are ridiculous fights that mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things, but undoubtedly the type of fights that would produce mad bank once all of the final receipts are tallied. Coming off of a crushing knockout loss to Mayweather in what was already an enormously hyped event, Hatton's entitled to a breather following the first defeat of his career. But if one of his principle excuses for not emerging victorious was not being able to carry welterweight well… then why is a de la Hoya fight still making its way to the rumor mills?

What's still left to do: Two words: Junior Witter. Two more: Paul Malignaggi. For those who want to lend credence to one champion per division, the two fighters should be at the top of the very short list of fighters you want Hatton to face sometime in 2008. Witter may very well be the top contender by default, with a massive thinning of the heard sucking much of the glory out of the once-loaded junior welterweight division. But his 7 th round knockout over Vivian Harris last September was all of the proof you needed that Witter is no longer the timid novice fighter most Americans witnessed eight years ago when he accepted a last minute assignment against Zab Judah. Malignaggi remains a bit inconsistent as he enters his prime, but is winning for the most part, and against Top-10 opposition. His fight with Herman Ngoudjo last weekend was closer than most people expected, but close doesn't mean controversial. While one scorecard was off, claiming that Malignaggi deserved a close decision is the most accurate assessment one could make from Saturday's fight. That, coupled with his virtual shutout of Lovemore N'Dou last June, affixes the outspoken Italian-American in anyone's Top 3-5 when ranking the world's best junior welterweights.

What's most likely to occur: Look for the sanctioning bodies to run rampant in 2008. Witter will either have to accept stay-busy fights while running the risk of Hatton making other plans, or most likely give up his alphabet strap in holding out for an all-UK showdown that most likely never occurs. N'Dou is forcing Malignaggi's hand, looking to exercise his rematch clause. The problem is, nobody's interested in the rematch, including Malignaggi, and it will most likely result in either his being stripped of the title, or the fight landing in Italy, out of sight and cause enough for Hatton to feast on the tune-up of his choice, or at least the worst opponent HBO will approve.

Manny Pacquiao (45-3-2, 35KO, Top Junior Lightweight Contender)

What's been rumored: Fights with de la Hoya and Hatton, after a year mostly spent treading water. See Hatton's "what's been rumored" section for thoughts on either fight. With a Juan Manuel Marquez rematch already set for March 15, and a win being anything but a given, why on earth anyone wants to plan Pacquiao's next move is baffling. Hell, it took this long just to bring forth a rematch that should've come about at least three years ago. What is it about Pacquiao that out-of-the-ring chaos must always rise to the surface prior to every fight?

What's still left to do: Obviously, the March 15 rematch with Marquez. The fight determines junior lightweight supremacy, despite the popular opinion that Pacquiao established that following his pair of knockouts over Erik Morales in 2006, avenging a March 2005 loss. The argument is that by beating Morales 2 out of 3, twice beating Barrera, and fighting to a draw with Marquez, no rematch was necessary to declare Pac-Man, THE Man. No such dice. The winner of Pacquiao-Marquez II claims the throne, not a moment sooner. While Marquez needs to prove he can handle Pacquiao's power, Pacquiao still needs to prove he can win more than five rounds against Marquez, a feat some will argue he didn't even accomplish in their unforgettable May 2004 clash.

What's most likely to occur: Barring injury, or a reason for Bob Arum and Oscar de la Hoya to revive their years-long feud and instantly cease all partnered promotions, the only thing left to do is sit and wait for March 15. Should Pacquiao win, the next logical step would be either a defense against a top junior lightweight of Arum's, de la Hoya's and HBO's liking, or perhaps a leap to lightweight, most likely against David Diaz, who seems to unfairly land the role of odd man out anytime any 135 lb. fight is discussed. Pacquiao-Diaz would be absolute fireworks anywhere it lands – certainly a hell of a lot more competitive than any fight involving Pacquiao to gain 10 or more lb. But again, what's next after March 15 means very little if he doesn't emerge victorious ON March 15.

So save the rumors for the gossip columns (or worse, the news outlets willing to run with them as lead stories). There's no need to build up fantasy matches on the minds of any fighter, when there's already so much staring them in the face.

LAMAR MURPHY, MEET HERMAN NGOUDJO

While some are still debating over the final outcome of SHOWTIME's main event last weekend, one thing is abundantly clear: Herman Ngoudjo will always fight well enough to cause hell for his opponent and all three judges.

His last three fights are reminiscent of Lamar Murphy's run as a lightweight gatekeeper a decade ago. The Florida based sparkplug always seemed to perform well enough to come up just short in the end, causing mass controversy and debate the moment the scorecards were announced, most notably in his 1995 lightweight title challenge against Miguel Angel Gonzalez.

Dating back to last January, Ngoudjo is now 1-2 in his last three fights, with losses coming against Malignaggi and his highly publicized split decision to Jose Luis Castillo on HBO. The lone win came against Randall Bailey last June in a fight where both fighters hit the deck. All three decisions could've went either way. Some will argue he deserves to be 3-0 over the stretch. Some will argue he could've went 0-3. 1-2 sounds just about right, and on a personal level, this hack agreed with the declared winner on all three occasions.

BRING ON THE TITANS… BUT NOT BEFORE DARKNESS

HBO's 2008 boxing debut comes on January 19, when future Hall of Famers Roy Jones Jr. and Felix Trinidad square off in a bout to headline an HBO PPV card to be aired live from Madison Square Garden. However, this Thursday (which also happens to be Trinidad's 35 rd birthday), marks the debut of "Countdown to Trinidad-Jones", a 30-minute documentary-style feature previewing the PPV event.

It's customary for HBO to air a countdown special a week before their PPV events (save for their 24/7 series, which has yet to expand beyond Mayweather fights). However, the normal tradition calls for such a special to premiere at the conclusion of a live boxing event televised on HBO. Such was not an option this weekend, as the network doesn't air its first non-pay event until a week after Jones-Trinidad (or as HBO has labeled it, Trinidad-Jones), when Alex Povetkin takes on Eddie Chambers in a battle of unbeaten heavyweight prospects looking to become contenders in 2008.

Once upon a time, plans called for an all-action lightweight showdown between David Diaz and Michael Katsidis to land on this weekend. Apparently with the two being in the same weight class, such was a rumor that never had a chance of gaining any legs.

EITHER RING OR BE RUNG

It's bad enough that the content between the covers is at least a month outdated every issue. It's worse that they continue to pass of their opinions and half-truths as etched-in-stone fact. But when I see a copy of The Ring magazine on newsstands a week (and counting) before it makes its way to my mailbox, that's where I have to draw the line.

The next step is simple: either do some housekeeping in the mail room, or refund me the balance left on my unfulfilled subscription.

Jake Donovan is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, and presently serves on the Tennessee Boxing Advisory Board. His column runs every Tuesday on BoxingScene.com. Please feel free to submit any comments or questions to Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com