If PacMan and Pretty Boy retires - Who is P4P?

by Paul Strauss East Side Boxing 20.07.2010 No one is eager for that to happen any time soon, but what if it did? Who do you think would deserve the honor of being P4P? Here's a few likely choices. If you're from Germany or the Ukraine you undoubtedly would be picking Wladimir Klitchko, or maybe even Vitali. It's been quite some time since anyone has been a serious threat to their lofty kingdoms. But, have they had the kind of competition that makes a fighter great? Another fighter from that part of the world is King Arthur Abraham. He only has one blemish on his record, and in a rematch he might remedy that real quick with one punch.. When it comes to P4P, it always helps to have had some unusually spectacular fights on your resume, and he fits the bill. First, he demonstrated his heroism by fighting through a shattered jaw to outpoint Edison Miranda. Then in a rematch, which was his USA debut, he dispatched Miranda quickly with a few hard shots. In his first fight in the Super Six, he managed a last second display of fireworks to knock Jermain Taylor stiff. If you're from Canada, you probably would like to remind everyone there's a helluva fighter up north named Lucien Bute, who has blossomed into a puncher to go along with his superior boxing skills. His undefeated recond and rematch KO of Andrade goes along well with his scientific set up and knockout of Miranda to make him a pretty good choice. If you're a Yank, you're probably rooting for a guy from out California way, who has proven his worth with two great Super Six fights. First, Andre Ward just about shut out Mikkel Kessler on his way to a technical decision. Then he made the feared puncher Alan Green look almost harmless. He hasn't lost a fight in many a moon. He keeps telling everyone, "It's my time", and he's making believers out of most of us. There's definitely several more good choices, so fans step up and sound off with your choices. Chad Dawson and Bernard Hopkins? Sure, those are two good names, but Dawson really hasn't had the exciting fight other possible choices have had in recent months, and neither has Hopkins for that matter. Hopkins stopped Golden Boy, beat Antonio Tarver, stopped Felix Trinidad, and befuddled Winky Wright. However, he lost twice to Jermain Taylor, and lost a split decision to Joe Calzaghe. More recently he beat Roy Jones, Jr., but that didn't excite many fans. It seems a career ago that he pulled off the big upset over Kelly Pavlik. The Executioner definitely has a history of greatness, but does that make him a current P4P? Probably not. Mexican fans still hold Juan Manual Marquez in high esteem, even though he made one error in judgment agreeing to fight the former P4P in the too big welterweight division. If he repeats his knockout victory over Juan Diaz, he will be a pretty good choice. Fans will think highly of him again and remember his two great fights with the current P4P. There's a good chunk of fans that still think he deserved wins in both of those fights. You've got more good choices in mind, I'm sure, but remember one of the key ingredients is they need that defining fight(s). How about JuanMa? Down the line it might be him or maybe Gamboa. How about Celestino Cabellero? He hasn't been beaten in six years, and is avoided like the plague, so he can't get that defining fight. Have some fun and make an argument for your preference. Who knows, it might come to pass.