Top 10 fighters of the last 21 years...

[IMDAZED]

like i said on my list, the raheem thing really sticks with me- never avenging the loss etc....i had barrera higher and i thought barrera was top 3 pfp for a couple years there, especially cuz i thought he won the first fight of the trilogy

The Pacquiao win was his last gasp. Don't put too much stock in the Raheem bout as Morales was headed to the retirement home after that.

[crold1]

If the Oscar win is a bad one for Tito then so is the Hopkins win for Calzaghe.

I disagree. I think the Hopkins win was ugly but clear. I had Tito up a point on Oscar at the end of 12 (the first four rounds are much close than most recall) but he really didn't do much. He just did more than nothing over the last 3 1/2. That was a bad win, hurting both guys at night's end.

That said, Tito stepped up much earlier and that counts for something. Like I said, six of one, half dozen another. They're in the same ball park IMO.

[Walt Liquor]

I think you're being too hard. Coming off the best win of his life, and after seven-plus years of brutal wars, Morales stunk one out against a stinker. It happens (though an argument can also be made he NEVER was put with that style in his prime either...lots of guys aren't and who cares? Raheem's style is kryptonite for the eyes). He was boxing finest warrior since Saad in my opinion and that counts for a lot.

thats my prob, and the fact that he never sought to avenge or fought anyone with even close to a similar style to overcome that black eye..i mena to me, morales pretty much got shut out then acted like it never happened

the last 21 yrs is so deep to me at the top 10, i have this thing about the way morales went out like that. now if we're talking about my favorite fighters since 1990, its a different story

[Walt Liquor]

The Pacquiao win was his last gasp. Don't put too much stock in the Raheem bout as Morales was headed to the retirement home after that.

damn junior jones and mccoullough wins were brutal....

[IMDAZED]

I disagree. I think the Hopkins win was ugly but clear. I had Tito up a point on Oscar at the end of 12 (the first four rounds are much close than most recall) but he really didn't do much. He just did more than nothing over the last 3 1/2. That was a bad win, hurting both guys at night's end.

That said, Tito stepped up much earlier and that counts for something. Like I said, six of one, half dozen another. They're in the same ball park IMO.

You had Tito winning. A lot of people had Oscar winning. You had Calzaghe winning and a lot of people had Hopkins winning.

[$Bullsfam$]

Honestly, if Hopkins does beat Dawson and the winner of Bute vs Super 6 winner, I think he'd probably become #1 and maybe even have a claim at top 25 ATG.

[JAB5239]

I wouldn't rate Whitaker #1 if we're talking 1990 to present. Pacquiao, Jones, etc. would vehemently disagree. It's real tough to make a pound for pound list but if I did (don't quote me on this, it may change as soon as tomorrow), I'd rate them from 1990-present as:

1. Roy Jones Jr.
Jones was the Fighter of the Decade of the 90's over Whitaker and deservedly so. I don't count the losses post-Tarver III too much as, after that(and maybe before), he was a spent force. He was unbeatable in his prime, rarely losing a minute, let alone a round. It wasn't a brief period either, he dominated for about a decade. I think you can make a strong case for Pacquiao here but my vote goes to Jones.

2. Manny Pacquiao
Pacquiao would hover around the level of Barrera and Morales on this list if his run ended at 130 but it didn't. While his wins in higher divisions don't rank with his wins in the lower ones, stoppages of Cotto and Hatton - particularly how it was done - were highly impressive and catapult him to the upper crust of this list. He's still not done and I think one or two more big wins (he has the opponents around him to do it) would put him on a list of names far smaller than this one.

3. Pernell Whitaker
Pea may have the glossiest wins on this list (Nelson, Chavez, McGirt, Oscar IMO). That's a pretty sick list of names. But he was also very uneven during that time following the Chavez win. The head-scratching performances against Rivera and the Hurtado bout was pretty bad. But if we went back another five years, he'd be #1 on this list easy.

4. Bernard Hopkins
I may be underrating Bernard a tad but I think we'll have a better idea of where he stands following this weekend. If he finally shows his age then I'll leave him at #4. I think his resume speaks for itself and while I'm not his biggest fan, he has the utmost respect from me. The Tito win was the stuff of legends; that performance was masterful. And that was his record breaking 14th defense of the middleweight crown. At 36. And he defended it about five more times. Then the leap to LHW to upset a top three pound for pounder in Tarver sealed his legacy as an ATG. It's incredible he still isn't done.

5. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd has the advantage of being undefeated but it's not a hollow 'O', his dossier is pretty strong. At 130-135, he could hang and beat nearly anyone. His stay at 140 was mediocre but his resume at 147 is solid. I suspect he has only one more great fight left in him (if that) so he may want to make it count. A win over Martinez/Pacquiao would push him to the top slot.

6. Erik Morales

7. Felix Trinidad

8. Marco Antonio Barrera

9. Evander Holyfield

10. Ricardo Lopez

Excellent list!

[IronDanHamza]

2011 not over yet homey

He doesn't get it.

I wasn't going to justify it with a response but since you have I will go along and do it.

He is counting 91-92 as 2 years, when its 1 year.

My nephew was born in July of 1991, July this year, is his 20th Birthday. Which why I knew that that timeframe is 20 years off the bat.

But what do you expect? The guy ranks Virgill Hill ahead of Pernell Whitaker.

[IronDanHamza]

I wouldn't rate Whitaker #1 if we're talking 1990 to present. Pacquiao, Jones, etc. would vehemently disagree. It's real tough to make a pound for pound list but if I did (don't quote me on this, it may change as soon as tomorrow), I'd rate them from 1990-present as:

1. Roy Jones Jr.
Jones was the Fighter of the Decade of the 90's over Whitaker and deservedly so. I don't count the losses post-Tarver III too much as, after that(and maybe before), he was a spent force. He was unbeatable in his prime, rarely losing a minute, let alone a round. It wasn't a brief period either, he dominated for about a decade. I think you can make a strong case for Pacquiao here but my vote goes to Jones.

2. Manny Pacquiao
Pacquiao would hover around the level of Barrera and Morales on this list if his run ended at 130 but it didn't. While his wins in higher divisions don't rank with his wins in the lower ones, stoppages of Cotto and Hatton - particularly how it was done - were highly impressive and catapult him to the upper crust of this list. He's still not done and I think one or two more big wins (he has the opponents around him to do it) would put him on a list of names far smaller than this one.

3. Pernell Whitaker
Pea may have the glossiest wins on this list (Nelson, Chavez, McGirt, Oscar IMO). That's a pretty sick list of names. But he was also very uneven during that time following the Chavez win. The head-scratching performances against Rivera and the Hurtado bout was pretty bad. But if we went back another five years, he'd be #1 on this list easy.

4. Bernard Hopkins
I may be underrating Bernard a tad but I think we'll have a better idea of where he stands following this weekend. If he finally shows his age then I'll leave him at #4. I think his resume speaks for itself and while I'm not his biggest fan, he has the utmost respect from me. The Tito win was the stuff of legends; that performance was masterful. And that was his record breaking 14th defense of the middleweight crown. At 36. And he defended it about five more times. Then the leap to LHW to upset a top three pound for pounder in Tarver sealed his legacy as an ATG. It's incredible he still isn't done.

5. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd has the advantage of being undefeated but it's not a hollow 'O', his dossier is pretty strong. At 130-135, he could hang and beat nearly anyone. His stay at 140 was mediocre but his resume at 147 is solid. I suspect he has only one more great fight left in him (if that) so he may want to make it count. A win over Martinez/Pacquiao would push him to the top slot.

6. Erik Morales

7. Felix Trinidad

8. Marco Antonio Barrera

9. Evander Holyfield

10. Ricardo Lopez

I like this list.

[Walt Liquor]

He doesn't get it.

I wasn't going to justify it with a response but since you have I will go along and do it.

He is counting 91-92 as 2 years, when its 1 year.

My nephew was born in July of 1991, July this year, is his 20th Birthday. Which why I knew that that timeframe is 20 years off the bat.

But what do you expect? The guy ranks Virgill Hill ahead of Pernell Whitaker.

Everyone's been laughing about this but I didn't see it in the thread. I'd like to so I can get a chuckle too....