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1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (38-0, 24 KOs)
Welterweight champion
Hits: It was fun while it lasted, but thankfully Mayweather was eliminated from "Dancing with the Stars" after just a few weeks of the competition. Had he remained on the reality series, it would have obviously have had a negative impact on his training for his Dec. 8 showdown with Ricky Hatton, and nobody wants to hear any excuses from Mayweather should he happen to fall victim to an upset.
Misses: Because Mayweather is such a significant favorite in his match with Hatton, what will a victory over the Briton mean, other than a big payday? There are more menacing opponents for him at welterweight, namely Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Paul Williams and Antonio Margarito on the prowl.
2. Joe Calzaghe (44-0, 32 KOs)
Super middleweight champion
Hits: It gets no better than Calzaghe's surprisingly dominant victory against Mikkel Kessler in perhaps the biggest fight in 168-pound division history. It is not a reach to call Calzaghe the greatest super middleweight ever after a performance that validated his 10-year title reign and gave him 21 title defenses. Well done, Joe.
Misses: With nothing left to do at super middleweight, Calzaghe is looking to move up to light heavyweight to face champion Bernard Hopkins. It's the obvious fight but does anyone really think it will be a classic, given the way Hopkins fights?
3. Manny Pacquiao (45-3-2, 34 KOs)
Junior lightweight
Hits: The Filipino idol dominated Marco Antonio Barrera on Oct. 6 and a month later Juan Manuel Marquez dominated Rocky Juarez to set up a highly anticipated rematch between Pacquiao and Marquez, who fought to a blazing draw in 2004.
Misses: Although the rematch with Marquez is set up on a tee for Pacquiao, he seems reluctant to go for it. If he doesn't take it shame on him.
4. Bernard Hopkins (48-4-1, 32 KOs)
Light heavyweight champion
Hits: Even at 42, Hopkins still gets excited about a big fight. He's like a kid in a candy store when he talks about fighting Calzaghe, the obvious fight for both guys. His notion to hold the fight at Yankee Stadium, which has a storied history of important prize fights, is pretty cool, too.
Misses: You always have to be skeptical when Calzaghe's promoter, Frank Warren, is on the other side of the negotiating table. He's talked about many big fights over the years but only a few of them have ever come to pass.
5. Juan Manuel Marquez (48-3-1, 35 KOs)
Junior lightweight champion
Hits: With Barrera and Erik Morales now retired, Marquez stands alone as Mexico's No. 1 fighter, which he reinforced with a brilliant display against Rocky Juarez in a virtual shutout decision win on Nov. 3.
Misses: He wants to fight Pacquiao in a rematch and is willing to do it at 130 pounds or up at 135 pounds, so if the fight doesn't come off, blame Pacquiao. But whomever would shoulder the blame, it would be terrible for boxing if this match slipped away at a time when all the other big fights are being put together.
6. Miguel Cotto (31-0, 25 KOs)
Welterweight titlist
Hits: Puerto Rico's best active fighter racked up yet another impressive victory as he outboxed and outfought superstar Shane Mosley in a thrilling fight at hallowed Madison Square Garden. There are nothing but big fights in Cotto's future, including possible matches with Oscar De La Hoya, the Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton winner, Antonio Margarito and the Paul Williams-Kermit Cintron winner. It's good to be a welterweight star these days.
Misses: As tremendous a body puncher as Cotto is, Mosley actually seemed to get the better of the body blows when they met.
7. Winky Wright (51-4-1, 25 KOs)
Middleweight
Hits: Even if he can be a bit difficult to make a deal with, Wright has shown that he is willing to fight the best, even if it means going up in weight like he did to face Hopkins in July. He's a true competitor and a future Hall of Famer.
Misses: Where does the Winkster go? He must be awfully lonely right now with no big name to fight. It's like the top fighters from welterweight to super middleweight played a big game of musical chairs and Wright was the one left standing when the music stopped.
8. Israel Vazquez (42-4, 32 KOs)
Junior featherweight champion
Hits: However his third fight with Rafael Marquez goes, the first two bouts were exciting and meaningful enough to give their rivalry a place in the same conversation with any of the epic trilogies in boxing history.
Misses: How can the third fight with Marquez possibly live up to the lofty example set by the first two wickedly exciting fights?
9. Rafael Marquez (37-4, 33 KOs)
Junior featherweight
Hits: Even before his memorable series with Vazquez, which isn't over yet, Marquez had already been a pound-for-pound caliber fighter based on a dominant reign as bantamweight champion. The series with Vazquez is just adding to his legacy, his popularity and his bank account.
Misses: He's coming off a big knockout loss to Vazquez in fight No. 2 and the third fight isn't going to be any easier.
10. Ricky Hatton (43-0, 31 KOs)
Junior welterweight champion
Hits: Whatever happens when he faces Mayweather as a big underdog, you have to give the British star a lot of credit for announcing his intention to come to the United States to fight the best fighters he could and then following through on the plan. It will all culminate with the showdown with Mayweather.
Misses: There's a good chance that despite what will be weeks of massive promotional bluster, the fight could turn into a one-sided Mayweather rout.
Welterweight champion
Hits: It was fun while it lasted, but thankfully Mayweather was eliminated from "Dancing with the Stars" after just a few weeks of the competition. Had he remained on the reality series, it would have obviously have had a negative impact on his training for his Dec. 8 showdown with Ricky Hatton, and nobody wants to hear any excuses from Mayweather should he happen to fall victim to an upset.
Misses: Because Mayweather is such a significant favorite in his match with Hatton, what will a victory over the Briton mean, other than a big payday? There are more menacing opponents for him at welterweight, namely Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Paul Williams and Antonio Margarito on the prowl.
2. Joe Calzaghe (44-0, 32 KOs)
Super middleweight champion
Hits: It gets no better than Calzaghe's surprisingly dominant victory against Mikkel Kessler in perhaps the biggest fight in 168-pound division history. It is not a reach to call Calzaghe the greatest super middleweight ever after a performance that validated his 10-year title reign and gave him 21 title defenses. Well done, Joe.
Misses: With nothing left to do at super middleweight, Calzaghe is looking to move up to light heavyweight to face champion Bernard Hopkins. It's the obvious fight but does anyone really think it will be a classic, given the way Hopkins fights?
3. Manny Pacquiao (45-3-2, 34 KOs)
Junior lightweight
Hits: The Filipino idol dominated Marco Antonio Barrera on Oct. 6 and a month later Juan Manuel Marquez dominated Rocky Juarez to set up a highly anticipated rematch between Pacquiao and Marquez, who fought to a blazing draw in 2004.
Misses: Although the rematch with Marquez is set up on a tee for Pacquiao, he seems reluctant to go for it. If he doesn't take it shame on him.
4. Bernard Hopkins (48-4-1, 32 KOs)
Light heavyweight champion
Hits: Even at 42, Hopkins still gets excited about a big fight. He's like a kid in a candy store when he talks about fighting Calzaghe, the obvious fight for both guys. His notion to hold the fight at Yankee Stadium, which has a storied history of important prize fights, is pretty cool, too.
Misses: You always have to be skeptical when Calzaghe's promoter, Frank Warren, is on the other side of the negotiating table. He's talked about many big fights over the years but only a few of them have ever come to pass.
5. Juan Manuel Marquez (48-3-1, 35 KOs)
Junior lightweight champion
Hits: With Barrera and Erik Morales now retired, Marquez stands alone as Mexico's No. 1 fighter, which he reinforced with a brilliant display against Rocky Juarez in a virtual shutout decision win on Nov. 3.
Misses: He wants to fight Pacquiao in a rematch and is willing to do it at 130 pounds or up at 135 pounds, so if the fight doesn't come off, blame Pacquiao. But whomever would shoulder the blame, it would be terrible for boxing if this match slipped away at a time when all the other big fights are being put together.
6. Miguel Cotto (31-0, 25 KOs)
Welterweight titlist
Hits: Puerto Rico's best active fighter racked up yet another impressive victory as he outboxed and outfought superstar Shane Mosley in a thrilling fight at hallowed Madison Square Garden. There are nothing but big fights in Cotto's future, including possible matches with Oscar De La Hoya, the Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton winner, Antonio Margarito and the Paul Williams-Kermit Cintron winner. It's good to be a welterweight star these days.
Misses: As tremendous a body puncher as Cotto is, Mosley actually seemed to get the better of the body blows when they met.
7. Winky Wright (51-4-1, 25 KOs)
Middleweight
Hits: Even if he can be a bit difficult to make a deal with, Wright has shown that he is willing to fight the best, even if it means going up in weight like he did to face Hopkins in July. He's a true competitor and a future Hall of Famer.
Misses: Where does the Winkster go? He must be awfully lonely right now with no big name to fight. It's like the top fighters from welterweight to super middleweight played a big game of musical chairs and Wright was the one left standing when the music stopped.
8. Israel Vazquez (42-4, 32 KOs)
Junior featherweight champion
Hits: However his third fight with Rafael Marquez goes, the first two bouts were exciting and meaningful enough to give their rivalry a place in the same conversation with any of the epic trilogies in boxing history.
Misses: How can the third fight with Marquez possibly live up to the lofty example set by the first two wickedly exciting fights?
9. Rafael Marquez (37-4, 33 KOs)
Junior featherweight
Hits: Even before his memorable series with Vazquez, which isn't over yet, Marquez had already been a pound-for-pound caliber fighter based on a dominant reign as bantamweight champion. The series with Vazquez is just adding to his legacy, his popularity and his bank account.
Misses: He's coming off a big knockout loss to Vazquez in fight No. 2 and the third fight isn't going to be any easier.
10. Ricky Hatton (43-0, 31 KOs)
Junior welterweight champion
Hits: Whatever happens when he faces Mayweather as a big underdog, you have to give the British star a lot of credit for announcing his intention to come to the United States to fight the best fighters he could and then following through on the plan. It will all culminate with the showdown with Mayweather.
Misses: There's a good chance that despite what will be weeks of massive promotional bluster, the fight could turn into a one-sided Mayweather rout.
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