The fighter who most embodies what a boxer should be...

[KING •]

Joel Casamayor

[..David..]

salvador sanchez

[Scoooter]

There are loads right now, and most of them have been mentioned already.

Oscar de la Hoya fits the bill nicely. Loads of skill, fight ending power, heartfelt background (w/ his mother and the Olympics and whatnot), good looks, crazy popularity, always fights the best, never really ducks anyone (although I'm sure Winky Wright would disagree).

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Tremendous skill, plays the villain role nicely, growing popularity.

Erik Morales & Marco Antonio Barrera were perfect foils to one another and tremendous fighters. Ditto the Marquez bros., Israel vasquez, and Manny Pacquiao.

Antonio Margarito. Classic hardluck-boxing-for-survival story; cojones.

Joe Calzaghe is wholly unique and majorly talented (although many won't see past his last performance). Mikkel Kessler combines great technicality, good power, and humility.

Kelly Pavlik. This guy came out of nowhere it seems, knocking out contenders and then the champion in thrilling, dramatic fights. Humble, soft-spoken, likeable, killer instinct, great power, never takes a step back, more often than not scores a KO. Hard not to like Kelly Pavlik.

Nate Campbell, Michael Katsidis, Juan Diaz, Joel Casamayor - good lightweights right now. Glen Johnson. Wlad Klitschko has all the tools - skill, technique, great power, charisma - to be a great heavyweight champ, but he isn't quite there yet. He needs someone credible to look impressive against. David Haye, potentially.

[ophqui]

David 'Hayemaker' Haye!!

charisma, arrogance, Dynamite in both hands, just enough vulnerabilaty to make things interesting. Perfect.