Based purely on skill, your top 5 fighters of the decade?

[Mr. Philadel]

just pure skills?!?....B.Hop once said that tite belonged to Floyd...I agree
Floyd
B.Hop
Wlad
Calderon
JMM/Pacquiao

Pac has skills imo...maybe not as much as the others I have above him...but they also lack some of the things that he has plenty of

[_original_]

My list goes

1. Floyd Mayweather
2. Bernard Hopkins
3. Juan Manuel Marquez
4. Manny Pacquiao (very underrated in terms of boxing "skills")
5. De La Hoya

[Assteroid Field]

Mayweather
DLH
Calderon
Jones Jr
BHop

[BoZz]

Pacquiao is number one for me..he's the best when it comes blocking the punches with his big juiced head.

[Someone88]

My only problem with Pac is that with his skill set he should have had no problem with a guy like Marquez or Morales. He is clearly more talented than both men... But the fact that they were smarter than him in the ring and have great timing gave them a huge intangible against Pacman. They consistently countered him and made him look bad, more so on the defensive end. That being said, he has one of the best offensive sets I've ever seen. He has mastered his step in and out technique and included 3 punch combinations which have proven tough to deal with. His only weakness in my opinion lies in defense and outboxing counterpunchers...

You make good points I think it depends on how skill is defined by some, I think many here are just thinking about defensive skills. Offensive skills should be considered as well, which is where Pacquiao is one of the best. His defence has improved and his offence is one of the best, it's hard to say who is the most skilled but every fighter at the elite level have great skills some may rely on athleticism and toughness more but they all have skills.

I'm not sure where I can rank Pacquiao but he'd be quite high still especially because of his offensive skills I'd have him in the top 5.