Beating Paul Smith earns you the number 2 spot on a P4P list...

[Dirk Diggler UK]

That doesn't make sense to me, and here's why: To say that Ward can take nearly 2 years off and be ranked where he was before upon his return, is to say that the entire boxing world just stood still while he was gone.

So if Ward isn't on the list, who is?

[Dirk Diggler UK]

The reality is Ward went 9 rounds with the worse shaped Smith of all time. If I'm wrong ,prove it.

There was a time when Ward was definitely p4p, right after the Froch win and up until the Dawson fiasco, he could easily be a top 10. I've never had him number two but no shame in being top 10.

He still probably has those skills and he definitely doesn't have wear and tear but until he proves all that in the ring against a top opponent, it's ridiculous to claim that he is somehow the second best fighter on the planet, in a sport which has changed a lot since the S6.

Kovalev seems imperious at LHW, GGG is unstoppable at MW, Pacquiao is still around, Wlad is finally being recognised for his skills and achievements and is about to fight one of the biggest fighters in history and guys like Gonzalez and Bradley all deserve p4p mentions. Yet Ward, after not boxing for a year and a half, leap frogs them all just because he beat Smith?

Be real man.

I don't give a **** about his win over Smith. That bares no relevance on anything. Ward is one of the best fighters in the world. Full stop. Anyone who would beat him would be considered one of the best instantly.

Why is Golovkin on the list? His best win is Martin Murray ffs. So if we're using the criteria of Ward beating Paul Smith....why is Golovkin on there when his career highlights involve beating fighters who are just as average as Smith.

[SUBZER0ED]

I understand "the big fight", but wtf does the rest have to do with being a P4P fighter?

A top P4P fighter would have had everything else that comes with it. Tyson went to prison and fought a bum when he got out in Peter McNeely, yet he had no trouble having it televised by a major network...on PPV!

[SUBZER0ED]

So if Ward isn't on the list, who is?

Here's my list:

1) W.Klitschko
2) Mayweather
3) Pacquiao
4) Kovalev
5) Golovkin
6) Alvarez
7) Cotto
8) Bradley
9) Garcia
10) Stevenson

[Dirk Diggler UK]

A top P4P fighter would have had everything else that comes with it. Tyson went to prison and fought a bum when he got out in Peter McNeely, yet he had no trouble having it televised by a major network...on PPV!

So top 10 P4P is based on being on PPV or a major network? It's not actually skillset or resume. You learn something new every day....

[crold1]

I don't give a **** about his win over Smith. That bares no relevance on anything. Ward is one of the best fighters in the world. Full stop. Anyone who would beat him would be considered one of the best instantly.

Why is Golovkin on the list? His best win is Martin Murray ffs. So if we're using the criteria of Ward beating Paul Smith....why is Golovkin on there when his career highlights involve beating fighters who are just as average as Smith.

No issue here with anyone rating Ward anywhere. People are being silly. We KNOW how good he is. He's been inactive, some of it past his control. Doesn't change the evidence in ring. I think Kovalev and Gonzalez are the only ones with the resume to compete against his inactivity and the established proof.

[Dirk Diggler UK]

Here's my list:

1) W.Klitschko
2) Mayweather
3) Pacquiao
4) Kovalev
5) Golovkin
6) Alvarez
7) Cotto
8) Bradley
9) Garcia
10) Stevenson

Wladimir Klitschko's fights have predominantly not been shown on a major US network so he can't be P4P number 1 going by your logic.

You said Rigondeaux has never been tested....but Golovkin has? Rigondeaux's best win is Nonito Donaire. Golovkin's is Martin Murray.

Adonis Stevenson has one win over Chad Dawson who'd just been destroyed by Ward. His opponents in the last 2 years have been predominantly terrible. Sukhotsky, Bika and Karpency....P4P baby!

[SUBZER0ED]

So top 10 P4P is based on being on PPV or a major network? It's not actually skillset or resume. You learn something new every day....

No, you have it backward. The notoriety, perks, privileges, ect, are results of being a bonafide P4P fighter. Again, I'm not saying Ward isn't a good fighter or that he won't make P4P some day, but he just hasn't done enough to warrant that designation to me.

[Barcham]

No issue here with anyone rating Ward anywhere. People are being silly. We KNOW how good he is. He's been inactive, some of it past his control. Doesn't change the evidence in ring. I think Kovalev and Gonzalez are the only ones with the resume to compete against his inactivity and the established proof.

WHAT established proof? A couple of fights many years ago against now retired fighters? That is enough for you to put someone on a P4P list at number TWO? Do you rank college football teams based on their performance 3 to 4 years ago? Would you rank a tennis player in the top 10 if they only played one tournament per year because 4 years ago they won Wimbledon?

If there is one sport boxing should look to for how to rank their competitors, it is tennis. Inactive? You drop in the rankings. Play and lose against a lower ranked player? You drop in the rankings. Anything other than remaining active against top competition and you drop in the rankings.

For some reason, boxing fans are the most forgiving of their favorite athletes. No other sport has fans who are such blind followers. And no other sport has fans that are so delusional. I mean boxing fans make Leaf fans look sensible and reasonable in comparison. What a sport this is.

[SplitSecond]

No, you have it backward. The notoriety, perks, privileges, ect, are results of being a bonafide P4P fighter. Again, I'm not saying Ward isn't a good fighter or that he won't make P4P some day, but he just hasn't done enough to warrant that designation to me.

Pretty ****ed that because one guy decides to remain in limbo you can't surpass him in the p4p.

The list is always going through alterations, most guys are brought down a couple notches for losing, or putting on an unconvincing performance. Mayweather when he came back from his retirement fought(according to the ring) p4p #2 in Marquez and put on a stellar performance to gain a #2 ranking, NOTE "gain", he didn't "retain", as he was #1 before his retirement, but he had to earn it again.

Ward though after 4 years of *** all can jump back into #2, jumping over guys putting on consistent work against better competition because he beat the beast in Paul Smith in a shtty performance.