#P4Prank: Nos. 25-16 of past 25 years
Manny Pacquiao, unquestionably one of the best boxers of his generation, says his third meeting with Timothy Bradley Jr. on April 9 will be the final fight of his career. If that's the case, then it's time to assess Pacquiao's place in boxing history.
ESPNdeportes.com
ESPN asked its panel of boxing experts to rank the top 25 pound-for-pound boxers of the past 25 years. The results will be unveiled over eight days on ESPN.com, Facebook (ESPN Boxing) and Twitter (@ESPNBoxing) and counted down from No. 25 to No. 1, which will be announced on the eve of Pacquiao-Bradley III. Fans can use the hashtag #P4Prank to join the discussion and follow along.
Here are the boxers ranked from No. 25 to No. 16:
Ken Levine/Allsport/Getty Images
25. Terry Norris
ESPN's take: A devastating puncher with a shaky chin, the 2005 Hall of Fame inductee was one of the most exciting fighters of his time. He shot to prominence in 1990 with a title-winning, first-round knockout of Mugabi and gained even more fame by retiring aging legend Leonard in 1991. -- Dan Rafael
Al Bello/Getty Images
24. Gennady Golovkin
ESPN's take: A bit early to write GGG's history, but he has the potential to go down as an all-time great middleweight. Golovkin still has a long way to go and a possible match with Canelo Alvarez might provide more evidence of Golovkin's true abilities. -- Wally Matthews
Doug Benc/Getty Images
23. Winky Wright
ESPN's take: Wright, whose defensive brilliance was his calling card, spent years fighting in France and England before Mosley gave him a chance to fight him in a 2004 unification fight. Wright responded with a sensational performance to unify three belts and then beat him again in the immediate rematch. -- Dan Rafael
Al Bello/Allsport/Getty Images
22. Naseem Hamed
ESPN's take: Hamed's cheeky (some would say arrogant) personality and over-the-top ring entrances helped make him a box-office phenomena, but it was his fighting skills that carried him to the top. He was lightning quick, maddeningly unorthodox and the hardest-hitting featherweight of his era. -- Nigel Collins
Isaac Brekken/Getty Images
21. Miguel Cotto
ESPN's take: One of Puerto Rico's greatest fighters, the enormously popular Cotto became the island's first four-division titleholder when he stopped Sergio Martinez in the 10th round for the middleweight title in 2014. But no victory was more satisfying for Cotto than stopping Antonio Margarito in their animosity-filled 2011 rematch. -- Dan Rafael
AP Photo/Toru Takahashi
20. Roman Gonzalez
ESPN's take: A native of Nicaragua, "Chocolatito" has followed in the footsteps of late countryman and mentor Alexis Arguello as a feared puncher. The three-division champion is also among the most well-rounded and complete fighters in boxing today, with an almost artistic beauty to the way he attacks. -- Brian Campbell
Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images
19. Wladimir Klitschko
ESPN's take: Admittedly, Wladimir has a monotonous style. But there's no getting around the fact that he owned the sport's premier division from 2005 until 2015 and made 17 successful title defenses. Yes, the rest of the field was ordinary at best, but you don't last that long unless you're damned good. -- Nigel Collins
Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/LatinContent/Getty Images
18. Erik Morales
ESPN's take: A warrior, pure and simple. Beat 15 world champions, and his trilogies with Barrera and Pacquiao will be long remembered. Pacquiao eventually proved his superiority, but all three fights with Barrera could have gone either way. -- Wally Matthews
Harry How/Getty Images
17. Andre Ward
ESPN's take: The last American male boxer to win an Olympic gold medal, Ward made a name for himself professionally by winning the Super Six World Boxing Classic in 2011. Ward can do it all in the ring and adjust to any style, although inactivity has stunted his growth in recent years. -- Brian Campbell
Al Bello/Getty Images
16. James Toney
ESPN's take: Toney, with one of the best chins in history, made his name when he scored a dramatic 11th-round comeback knockout of Michael Nunn to win a middleweight title in 1991. For a time in the 1990s, many considered him the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. Later, he failed two drug tests, including one that cost him a heavyweight title. -- Nigel Collins
#P4Prank: Golovkin, 'Chocolatito' among top 25
- Thurs., March 31 Nos. 15-11
- Fri., April 1 Nos. 10-6
- Mon., April 4 No. 5
- Tues., April 5 No. 4
- Wed., April 6 No. 3
- Thurs., April 7 No. 2
- Fri., April 8 No. 1
Manny Pacquiao, unquestionably one of the best boxers of his generation, says his third meeting with Timothy Bradley Jr. on April 9 will be the final fight of his career. If that's the case, then it's time to assess Pacquiao's place in boxing history.
ESPNdeportes.com
ESPN asked its panel of boxing experts to rank the top 25 pound-for-pound boxers of the past 25 years. The results will be unveiled over eight days on ESPN.com, Facebook (ESPN Boxing) and Twitter (@ESPNBoxing) and counted down from No. 25 to No. 1, which will be announced on the eve of Pacquiao-Bradley III. Fans can use the hashtag #P4Prank to join the discussion and follow along.
Here are the boxers ranked from No. 25 to No. 16:
Ken Levine/Allsport/Getty Images
25. Terry Norris
- Record: 47-9, 31 KOs | Years active: 1986-98
- Weight classes: Junior middleweight
- Titles: 4
- Top 3 signature wins: John Mugabi, KO1, 1990; Sugar Ray Leonard, UD12, 1991; Meldrick Taylor, TKO4, 1992
ESPN's take: A devastating puncher with a shaky chin, the 2005 Hall of Fame inductee was one of the most exciting fighters of his time. He shot to prominence in 1990 with a title-winning, first-round knockout of Mugabi and gained even more fame by retiring aging legend Leonard in 1991. -- Dan Rafael
Al Bello/Getty Images
24. Gennady Golovkin
- Record: 34-0, 31 KOs | Years active: 2006-present
- Weight classes: Middleweight
- Titles: 1
- Top 3 signature wins: Grzegorz Proksa, TKO5, 2012; Curtis Stevens, TKO8, 2013; David Lemieux, TKO8, 2015.
ESPN's take: A bit early to write GGG's history, but he has the potential to go down as an all-time great middleweight. Golovkin still has a long way to go and a possible match with Canelo Alvarez might provide more evidence of Golovkin's true abilities. -- Wally Matthews
Doug Benc/Getty Images
23. Winky Wright
- Record: 51-6-1, 25 KOs | Years active: 1990-2012
- Weight classes: Junior middleweight
- Titles: 4
- Top 3 signature wins: Shane Mosley, MD12, 2004; Felix Trinidad, UD12, 2005; Ike Quartey, UD12, 2006
ESPN's take: Wright, whose defensive brilliance was his calling card, spent years fighting in France and England before Mosley gave him a chance to fight him in a 2004 unification fight. Wright responded with a sensational performance to unify three belts and then beat him again in the immediate rematch. -- Dan Rafael
Al Bello/Allsport/Getty Images
22. Naseem Hamed
- Record: 36-1, 31 KOs | Years active: 1992-2002
- Weight classes: Bantamweight, junior featherweight, featherweight
- Titles: 4
- Top 3 signature wins: Tom Johnson, TKO8, 1997; Kevin Kelley, KO4, 1997; Wilfredo Vazquez, TKO7, 1998
ESPN's take: Hamed's cheeky (some would say arrogant) personality and over-the-top ring entrances helped make him a box-office phenomena, but it was his fighting skills that carried him to the top. He was lightning quick, maddeningly unorthodox and the hardest-hitting featherweight of his era. -- Nigel Collins
Isaac Brekken/Getty Images
21. Miguel Cotto
- Record: 40-5, 33 KOs | Years active: 2001-present
- Weight classes: Junior welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight, middleweight
- Titles: 5
- Top 3 signature wins: Shane Mosley, UD12, 2007; Antonio Margarito, TKO9, 2011; Sergio Martinez, TKO10, 2014
ESPN's take: One of Puerto Rico's greatest fighters, the enormously popular Cotto became the island's first four-division titleholder when he stopped Sergio Martinez in the 10th round for the middleweight title in 2014. But no victory was more satisfying for Cotto than stopping Antonio Margarito in their animosity-filled 2011 rematch. -- Dan Rafael
AP Photo/Toru Takahashi
20. Roman Gonzalez
- Record: 44-0, 38 KOs | Years active: 2005-present
- Weight classes: Strawweight, junior flyweight, flyweight
- Titles: 3
- Top 3 signature wins: Juan Francisco Estrada, UD12, 2012; Akira Yaegashi, TKO9, 2014; Brian Viloria, TKO9, 2015
ESPN's take: A native of Nicaragua, "Chocolatito" has followed in the footsteps of late countryman and mentor Alexis Arguello as a feared puncher. The three-division champion is also among the most well-rounded and complete fighters in boxing today, with an almost artistic beauty to the way he attacks. -- Brian Campbell
Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images
19. Wladimir Klitschko
- Record: 64-4, 53 KOs | Years active: 1996-Present
- Weight classes: Heavyweight
- Titles: 4
- Top 3 signature wins: Sam Peters, UD12, 2005; Chris Byrd, TKO7, 2006; David Haye, UD12, 2011
ESPN's take: Admittedly, Wladimir has a monotonous style. But there's no getting around the fact that he owned the sport's premier division from 2005 until 2015 and made 17 successful title defenses. Yes, the rest of the field was ordinary at best, but you don't last that long unless you're damned good. -- Nigel Collins
Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/LatinContent/Getty Images
18. Erik Morales
- Record: 52-9, 36 KOs | Years active: 1993-2012
- Weight classes: Junior featherweight, featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight
- Titles: 7
- Top 3 signature wins: Daniel Zaragoza, TKO11, 1997; Marco Antonio Barrera, SD12, 2000; Manny Pacquiao, UD12, 2005
ESPN's take: A warrior, pure and simple. Beat 15 world champions, and his trilogies with Barrera and Pacquiao will be long remembered. Pacquiao eventually proved his superiority, but all three fights with Barrera could have gone either way. -- Wally Matthews
Harry How/Getty Images
17. Andre Ward
- Record: 29-0, 15 KOs | Years active: 2004-present
- Weight classes: Middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight
- Titles: 2
- Top 3 signature wins: Carl Froch, W12, 2011; Mikkel Kessler, TD11, 2009; Chad Dawson, TKO10, 2012
ESPN's take: The last American male boxer to win an Olympic gold medal, Ward made a name for himself professionally by winning the Super Six World Boxing Classic in 2011. Ward can do it all in the ring and adjust to any style, although inactivity has stunted his growth in recent years. -- Brian Campbell
Al Bello/Getty Images
16. James Toney
- Record: 76-10-3, 46 KOs | Years active: 1988-present
- Weight classes: Middleweight, super middleweight, cruiserweight
- Titles: 3
- Top 3 signature wins: Michael Nunn, TKO11, 1991; Vassiliy Jirov, UD12, 2003; Evander Holyfield, TKO9, 2003
ESPN's take: Toney, with one of the best chins in history, made his name when he scored a dramatic 11th-round comeback knockout of Michael Nunn to win a middleweight title in 1991. For a time in the 1990s, many considered him the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. Later, he failed two drug tests, including one that cost him a heavyweight title. -- Nigel Collins
#P4Prank: Golovkin, 'Chocolatito' among top 25
gonna go ahead and ignore this thread, no disrespect 
