(May 18, 2013; Atlantic City, NJ, USA; Lucas Matthysse celebrates after his victory over Lamont Peterson [not pictured] in their welterweight bout at Boardwalk Hall. Matthysse won via 3rd round TKO. Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
We've got two new top-20 pound-for-pounders, movement from people exiting and movement from at least one more noteworthy win for the best boxers in the world regardless of weight. It's hasn't been a crazy period for the best boxers in the world over the past month-plus, but not an uneventful one, either.
You can probably guess one of the new p4pers from the picture, because I'm bad at keeping secrets. The other might not be so obvious. As usual, quality wins, especially of recent vintage, are the predominant standard. Other things, such as the eyeball test or activity level, also are factored in to the equation. Here's the last update.
1. Floyd Mayweather, welterweight
The pound-for-pound king is acting like one, taking on the best available opponent in September in Canelo Alvarez. The winner will crown a new junior middleweight champion via the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. That would give Mayweather the same number of lineal championships as Manny Pacquiao, equaling a historic feat.
2. Juan Manuel Marquez, welterweight
Assuming the fight doesn't fall apart over drug testing, Marquez is due to face another p4p top-10 fighter in Timothy Bradley in September, and assuming he wins and Mayweather loses, he will have a strong argument for #1. I'll explain why in a minute.
3. Andre Ward, super middleweight
Ward is all tied up in promotional squabbles, and I know by the eyeball test he trumps Marquez, but by resume he's behind Marquez and will be further behind Marquez by the fall should Marquez beat Bradley. As much as I'm in the minority on Marquez vs. Ward now, by September it should be clearer than it is this moment.
4. Carl Froch, super middleweight
I don't even care if I have Froch higher than anyone else. Guy just in May beat another p4p top-20 fighter, Mikkel Kessler, who exits with this update. The people who had been above him — Sergio Martinez, Manny Pacquiao and Abner Mares — all have their own reasons for falling behind Froch. Froch's resume is crazy-good, period.
5. Sergio Martinez, middleweight
The 160-pound champ was shaky enough in his win over Martin Murray in April that Froch's more deserved win over Kessler is more than enough to eclipse Martinez. Martinez will be out of action for around a year from the date of his Murray win, and he has all the appearance of a fighter who is no longer elite.
6. Manny Pacquiao, welterweight
The Pac-Man has done so much that it's hard to dock him too much for losing to someone like Marquez, but it's also hard to keep him ahead of people who are winning, right? He's also not due back until November, against Brandon Rios, so there's that.
7. Abner Mares, featherweight
Mares had advanced slightly over Froch in the last update, but then, Froch beat Kessler since then. Mares is in all kinds of flux over his next opponent, but he's established beyond a doubt that he can very viably be a p4p top-5 guy in the near future. All it will take is another couple wins and/or someone above him stumbling.
8. Wladimir Klitschko, heavyweight
It's the same old song with the world's best heavyweight. Mares fights Daniel Ponce De Leon, Froch fights Kessler; Klitschko fights Francesco Pianeta. Whatever you think of De Leon or Kessler, the total mediocrity of Klitschko's opposition makes it so his sustained dominance only goes so far.
9. Timothy Bradley, welterweight
As tempting as it is to leave Bradley out of the top 10 after his life-and-death showing against Ruslan Provodnikov, he still won that fight and still has some good wins (even if the win over Pacquiao is bunk) such that he belongs here. Will he if he loses to Marquez? Nope.
10. Vitali Klitschko, heavyweight
Who knows when or if big brother will fight next. There are an assortment of men saying they're ready to face him, from David Haye to David Tua. So mostly Davids. But: If Vitali doesn't leave boxing for politics, he's got a chance to move up in the pound-for-pound standings sooner than some of the men beneath him.
11. Guillermo Rigondeaux, junior featherweight
When will Rigo fight again? Who will he fight? No clue. Top Rank doesn't seem to know what to do with the 122-pound champ, and seems more interested in what the man he last beat, just below, is up to.
12. Nonito Donaire, junior featherweight
It could be a fall rematch with Rigo, or Vic Darchinyan, or who knows. All I know is that Donaire is his promoter's priority over the man who beat him, because Donaire is a more marketable Filipino than a Cuban.
13. Bernard Hopkins, light heavyweight
Hopkins' schedule has been all over the damn place, with Karo Murat pulling out and Sergey Kovalev flirting with a Hopkins fight, but for now he's without an opponent.
14. Roman Gonzalez, junior flyweight
There's nothing cooking for El Choclatito, who usually has something cooking. He has professed his interest in a rematch with Juan Fransico Estrada, but no word on its likelihood.
15. Adrien Broner, welterweight
After Broner's split decision win over Paulie Malignaggi, a case could be made for him moving up (beating a top 10 contender in a new division) or down (struggling with a non-elite fighter). Staying where he is sounds best.
16. Mikey Garcia, featherweight
Garcia beat Juan Manuel Lopez in June, which might in some long ago era have meant something. But JuanMa was, clearly, done as a top fighter. He moves up a spot with Kessler's departure, which feels right.
17. Lucas Matthysse, junior welterweight
By beating Lamont Peterson in May, Matthysse established himself with the TBRB as the world's best 140-pounder, however narrowly. That moves him above the former #1 junior welter in p4p standings.
18. Danny Garcia, junior welterweight
On resume, Garcia belongs among the best in the sport. On guts, he might belong in the bottom of boxing if he ends up taking a rematch with Zab Judah over a Matthysse meeting.
19. Saul Alvarez, junior middleweight
How much could Canelo climb if he beats Mayweather in September? A lot. Top five potential. But it's a long way off. For now, this is where he is.
20. Gennady Golovkin, middleweight
Maybe his resume is the weakest of anyone else here. But the eyeball test is an A++++++. Guy is demolishing fighters who aren't usually demolished. He would wreck the champ of his division. 'Nuff said.
Honorable mentions: Adonis Stevenson; Chad Dawson; Mikkel Kessler; Juan Francisco Estrada; Brian Viloria; Anselmo Moreno; Austin Trout; Miguel Cotto; Devon Alexander; Chris John; David Haye
