April 22, 2012

KO Digest Pound-For-Pound (P4P) Ratings Update

Chemito #10 P4P

KO Digest Top 12 Pound-For-Pound

1. Floyd Mayweather (1)
2. Manny Pacquiao (2)
3. Sergio Martinez (3)
4. Andre Ward (4)
5. Juan Manuel Marquez (5)
6. Nonito Donaire (6)
7. Yuriorkis Gamboa (7)
8. Timothy Bradley (8)
9. Lucian Bute (9)
10. Anselmo Moreno (-)
11. Miguel Cotto (10)
12. Wladimir Klitschko (11)



WBA Bantamweight Champion Anselmo "Chemito" Moreno can no longer be ignored as a true Pound for Pound (P4P) quality fighter and he enters the KO Digest P4P ratings at #10 after consecutive impressive performances against Vic Darchinyan last December and most recently a 9th round TKO of David De La Mora. Combining a "Pernell Whitaker-like" defensive style with a steady offense born on the streets of Panama, Moreno is clearly bound for bigger and even better things. Considering the quality of opposition he has already faced and the quality of opposition available to him at or around his division, there's no telling how high Moreno can climb.

"I'm staying at bantamweight for maybe one more fight and then I'm ready to jump to super bantamweight to fight the biggest names out there. I wouldn't consider myself the best, but I am considered one of the best and I'm training and working hard to become the best. Right now I want to work hard and have fans be the judge."

Departing the KO Digest P4P ratings to make room for Moreno is Vitali Klitschko, rated #12 previously. The elder Klitschko brother may finally be starting to show his 40 years of age and his performance against Dereck Chisora this past February was just lackluster enough to cause him to drop out of the P4P Top 12. With the addition of the super talented Moreno to the ratings, Miguel Cotto slips from #10 to #11 and Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko drops from #11 to #12.

As the 2012 fight schedule heats up, expect changes to the KO Digest P4P ratings as key fights involving fighters on this list (Mayweather-Cotto & Pacquiao-Bradley) determine whether certain fighters move up, down, or out of the ratings entirely. Also, there are several quality fighters right on the cusp of P4P consideration; in no particular order they are Abner Mares, Orlando Salido, Chris John, Erislandy Lara, and Yoan Pablo Hernandez.