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1998Dave’s Year – End Top 10
By: Dave Iamele
Top 10 lb. for lb. Fighters:
Roy Jones
Oscar DeLa Hoya
Evander Holyfield
Johnny Tapia
Mark Johnson
Felix Trinidad
Ike Quartey
Ricardo Lopez
Naseem Hamed
10a) Shane Mosley
10 b) Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
(10a and 10b tie)
Honorable mention: (a) Bernard Hopkins, (b) Lennox Lewis, (c) Tim Austin
(1) Roy hopefully fights IBF champ, Johnson next or Dariusz Michalczewski of Germany; (2) Quartey 1st dangerous threat; (3) win or lose vs. Lewis, Holy should quit while still possessing faculties; (4) Interested to see how he’ll fair at 118 vs. WBA champ Konadu; (5) Poor guy can’t buy a decent challenger; (6) needs to fight someone other than Don King; (7) If he can beat Oscar, he’ll move up big time; (8) Possibly best strawweight ever; (9) Will beat the taco sauce out of Barrera; (10a) Right now, future looks bright; (10b) If Floyd can defeat Manfredy, he’ll be king of 130 lbs. And have to move up to 135 lbs. for challenge.
HM: A. Hopkins beats Allen in rematch B. if Lewis beats Holy he will enter at #6 C. Romero would be interesting opponent for Austin
Top 10 Most Interesting Match ups:
Lennox Lewis vs. Evander Holyfield
Oscar DeLa Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad
Ray Mercer vs. David Tua
Naseem Hamed vs. Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Mark Johnson vs. Johnny Tapia
Vince Phillips vs. Kostya Tszyu II
Oscar DeLa Hoya vs. Ike Quartey
Wayne McCullough vs. Vuyani Bungu
Johnny Tapia vs. Tim Austin
Frankie Liles vs. Thomas Tate
Honorable mention: (a) Tyson vs. McCall, (b) Shane Mosley vs. Vince Phillips
Two heavy’s fighting for undisputed championship: it doesn’t get any better; (2) Oscar has to get by Ike first; (3) Something about this match-up just titillates me; (4) Possibly a great one; (5) It’ll never happen, but one to argue about; (6) I think Vince would kick his ass again; (7) I like Ike!!!; (8) Why not?; (9) If Tapia beats Konadu, a unification’s bout with Austin would make sense to everyone (but Don King); (10) Is Liles still boxing? Tate deserves title shot vs. someone.
HM: (a) These two head cases in the ring together!! Special guest referee: Dr. Joyce Brothers. (b) The young lion vs. the ring veteran.
Top 10 fighters on the Brink:
Michael Grant
Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Shane Mosley
Sharmba Mitchell
Yory Boy Campas
Ivan Robinson
Angel Manfredy
Wladimir Klitchko
Thomas Tate
Carl Thompson
Honorable mention: (a) David Tua (b) Ike Ibeabuchi (c) Robert Allen (d) Keith Mullings (e) Tony Marshall (f) Jose Luis Lopez
Possibly the next heavy; (2) championship blood line; (3) really "sugar" or just a sugar substitute?; (4) I’d like to see him fight Tszyu; (5) bout with "The Surgeon" very interesting; (6) if he beats Gatti again, he can make some good dough; (7) if he beats Floyd, I’ll be impressed; (8) don’t be shocked to see his name in heavy top 10 soon; (9) no one will give him a shot, that says something; (10) beats Arthur Williams, easy.
HM: (a) Win over Rahman would make him #5 heavy on my list; (b) if Pres. Ike can keep his personal life under control could be a force in division; (c) pulls upset off over Hopkins, he’d be the man at 160 lbs.; (d) needs a name opponent; (e) Does this guy have an unlisted phone number, no one calls him for a shot?; (f) truly a wild card.
Top 10 over rated fighters:
Kostya Tszyu
Pernell Whitaker
Michael Moorer
Chris Byrd/Kirk Johnson
Genaro Hernandez
Dana Rosenblatt
Bronco McKart
Erik Morales
Marco A. Barrera
Charles Brewer
Honorable mention: (a) Ivan Robinson (b) Derrick Gainer (c) Miguel A. Gonzalez
To think there was talk about him fighting Oscar?! He’s scared to give Phillips a rematch; (2) How can this guy still be rated in some fools’ top lb. for lb. lists?; (3) no love for the sport; (4) rating either one of these boring bums in the top 10 of the heavy’s is a joke, neither one could beat anyone in the top 10; (5) five years ago. Azumah Nelson stops him just as quickly as Oscar did; (6) this guy just plain stinks!; (7) ditto; (8) the next Chavez? Please!! This chiwua couldn’t carry Julio’s jock strap; (9) second-placer; (10) some people actually thought this guy was good just because he didn’t lose his title in his first couple of push-over defenses.
HM: (a) Beating up Gatti is no big deal, now (b) smoke’s a joke (c) even if he beats the highly beatable Tszyu, either IBF or WBA champ would kick his mexican butt.
Top 10 under rated fighters:
Mark Johnson
Johnny Tapia
Lennox Lewis
Naseem Hamed
Angel Manfredy
Zab Judah
Vince Phillips
Tony Marshall
Joe Calzaghe
Robert Daniels
Honorable Mention: Mike Tyson
The invisible man of boxing; (2) the Rodney Dangerfield of boxing; (3) even if he beat Evander, US fans will never embrace this big Brit; (4) the guy people love to hate; (5) tougher than people give him credit for; (6) I just like his name; (7) boxing writers have been writing his obituary for years; (8) fights to the level of his competition; (9) deserves a title shot; (10) ditto.
HM: Before Holyfield losses, he was an all time great, after losses, he stinks? His third comeback may surprise more than a few people.
Top 10 heavyweights:
Evander Holyfield
Lennox Lewis
Michael Grant
David Tua
Ray Mercer
George Foreman
Ike Ibeabuchi
Andrew Golota
Shannon Briggs
Oliver McCall
Honorable mention: (a) Wladimir Klitchko (b) John Ruiz (c) Herbie Hide (d) Hasim Rahman (e) Lou Savarese
At least till he squares off with Lewis, Holy’s still the man; (2) right now Evander and Lewis are in a class by themselves at heavy; (3) the future champ; (4) Grant and Tua could be the Lewis/’Holyfield of the millennium; (5) needs to have a big name opponent, now!; (6) still a threat to anyone but 1 and 2; (7) only Ike can stop himself for now; (8) token white-hope; (9) Briggs vs. Golota, anyone?; (10) still crazy after all these years.
HM: (a) look for Wlad soon to crack top ten (b) why not (c) WBO champ, right? (d) if he beats Tua, he enters Top 10 (e) The Buster – buster
Top 10 fighters who should retire:
George Foreman/Larry Holmes (tie)
Tommy Hearns
Evander Holyfield
Vinny Pazienza
Julio Cesar Chavez
Terry Norris
Pernell Whitaker
Michael Nunn
Baby Jake Matlala
Sugar boy Malinga
(1,2,5,6,10) – all shot (3) why not go out with facilities intact, just for kicks? (4) no longer top 10 fighter (7) live after rehab? (8) interests? Nunn (9) looking for one more payday
Top 10 opponents for Mike Tyson *:
Peter McNeeley
Oliver McCall
Goldberg
Dennis Rodman
George Foreman
Roy Jones
Christy Martin
Butterbean
Wolfgram
Jose Luis Gonzales/Bruce Seldon (tie)
*first list was for out-of-jail comeback opponents, this is reinstatement comeback opp. List.
(1) Just to see if public would spend $50 again; (2) two crazies!! Yea – ha! (3) boxers vs. wrestlers, they still do that, right? (4) with no NBA, Rodman’s got to keep busy somehow; (5) just for the hell of it; (6) oh, I’d laugh!; (7) No comment; (8) four rounds, toughman rules; (9) just cause I like his name; (10a) he seems so nice!; (10b) Revenge! – no, really
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