I think the majority of the decades don’t have a clear cut #1, as there are usually a couple of strong candidates. The 2010s also applies to this. I also thought it was kind of a weak decade for candidates. Who would you pick for the 2010s?
Yeah, 2010s was the weakest decade in modern boxing history. Very very poor decade compared to the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. I'd give it to Floyd though. The Canelo win plus the Pac win is hard to overcome. Then Ward second. Chocolatito third.
On second thought, I'd probably give it to Ward over Floyd. The Froch, Dawson, and Kov rematch wins eclipse what Floyd did in the decade. So Ward, Floyd, then Choco.
Mayweather just takes it for me, then it’s been Ward and Gonzalez. The fact that Pac is probably still top 4 or 5 with a 12-4 record sums it up for me. It was the weakest decade and the 2020s are shaping up to be weaker still. The fighters who were identifiably 2010s fighters rather than post-prime part-timers like May and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Pac, were Chocolatito, Gennady Golovkin, Juan Estrada, Naoya Inoue and Saul Alvarez. They’d all be top 10, I’d say.
Special mention should go to Gary Russell Jnr for so steadfastly following the old showbiz axiom, ‘Always leave them wanting more’. Though, in hindsight, maybe we had just the right amount of Gary Russell Jnr.
If anything, I think Pacquiao belongs above Ward and Choco. He beat Margarito, and became the only man to win eight world titles to start off the decade, and ended it by beating Thurman to become the oldest welterweight champion ever - while also being one of the youngest flyweight champions ever. Then he beat a lot more top fighters than Ward did in that time; and certainly more than Gonzalez. And top it off, Chocolatito's losses to Rungvisai were just as bad as Pacquiao's to Marquez. Only difference is that Marquez was much better than SSR. Throw in wins over Bradley, Marquez, Clottey and the aforementioned Margarito and Thurman fights. I think he's absolutely top three; if not number one.
Yeah, I don’t think there’s much in it - point is, there’s not really a clear standout for the 2010s. I kind of feel no. 1 should just be left vacant. The 2000s it was a straight shootout between Floyd and Pac when they were both at their best. I absolutely think Pac deserves to be rated no. 1 for that decade and Mayweather is a very honourable no. 2 but then the 2010s we’re debating significantly lesser versions of those fighters for the no. 1 spot with no-one else coming in and filling that void.
