Pound for pound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pound-for-pound is the term used in boxing, mixed martial arts and other combat sports to describe a fighter's value in relation to fighters of different weight classes.
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[edit] Origin of the term
It is often said to have been created to describe world Welterweight and Middleweight champion Sugar Ray Robinson, the most accomplished fighter of the modern era, by supporters who realized that while he could beat anyone in his own class, as a Middleweight he would not be able to beat a top Heavyweight. Hence, Robinson was called the pound-for-pound best without being expected to beat much larger fighters, under the belief that he as a Middleweight was still a better quality fighter than any fighter fighting at heavier or lighter weights than him.
However, this common belief is in fact false, as other fighters were being labelled the 'pound for pound' best before Robinson even turned pro. One such is Tony Canzoneri, a juniorwelterweight great considered the best in the world 'pound for pound' in the early 30s.[1]
[edit] Application
Judging the best fighter in the world, pound for pound, is subjective. Some people place most weight on 'quality of opposition', or take into account factors such as how exciting the fighter is, or how famous he is, whereas others simply try to determine who would beat who if all boxers were the same size. The following paragraph will concentrate on the last definition.
Pernell Whitaker, an Olympic gold medalist who won pro titles from 130-154 pounds, adopted the term to describe himself, and gained widespread recognition as the pound for pound best after drawing with the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez in 1993 in a fight most observers believed Whitaker won clearly. After Whitaker, four-weight champion Roy Jones Jr. took over, and was recognized as the best fighter in the world for the better part of a decade. After an aging Jones lost to Antonio Tarver in 2004, the title passed on to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
While very few seriously suggested that there were better fighters than Jones who should be favored to beat him if the two were the same size at any point during his reign, other boxers did claim the 'pound for pound' title based on other factors, such as 'quality of opposition', an exciting style, fame or personality. Among these were:
- Oscar de la Hoya, the most famous and glamorous non-heavyweight fighter in the world, who was unbeaten until he lost controversially to...
- Felix Trinidad, a powerful and usually exciting puncher who was himself unbeaten until he was KOd by...
- Bernard Hopkins, a savvy and tough veteran ex-Jones victim who topped some lists during (and especially after) the Jones era;
- Shane Mosley, a speedy boxer who handed de la Hoya his first clear, inarguable defeat;
- Floyd Mayweather Jr., a lightning-fast defence artist who remains unbeaten;
While some take this pound-for-pound title seriously, others feel it is a bad rating system and has no real relevance. They feel that it is impossible to say what fighter at what weight is better than what other fighter at another weight. Others would say that it is valid, and that it is possible to say that a fighter fighting at one weight is better than a fighter at a different weight. Ring Magazine features a pound-for-pound list in its monthly rankings. Their list is not a 'who beats who' list but is heavily weighted in favour of factors like quality of opposition, attitude and fame.
"Pound for pound" has also been used in other combat sports; mixed martial artists Fedor Emelianenko, BJ Penn and Matt Hughes, have had the label attached to them.
[edit] Other uses
It can also be used to describe how any two things compare when bearing in mind their varying quantities. For example, a tin of tomatoes weighing 250 g and costing $2.50 is more expensive, pound for pound, than one weighing 500 g and costing $4 (as the former costs $1 per 100 g and the latter $0.8 per 100 g).
The term has also become something of a cliché, as it is now used to describe numerous other things apart from boxing.
