PACQUIAO NO.3 IN SPORTS ILLUSTRATED POUND FOR POUND RANKINGS

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Canelo Demands $100 Million for Crawford Rematch

By Dong Secuya

When fight figures cross into nine-digit guarantees, the conversation usually turns cynica…

?Fighter of the Decade? Manny Pacquiao has been listed at No. 3 in the latest pound for pound rankings by the prestigious Sports Illustrated despite being knocked out in the 6th round by Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas last December 8.

SI noted that Pacquiao will return against Brandon ?Bam Bam? Rios in Macau on November 24 and said that ?if he bounces back, a rematch with undefeated WBO welterweight champion Timothy ?Desert Storm? Bradley or a showdown with the winner of the WBO light welterweight battle between Mike ?Mile High? Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov, a former sparring partner of Pacquiao ?could loom next year.?

Both Sports Illustrated and Ring Magazine ranked undefeated Floyd Mayweather at No.1 with Andre Ward at No. 2 although he missed the first half of the year with a shoulder injury but will return to the ring against Edwin Rodriguez who was described by SI as ?a limited but television friendly fighter.?

Bradley was ranked No. 9 by Sports Illustrated despite his split decision win over Marquez while Marquez was at No. 6.

However, Ring Magazine saw Bradley zoom to the No.3 spot behind Mayweather and Ward while Marquez was at No. 6, one rung ahead of Pacquiao.

2012 ?Fighter of the Year? Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire was ranked No. 7 in the Sports Illustrated pound for pound roster with the fighter who beat him, former two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba at No. 8.

Donaire was not in the top ten of Ring Magazine where Rigondeaux was at No. 10 one notch below Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez who was the recipient of a master-class from Mayweather and is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya?s Golden Boy Promotions who own Ring Magazine.