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DANNY SERRATELLI'S TOP FIVE FOR THE YEAR 2003

By Danny Serratelli

1.) Roy Jones, Jr. - Is still solid even though he looked more vulnerable than he ever has in his fight with Antonio Tarver.

2.) Bernard Hopkins - Has not lost in a long time (why he's here), but recent inactivity, quality of opposition, and his age bother me.

3.) Floyd Mayweather, Jr. - Hasn't suffered the L that most of the other guys I eliminated from this list have, has great tools.

4.) James Toney - Beat best cruiser champ, and is a threat to all heavyweights, even though he is much smaller.

5.) Oscar De La Hoya - Controversial one. I though he won the second Mosley fight (not by much), and I think he is capable of beating any of the men around his weight a little more consistantly than the other guys. Depending on decisions and "playing it safe" when he thinks he has rounds "in the bank" are his downfalls as a fighter. Sometimes maybe conditioning too.

On most (almost all) nights the above mentioned five men will beat anyone in or around their divisions/size. Styles make fights, which makes it difficult to compile a P4P list, but these men have the physical skills and ability to adapt in fights, that makes them my top 5.

There are definitely tougher fighters, some who may take more risks (i.e. Mayorga or Gatti), and I probably would rather pay to see guys like that fight, however that isn't what this list is about.

Notes:

Acelino Freitas, Kostya Tszyu, and Joel Casamayor could have been there, but I wanted to go with 5. I'd like to see more of Ricardo Mayorga and Manny Pacquiao before I'd add either of them. Forrest could be here, because I thought he gave a gutsy effort in the 2nd Mayorga fight and it could have went either way, but he was KO'd legitimately in the 1st fight. Mosley lost decisively to Forrest twice, he doesn't make top 5. Marco Antonio Barrera just lost by TKO to Manny Pacquiao, and Eric Morales is close too.

12-25-2003