A Decade of Boxing Honors

Fighter Of The Decade: Manny Pacquiao

Since losing to Erik Morales on March 19, 2005, Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) is 11-0 with eight KOs, including his last four stoppages, respectively, over David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and, Miguel Cotto.

The 12th-round TKO over Cotto earned the 31-year-old Pacquiao the WBO's welterweight (147 pounds) title -- his record seventh in as many weight classes.



Pacquiao's winning streak includes a knockout and a decision, respectively, over Morales, as well as decisions over Mexican greats, Marco Antonio Barrera, and, Juan Manuel Marquez.

Trainer Of The Decade: Freddie Roach

Not only has the 49-year-old Roach transformed Pacquiao into the fighter he is today, but the Eddie Futch protege has guided the career of WBA junior welterweight (140 pounds) titlist, Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KOs) of England, and NABF junior middleweight (154 pounds) champ, Vanes Martirosyan (26-0, 17 KOs) of Glendale, Calif.

Khan scored a first-round KO of Dmitriy Salita on Dec. 5, and Martirosyan did the same to Willie Lee on Dec. 19. Past fighters Roach has worked with include world champs, Virgil Hill, James Toney, Mike Tyson, and, Brian Viloria.

Most Dominant Performance Of The Decade: Floyd Mayweather TKO 10 Diego Corrales, Jan. 20, 2001

They were regarded as the two best super featherweights (130 pounds) in the world -- the polished boxer in Mayweather (24 -0, 17 KOs) and the knockout artist in Corrales (33-0, 27 KOs).

But Mayweather was masterful, getting in and out, and displaying a crisp, counter-punching power that allowed him to floor Corrales five times before the loser's corner threw in the towel. Mayweather won every round.

Upset Of The Decade: Hasim Rahman KO 5 Lennox Lewis, April 22, 2001

The 27-year-old Rahman had already been stopped twice and was a hand-picked as an opponent by Lewis, who had reeled off a mark of 13-0-1, with eight KOs since suffering a second-round knockout at the hands of Oliver McCall in September of 1994.

Rahman was between a 15-to-1 or 20-1 underdog depending on whom you asked and trailed on all three cards when his right hand starched Lewis.

The victory, in Carnival City, Brakpan, Gauteng, South Africa, bestowed upon the man from Baltimore the WBC, IBF and IBO heavyweight title belts. Seven months later, however, Lewis would exact revenge with a fourth-round knockout in Las Vegas.

Knockout Of The Decade: Bernard Hopkins KO 12 Felix Trinidad, Sept. 29, 2001

Hopkins was the first man to stop the previously, unbeaten Trinidad in a bout that took place at New York's Madison Square Garden 18 days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and which was originally slated for Sept. 15.

The victory came during a decade in which Hopkins went 14-3 with five knockouts, adding Trinidad's WBA middleweight (160 pounds) title to Hopkins' IBF and WBC crowns.

Hopkins' decaded included wins over world champs, Oscar De La Hoya, Kelly Pavlik, Winky Wright, Antonio Tarver, William Joppy and Keith Holmes. Hopkins' knockout of De La Hoya was the first time the former Olympic gold medalist had been stopped.

Fight Of The Decade: Diego Corrales TKO 10 Jose Luis Castillo, May 7, 2005

Corrales was three bouts removed from having avenged only his second loss with a split decision over Joel Casamayor.

Castillo has won six straight, four of them by knockout, since losing his second of two, disputed decisions to Floyd Mayweather, who had dominated Corrales.

The two fighters stood toe-to-toe throughout much of the bout, and Corrales had a narrow lead when he twice got up off of the canvas and used a barrage of blows that forced referee Tony Weeks to call an end to the fight in the 10th round.

Round Of The Decade: No. 10 -- Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo, May 7, 2005

Take the entire fight and bottle it up into one round and that's what you have in the 10th. Just when it seemed the fight was over -- Diego having suffered the second crunching knockdown of the round -- it wasn't.

And then, suddenly, it was.

Comeback Of The Decade: Vitali Klitschko KO 8 Samuel Peter, Oct. 11, 2008

When Klitschko retired as World Boxing Council champion in November of 2005, the Ukraine native's then 34-year-old's body seemed as brittle and his professional boxing legacy was in doubt.

Klitschko cited back surgeries and a torn meniscus and a cruciate ligament in his right knee, injuries which he said contributed to the cancellation of a WBC-mandated defense against top contender Hasim Rahman.

Klitschko had last fought in December, 2004, scoring an eighth-round KO of Mike Tyson-conqueror, Danny Williams, when the then-37-year-old returned to the ring against Peter.

In Peter, Klitschko was facing a man who had troubled his brother, Wladimir Klitschko -- flooring him during a loss in September, 2005.

In addition, there were those who wondered how sturdy Klitschko would be in the ring.

The answer came with emphasis, as Vitali Klitschko dominated Peter on the way to stopping him.