10 Best Boxers Of The 2000s, Ranked By Skill

Highlights

Ivan Calderon was a technical wizard and a ring general in boxing. Congratulations on his Hall of Fame induction.
Marco Antonio Barrera revived his career with a win over Naseem Hamed and had an epic trilogy with Erik Morales.
Winky Wright, with his high guard and aggressive fighting style, upset Shane Mosley to win the junior middleweight crown.

As the dawn of the new millennium unfolded, it brought forth a pivotal moment for the emergence of fresh talent in the world of boxing. While certain weight divisions, like the heavyweight category, began to wane in prominence, others, notably the featherweight division, surged with excitement and activity.

Amidst this transitional phase, characterized by shifting dynamics within the sport, one constant prevailed: the unwavering brilliance of the top-tier fighters such as Marco Antonio Barrera and Winky Wright.

10 Ivan Calderon Was A Technical Wizard

Calderon Was A Ring General And An Excellent Boxer

The Hall of Famer sparred with Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya, giving them both a hard time.

Ivan Calderon fit the crafty southpaw archetype. As the lineal light flyweight champion, Calderon (35-3-1, 6 KOs) didn't have much power, but he was an extremely accurate counter puncher. Calderon was a great defensive fighter: fast and athletic, with the reflexes to avoid big shots.

9 Marco Antonio Barrera Responded After Adversity

Barrera Enjoyed A Revival With His Upset Win Over Naseem Hamed

Barrera's signature was deadly combinations when his opponents were backed against the ropes.

Three division world champion and Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera was at a career crossroads after two losses to Junior Jones. However, Barrera (67-7, 44 KOs) turned things around and eventually had an epic trilogy with Erik Morales. Similar to another Mexican great, Julio Cesar Chavez, Barrera had a good chin and a vicious body attack. Barrera was far from a brawler though, with strong counterpunching skills.

8 Winky Wright's High Guard Was A Shield

Wright Could Fight Aggressively When Necessary

Wright upset Shane Mosley to win the junior middleweight crown

The former undisputed junior middleweight champion was a tricky southpaw. After Wright (51-6-1, 25 KOs) lost a controversial decision to Fernando Vargas, he became one of boxing's most ducked fighters. Wright took advantage of the opportunity Shane Mosley gave him and seized the junior middleweight title before defeating Felix Trinidad. While Wright was a great boxer, he was known for his high guard that frustrated opponents. Wright's reach made it very difficult for fighters to land clean punches both upstairs and to the body, because of his strong guard.

7 Bernard Hopkins Was A Master Strategist

Hopkins Knew How To Adjust His Gameplan During Fights

The Hall of Famer has signature wins over Roy Jones Jr, Felix Trinidad, and Oscar De La Hoya, among others.

Bernard Hopkins reigned as middleweight champion for over a decade before eventually capturing the lineal light heavyweight title. Hopkins (55-8-2, 32 KOs) wasn't the strongest or fastest, but he may have been the smartest. Hopkins' ring IQ surpassed whatever he lacked athletically. Hopkins knew when to box, clinch, and turn up the aggression. Hopkins had excellent timing and footwork.

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6 Erik Morales Had The Heart Of A Warrior

Morales Had A Slugging Style With Great Speed And Power

Morales was the first Mexican boxer to win world titles in four weight classes.

Erik Morales (52-9, 36 KOs) threw lethal combinations and his opponents generally went down when they felt his straight right hand. Morales was an excellent finisher, especially with his body punching. Morales' first fight with Marco Antonio Barrera is considered one of the best action fights of all time.

5 Juan Manuel Marquez Was A Versatile Fighter

Marquez May Have Been The Best Of His Mexican Compatriots

Marquez excelled against aggressive fighters like Manny Pacquiao because he was able to catch them while they were coming in.

Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez didn't receive the attention that some of his peers received, but he may have been the best boxer of them all. Marquez (56-7-1, 40 KOs) was an exceptional counterpuncher, but he had power. Marquez has a few highlight knockouts and was involved in some great action fights, notably with Manny Pacquiao and Michael Katsidis.

4 Lennox Lewis Was Arguably The Perfect Heavyweight

Standing 6'5, Lewis Could Do Anything

Lennox Lewis was an Olympic Gold Medalist and Undisputed heavyweight champion.

Known for his cold and static glare, Lennox Lewis (41-2-1, 32 KOs) could box, punch, fight on the inside and fight on the outside. Lewis' right hand and right uppercut were thunderbolts. When Lewis chose to use his 84-inch reach and box, he had one of the best jabs in the sport.

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3 Manny Pacquiao Overwhelmed Opponents

Pacquiao's Energy Was Hard To Contain

Pacquiao's constant motion and feints made it hard to catch him unless he dropped his hands.

EIght division world champion Manny Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) was capable of overwhelming opponents with the speed of his combinations or ending the fight with a straight left hand. While critics would say Pacquiao ignored defense to slug, it didn't really matter because Pacquiao was so fast. Pacquiao also had a great chin.

2 Shane Mosley Was Incredibly Explosive

Mosley Was The Most Exciting Boxer In The Sport For A Period

Mosley became a knockout artist because he threw all of his punches with maximum velocity.

Mosley was the lineal champion at welterweight and light middleweight. However, there's a strong argument that Mosley was the best fighter in the world while he campaigned at lightweight. That's how talented Mosley was. Mosley (49-10-1, 41 KOs) dominated multiple weight classes with his power and speed combination. Mosley glided around the ring while throwing lightning fast combinations. Mosley was at the top of many pound for pound lists.

1 Floyd Mayweather Was On His Way To A Historic Career

Mayweather's Accuracy Is Unmatched

Mayweather's defensive IQ allowed him to make adjustments during fights.

At the start of the 2000s, Floyd Mayweather was well on his way to a historic career. The lineal champion from lightweight through light middleweight, Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs) could punch at lightweight and light welterweight, as his memorable massacres of Diego Corrales and Arturo Gatti showed. Mayweather was a master at minimizing his opponent's strengths and finding their weaknesses.