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#P4Prank: Nos. 15-11 of the past 25 years

Boxing

Manny Pacquiao, unquestionably one of the best boxers of his generation, says his third meeting with Timothy Bradley Jr. on April 9 will be the final fight of his career. If that's the case, then it's time to assess Pacquiao's place in boxing history.

ESPN asked its panel of boxing experts to rank the top 25 pound-for-pound boxers of the past 25 years. The results will be unveiled over eight days on ESPN.com, Facebook (ESPN Boxing) and Twitter (@ESPNBoxing) and counted down from No. 25 to No. 1, which will be announced on the eve of Pacquiao-Bradley III. Fans can use the hashtag #P4Prank to join the discussion and follow along.

Is Pacquiao the No. 1 P4P boxer since 1991? Here are the ones ranked from No. 15 to No. 11:

Coming Friday: Nos. 10-6

15. Shane Mosley

  • Record: 49-9-1, 41 KOs | Years active: 1993-Present

  • Weight classes: Lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight

  • Titles: 6

  • Top 3 signature wins: Oscar De La Hoya, SD12, 2000; Fernando Vargas, TKO10, 2006; Antonio Margarito, TKO9, 2009

Stats & Info: Mosley is the only man to defeat Oscar De La Hoya twice, both times winning lineal world titles (welterweight in 2000 and junior middleweight in 2003).

ESPN's take: Arguably at his best at lightweight -- eight defenses, all via KOs -- "Sugar Shane" found greater fame and fortune at welterweight and junior middleweight. His decision win against De La Hoya in their first fight, when both were in their primes, was a masterpiece of ferocious virtuosity. -- Nigel Collins


14. Joe Calzaghe

  • Record: 46-0, 32 KOs | Years active: 1993-2008

  • Weight classes: Super middleweight, light heavyweight

  • Titles: 4

  • Top 3 signature wins: Chris Eubank, UD12, 1997; Jeff Lacy, UD12, 2006; Bernard Hopkins, SD12, 2008

Stats & Info: From 1997 to 2008, Calzaghe made 21 title defenses, tied for the most in super middleweight history and tied for third-most in boxing history.

ESPN's take: Never particularly exciting to watch -- a little too safety-first for my taste, and a pitty-pat puncher -- but there's no arguing with the numbers: 46-0, 32 KOs and 21 successful title defenses, or some of the names on his resume. Beat Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Mikkel Kessler and Chris Eubank, even if all-time greats Jones and Hopkins were on the other side of the hill. -- Wally Matthews


13. Marco Antonio Barrera

  • Record: 67-7, 44 KOs | Years active: 1989-2011

  • Weight classes: Flyweight, junior bantamweight, bantamweight, junior featherweight, featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight, junior welterweight

  • Titles: 6

  • Top 3 signature wins: Kennedy McKinney, TKO12, 1996; Naseem Hamed, UD12, 2001; Erik Morales, UD12, 2002

Stats & Info: Barrera's trilogy bouts with Erik Morales resulted in two Fights of the Year as nominated by the BWAA in 2000 for their first bout and 2004 for their third.

ESPN's take: One of Mexico's all-time greats, Barrera initially was a brawler who refined his style into that of a boxer-puncher, which was never more on display than in his massive 2001 upset of Hamed to win the lineal featherweight crown. He went 2-1 in his epic trilogy with bitter rival Morales. -- Dan Rafael


12. Lennox Lewis

  • Record: 41-2-1, 32 KOs | Years active: 1989-2003

  • Weight classes: Heavyweight

  • Titles: 7

  • Top 3 signature wins: Vitali Klitschko, TKO6, 2003; Evander Holyfield, D12, 1999; Mike Tyson, KO8, 2002

Stats & Info: Lewis won the lineal heavyweight title in 1998, becoming the first British-born boxer to become the lineal world heavyweight champion since Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897.

ESPN's take: A cut below Holyfield and Tyson, both of whom he beat when they were well past their primes, Lewis was a very skilled and hard-punching heavyweight who would have been a tough night for a lot of past champions. KO losses to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman do not help his legacy, however. -- Wally Matthews


11. Felix Trinidad

  • Record: 42-3, 35 KOs | Years active: 1990-2008

  • Weight classes: Junior welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight, middleweight

  • Titles: 5

  • Top 3 signature wins: Oscar De La Hoya, MD12, 1999; Fernando Vargas, TKO12, 2000; Pernell Whitaker, UD12, 1999

Stats & Info: Trinidad made 15 defenses of his IBF welterweight title from 1993 to 2000, the second-most in welterweight division history.

ESPN's take: One of the greatest finishers in boxing history, Trinidad carried his power all the way to 160 pounds. The native of Puerto Rico is adored to this day by fans for his exuberance and pride for his country. "Tito" made 15 welterweight title defenses and unified titles in two divisions. -- Brian Campbell

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