Danger, Floyd Mayweather, Danger
This is the final week that Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be ranked, unless he signs a fight within the next seven days. That means that going into Pacquiao-Mosley on May 7, Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley will be ranked No. 1 and No. 2 at welterweight. Isn't that a sad state for the welterweight division? Kermit Cintron was going to be out the week after that at 154 pounds, but he has a tentative date set for July 9, and since I don't itch to drop fighters, that's good enough for an extension in my view.
Only Vic Darchinyan
It's sort of like when they release a "new" Madden and it's basically just a roster update you pay $60 for except I'm not charging you money and I'm not going to give you a QB cone or some other "revolutionary advancement" that everyone will hate unless they play as the Patriots or Colts. The only movement in this week's rankings comes as a result of Vic Darchinyan's domination of Yonnhy Perez on Saturday night. Otherwise it was an incredibly slow weekend for relevant fights, rankings-wise (well, anything-wise). Darchinyan jumps from No. 8 to No. 5 at bantamweight, with Perez dropping from No. 4 to No. 8. I think the Yonnhy Perez who fought on Saturday night would have an awful time with just about any of the good fighters at 118 pounds at this point. He was truly not good in the ring against Darchinyan.
Darchinyan, on the other hand, is back in the game. Bantamweight is a very hot division, but one with a clear-cut No. 1 who decimates everyone else in the division, in my view. Nonito Donaire has already knocked the hell out of Darchinyan (back at 112, but I don't think anyone thinks Vic carries 118 better than Nonito) and Fernando Montiel, so two of the five guys after him. Would anyone not pick Donaire against Mares, Agbeko or Anselmo Moreno, and pick him big? I know Mares has his fans, and I consider myself a Mares fan, too, but I think we're talking about very different levels of fighters. But Nonito might not be here for much longer, anyway. Or Montiel for that matter.
There will be some movement next week in the lower weight classes, though. Let's look at what's coming with a big weekend for little guys approaching:
Junior Flyweight: Ulises Solis (3) v. Luis Alberto Lazarte (9), Rematch, Saturday
Junior Flyweight: Ramon Garcia Hirales (8) v. Jesus Geles (10), Rematch, Saturday
Strawweight: Raul Garcia (2) v. Rommel Asenjo, Saturday
But overall it's another slower weekend, with UFC 129 being such a massive event that it made no sense for American networks to sign up big fights on Saturday night. Obviously May and beyond we get back into the meaningful stuff.