Rankings: Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao superfight is as unlikely now as it was in '09

No question in boxing is asked more than "Will Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao ever fight each other?"

The truth is, the fighters are no closer to a deal now than in late 2009 when negotiators from both sides began discussing the bout that would pit the top two boxers in the world against each other.

One reason for the great interest is how rare it has been to make a fight between men who are far and away considered 1-2 in the pound-for-pound rankings.

It hasn't happened since Pernell Whitaker fought to a highly controversial draw with Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 10, 1993. A 1997 fight between Whitaker and Oscar De La Hoya was marketed as a 1-2, but most rankings had light heavyweight Roy Jones Jr. as No. 1.

Prior to the Whitaker-Chavez bout, you'd have to go back to the great 1981 welterweight match between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns to get another consensus 1 vs. 2 match.

Mayweather has been 1 or 2 in the rankings almost every year since 1999, and Pacquiao has been at or near the top since 2006. But it wasn't until late 2009 that they were in the same division and a match between them became feasible.

With that considered, let's head to the newest rankings:

Mayweather

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Points: 380 (29 of 39 first-place votes)
Record: 43-0 (26 KOs)
Title: WBA super welterweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Miguel Cotto on May 5
Previous ranking: 1
Up next:Nothing scheduled
Analysis:Must serve 90-day jail sentence beginning June 1.

Pacquiao2. Manny Pacquiao
Points: 351 (10 of 39 first-place votes)
Record: 54-3-2 (38 KOs)
Title: WBO welterweight champion
Last outing: W12 over No. 4 Juan Manuel Marquez on Nov. 12
Previous ranking: 2
Up next: June 9 against No. 8 Timothy Bradley
Analysis: Out-of-ring issues could be a distraction.

Martinez3. Sergio Martinez
Points: 279
Record: 49-2-2 (28 KOs)
Title: Ring middleweight champion
Last outing: KO11 Matthew Macklin on March 17
Previous ranking: 3
Up next:Will face winner of Chavez Jr.-Lee bout
Analysis: Superior conditioning makes him dangerous late in fights.

Marquez4. Juan Manuel Marquez
Points:241
Record: 54-6-1 (39 KOs)
Title:Interim WBO super lightweight champion
Last outing: W12 Sergey Fedchenko on April 14
Previous ranking: 4
Up next:July 14 in Arlington, Texas vs. TBA
Analysis: Hoping for one more shot at Pacquiao.

5. Nonito Donaire Jr.
Points: 220
Record: 28-1 (18 KOs)
Title: WBO super bantamweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. on Feb. 4
Previous ranking: 6
Up next: July 14 vs. Cristian Mijares
Analysis: Stay at 122 pounds expected to be brief.

6. Andre Ward
Points: 218
Record: 25-0 (13 KOs)
Title: WBA, WBC super middleweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Carl Froch on Dec. 17
Previous ranking: 5
Up next:Likely vs. Chad Dawson
Analysis: Showed the full package in winning Super Six.

7. Wladimir Klitschko
Points: 149
Record: 57-3 (50 KOs)
Title: Ring, IBF, WBA, WBO heavyweight champion
Last outing: KO4 over Jean Marc Mormeck on March 3
Previous ranking: 7
Up next: July 7 vs. Tony Thompson
Analysis: Rematch looks even less exciting than first bout.

8. Timothy Bradley
Points: 92
Record: 28-0 (12 KOs)
Title: WBO super lightweight champion
Last outing: TKO8 over Joel Casamayor on Nov. 12
Previous ranking: 8
Up next: June 9 vs. No. 2 Manny Pacquiao
Analysis: Will need to punch in combination with move to welterweight.

9. Lucian Bute
Points: 61
Record: 30-0 (24 KOs)
Title: IBF super middleweight champion
Last outing: W12 Glen Johnson on Nov. 5
Previous ranking: 10
Up next: May 26 vs. Carl Froch in Nottingham, England
Analysis: Bute is a punishing body puncher.

10. Vitali Klitschko
Points: 58
Record: 44-2 (40 KOs)
Title: WBC heavyweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Dereck Chisora on Feb. 18
Previous ranking:9
Up next: TBA
Analysis: Has begun speaking of retirement.

Others receiving votes: Yuriorkis Gamboa, 25; Miguel Cotto, 23; Chad Dawson, 18; Chris John, 10; Anselmo Moreno, 4; Amir Khan, 2; Abner Mares, 2; Orlando Salido, 1; Roman Gonzalez, 1; Lamont Peterson, 1.

Voting panel:Ron Borges, Boston Herald; Damian Calhoun, Orange County Register; Brian Campbell, ESPN Mobile; Steve Cofield, ESPN Radio 1100; Dave Cokin, ESPN Radio 1100; Gareth A. Davies, London Telegraph; Tris Dixon, Boxing News; Jake Donovan, BoxingScene.com; Andrew Eisele, About.com; Corey Erdman, Sirius/XM; Steve Farhood, Showtime; Doug Fischer, RingTV; Thomas Gerbasi, BoxingScene.com; Nick Giongco, Manila Bulletin; Carlos Gonzalez, Primera Hora; Randy Gordon, Sirius/XM; Bryan Graham, Sports Illustrated.com; Lee Groves, Ring Magazine; Keith Idec, The Record; Rafael Hernandez Brito, Univision; Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports; Scott Mallon, Boxing Digest; Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated.com; Franklin McNeil, ESPN.com; Gunnar Meinhardt, Die Welt; Robert Morales, Los Angeles Daily News; Marty Mulcahey, MaxBoxing.com; Kieran Mulvaney, Reuters; Santos Perez, Miami Herald; Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports; Cliff Rold, BoxingScene.com; Mike Rosenthal, Ring Magazine; Lem Satterfield, RingTV.com; Tim Smith, New York Daily News; Tim Starks, The Queensbury Rules; Don Steinberg, Philadelphia Inquirer/Wall Street Journal; T.K. Stewart, RingTV.com; Dave Weinberg, Press of Atlantic City; George Willis, New York Post.

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