By Mark Havey: This week Boxing News published their list of the 50 most powerful and influential people in boxing. I couldn’t help but laugh reading it. I suppose it depends on your definition of power. But whatever you definition, I’m sure you wouldn’t place Don King at 31 whilst placing Amir Khan at 29. Or Teddy Atlas at 34 whilst placing Muhammad Ali at 41.

True Ali doesn’t have a massive amount of power, but what power does Atlas have? Ali is the man who made boxing what it is. Before Ali boxing was seen as a sport for thugs, and rich people wanting to see thugs beating each other up. It reminds me of the famous quote “boxing is lots of white men watching black men beating each other up”. Muhammad Ali changed all of that. He came along and suddenly boxing was popular and being watched by women, children, elderly and respectable citizens. I would place Muhammad Ali at number 1 because he changed the world.

But Floyd Mayweather has been placed first on the basis that he talked a judge into postponing his sentence, his earnings, and being his own Promoter. He tells fans he is his own Promoter but most fans know that’s a deceptive statement. He is a free agent meaning he picks his fights and negotiates for himself. But he delegates the promotional side to Golden Boy. How can he promote himself when he is training for a fight, both are full time jobs. So theoretically speaking, no he isn’t his own promoter. But he is a free agent, thus his own boss. Ali changed boxing and the world. Will we say the same about Mayweather in 50 years? No.

Boxing News seems to think that boxers have a lot of sway, I don’t. the people who have the real power come in this order, TV Networks, for picking which fights they put out to the public, sanctioning bodies, they can choose who does and doesn’t fight for titles and they pick the rankings, promoters, boxers are under contract and must do as they are told. Bob Arum is a good example of the latter.

Here is a list of the top 10 according to Boxing News.

1. Floyd Mayweather. 2. Ken Hershman. 3. Bob Arum. 4. Richard Schaefer. 5. Manny Pacquiao. 6. Al Haymon. 7. Stephen Espinoza. 8. Jose Sulaiman. 9. Todd Duboff. 10. Gilberto Mendoza.

You can see where the list is going. I think Mayweather and Pacquiao should be on the list, but low down. Let me know who you would have in the top 10?