Donaire also finishes his fights in more stellar fashion which will help him in the P4P lists.
Tommy: Ward looks like he's going to be out for a minute so I'm going with Nonito Donaire. Donaire is my pound-for-pound number two right now and he is closing in on Floyd with every impressive performance. By the end of the year I have very little doubt that everyone will be saying Donaire is their P4P number 1. He just looks on a different planet at the minute.
Kurt: Right now I will go with Donaire. Just like in 2012, he will look to keep active while Ward will probably only fight once in 2013. It's hard to see anybody beating either of them, any time soon, however.
Eddie: Right now hands down I think Andre Ward is the best fighter in the world but with nagging injuries he always seems to suffer and the fact that it sounds as if hes going to be on the shelf a bit with the shoulder injury, I think Nonito Donaire is prime to jump into the #1 spot.
Andre Ward has pretty much already ran through the best guys in and around 168/175 lbs, meanwhile for Nonito Donaire there are potential match ups against Orlando Salido,Chris John,Guillermo Rigondeaux and maybe Abner Mares to elevate his status higher than it already is. So, I just think the door is open for Nonito to bust through and take the # 1 spot.
Kurt: No, I don't believe so. The brothers are pure athletes, you never see them overweight or getting into trouble outside the ring. They are totally dedicated to the sport. Can the same be said for most of the other guys? They have their styles and have perfected them. Their greatest opponents are probably age and motivation.
Eddie: I don't really see it. I don't think prospects like Price or Wilder will be ready to even fight a Klitschko in 2013, and the rest of the heavyweight crop remains mediocre at best.
I'm really starting to like Tyson Fury as he has made huge leaps and bounds the past 18 months and I know hes mentioned wanting a fight with one of K2 sometime this year but I just don't think hes naturally gifted enough or athletically inclined to knock either one of the brothers off.
Most likely to become the #1 fighter on the planet in 2013? Donaire or Ward?
Matty: With his injuries keeping him sidelined for the first quarter of 2013 and a lack of opponents that he has not already beaten, Ward won't have much of a chance to stake his claim for P4P #1. Donaire, on the other hand, has plenty of interesting fights available to him at 122 and 126 and will just increase his legend. Donaire is already the best Filipino fighter on the planet, and 2013 may be his year to stake his claim as the best on the planet.
Ben: Donaire. I think he'll face the tougher opposition. Ward has already cleaned out 168 and defeated the top guy at 175. Who's he going to fight that would compare to Riggy or Mares? Kessler and Froch rematches are decent fights but I'm hard pressed to find any way that Ward struggles in either.
Next P4P #1?
17 the nuthouse