Boxing Real or Not: Pacquiao was better than Mayweather; Woodley will put an end to Jake Paul’s run
Manny Pacquiao has likely fought his last fight, and while it wasn’t viewed in this way heading into Saturday in Las Vegas, the bout against Yordenis Ugas may have been the passing-of-the-torch moment the welterweight division has desperately needed. Pacquiao will almost certainly step away from the sport to focus on his political career in the Philippines, but boxing fans will always be focused on the “what if,” especially involving Floyd Mayweather. Did Pacquiao do enough in his career to eclipse Floyd’s legacy? As for Ugas, he’s now set up to be a superstar at welterweight. Is he No. 1 in the division?
After a legitimate fight last weekend, the boxing world now turns to a bout between a social media star and a former UFC champion. Jake Paul hopes to keep his knockout streak alive when he faces Tyron Woodley on Sunday night in Cleveland. Woodley had a dominant reign at welterweight in the UFC, but his struggles of late shut the door on his MMA future. Will he be able to stop Paul’s endeavors in combat sports?
After that bout and the return of Oscar De La Hoya on Sept. 11, fans can once again look forward to another undisputed title fight, this time between Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant. Many are discounting Plant’s viability in this Nov. 6 bout, despite his being a talented super middleweight champion. Will Alvarez really get a quick knockout?
Marc Raimondi, Mike Coppinger, Nick Parkinson and Mike Rothstein separate what’s real and what is not.
Real or Not: Manny Pacquiao’s career was better than Floyd Mayweather’s
Coppinger: Not real. Had Pacquiao fought Spence as planned and come out on top, I probably have vaulted him ahead of Mayweather. That victory would’ve been an incredible achievement at 42, and in this sport, longevity matters. Their career accomplishments are tough to separate — both had long runs at the top of the pound-for-pound list, often switching places after their fights.
So it comes down to their 2015 clash, which shattered revenue records. Mayweather won that fight going away, outboxing Pacquiao for long stretches. The only drama came in Round 4, when Pacquiao appeared to stun Mayweather. And now that Pacquiao is likely to retire after the loss to Ugas, it’s a wrap on the debate: Mayweather had the better career.
These are not just the two greatest fighters of their generation, but two of the top 10 or 15 boxers to ever lace up the gloves. There’s no shame in being second to Mayweather, even if there are many who believe Pacquiao would have come out on top if they had fought five years earlier. We’ll never know.
Real or Not: Yordenis Ugas has a legitimate chance to establish himself as the best welterweight in boxing
Coppinger: Don’t let Ugas’ 27-4 record fool you — he can really fight. There aren’t too many noticeable flaws in Ugas’ game. He’s fundamentally sound, sporting a high guard that picked off Pacquiao’s incoming shots round after round. He’s big for 147 pounds, long and rangy, but also strong on the inside. And his punches are clearly powerful enough, the counter right hand constantly dissuading Pacquiao from fighting recklessly.
Most of all, perhaps, Ugas owns an excellent jab and impeccable composure. He never veered away from his game plan in the biggest fight of his career. The jab was piston-like, and he often doubled up on it to set up the right hand to the body. Ugas was cagey, too, able to fend off Pacquiao’s slower attacks.
I thought Ugas beat Shawn Porter, though he didn’t receive the nod on the judges’ scorecards, and combining that performance with his showing against Pacquiao, it’s clear that Ugas is one of the five best welterweights in the world. He certainly has a real shot to ascend to No. 1.
However, at this juncture, Ugas should be recognized as the third-best 147-pounder in all of boxing behind Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford. The Cuban would be installed as an underdog against either man, but not likely a big one after Saturday night. Now Ugas just needs the fights to prove he’s the best.
Real or Not: Tyron Woodley will put an end to Jake Paul’s run in combat sports
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Jake Paul is aware that many want to see him fail but still has high confidence that he can beat Tyron Woodley in their upcoming fight.
Raimondi: I’m going to give a resounding “not real” to this statement. And it’s not necessarily because I think Jake Paul will beat Tyron Woodley on Sunday. It’s just that even if Woodley wins — even if it’s in spectacular fashion — there will still be a market for Paul fights. Paul’s popularity, which comes originally from YouTube and his massive fandom on social media, is not necessarily based on wins and losses. Paul and his team are telling a story about his career trajectory, and a loss here would only lead to a big comeback fight in the future.
Look back at that list of potential opponents Paul called out in a social media video. Not all of them were the Canelo Alvarezes and Gervonta Davises of the world. Also on the list was KSI — the fellow YouTuber who beat Paul’s brother Logan in boxing. That’s the kind of fight Paul could do next if he loses to Woodley. Tommy Fury could also be Paul’s next foe, win or lose in Cleveland. Fury, the half-brother of heavyweight great Tyson Fury, is on the undercard for that very reason. He’s the most likely choice to fight Paul next. I think that could make sense whether Paul beats or even loses to Woodley. Of course, we’ll have to see what Fury looks like against MMA fighter and Paul sparring partner Anthony Taylor. And there’s always the possibility of igniting the Dillon Danis rivalry if the other options don’t make sense. Danis is an MMA fighter famously known for being Conor McGregor’s good friend and training partner.
In addition to all of that, sources tell me that Paul has a multifight agreement with Showtime. This is not just a one-off bout against Woodley. He’ll come back and fight again on Showtime in the future. A loss here does not send Paul packing. I’d be inclined to guarantee that. Even if it’s an undercard bout next against someone who represents a step back in competition, Paul is not going anywhere.
Real or Not: Canelo Alvarez will KO Caleb Plant within five rounds
Parkinson: Not real. Alvarez has been increasingly destructive in his reign at super middleweight and has stopped better fighters than Plant in the last few years, but he is still likely to be extended into the second half of their fight after meeting some gritty resistance from the Nashville-born fighter and IBF titleholder.
Plant has some good wins on his record — Caleb Truax (2021) and Jose Uzcategui (2019) — but he has not competed at anything like the level that Alvarez has operated at for nearly a decade, and this has perhaps persuaded some to suggest this will be an early win for Alvarez.
Alvarez is in frightening form. If Alvarez can beat a tricky customer and rival world super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders in eight rounds (May 2021), Callum Smith by a wide and unanimous decision (December 2020) and fearsome puncher Sergey Kovalev by 11th-round KO (November 2019), then form suggests Plant will be uprooted from the canvas at some point. Canelo also dispatched Avni Yildirim in three rounds in February for the third win inside the distance in his last four outings.
But Plant is better than Yildirim and is going to make Alvarez work for his belt, just as Saunders did before an uppercut forced him to retire after eight rounds with an eye injury.
Plant has decent power (12 KOs in 21 fights) to make Canelo wary in the opening rounds. He throws a good volume as well, which suggests he will stick around beyond five rounds. In his last fight early this year, Plant landed a total of 179 punches in his dominant, unanimous-decision win over Truax, according to CompuBox stats, including 124 power shots to Truax’s 29. Plant also scored two knockdowns in a clear unanimous decision over Uzcategui to win the IBF belt, landing 217 of 707 (31%) punches in the process (CompuBox) when the Las Vegas-based boxer showed he can sustain a fast pace at elite level.
Plant has good movement, and Truax was able to land just 10 punches in the first three rounds. More importantly, Plant uses his left jab to good effect. He will have to put it to good use again to stay in the fight against Canelo. Plant is more elusive than Saunders, and an elite super middleweight, so an early win for Canelo is not likely.
What is likely is that Canelo will become undisputed champion on Nov. 6, with a late stoppage or decision win seemingly a safer bet.
Real or Not: Amanda Serrano deserves to be pound-for-pound No. 1 female fighter
Rothstein: Not real. Make no mistake, Amanda Serrano is a great fighter and the best knockout-deliverer in women’s boxing. She is one of the best fighters in the world. She fights for titles consistently, and it’s not her fault some of her opponents, while titleholders, aren’t exactly the best competition.
She wins. She has power other fighters don’t have. Serrano can make the case — and already has made the case — that she’s the most exciting woman fighter in the sport. Considering she’s fighting on the undercard of Jake Paul’s pay-per-view, knocking out Yamileth Mercado would put more eyes on her. And it would put her in position to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world if it means an eventual fight against Katie Taylor.
But best pound-for-pound? Taylor and Claressa Shields are still going to be ahead of her, no matter what happens in Cleveland.
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Mark Schlabach
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who led the No. 1 Hoosiers to a perfect 13-0 record and their first Big Ten title since 1967, captured the 91st Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.
Mendoza beat out quarterbacks Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt) and Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and running back Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) to take home the trophy during a ceremony in New York.
Mendoza, who played two seasons at California before joining the Hoosiers this season, completed 71.5% of his pass attempts for 2,980 yards with 39 total touchdowns.
He was only the second Heisman Trophy finalist from Indiana. Running back Anthony Thompson was runner-up to Houston quarterback Andre Ware in one of the closest votes in 1989.
With Mendoza, Pavia and Love expected to move on to the NFL after this season, who are the top returning Heisman Trophy candidates for 2026?
In compiling the list of potential candidates, I projected that quarterbacks John Mateer (Oklahoma), Ty Simpson (Alabama) and Dante Moore (Oregon); receivers Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Zachariah Branch (Georgia) and Makai Lemon (USC); and running back Emmett Johnson (Nebraska) will turn pro (along with the aforementioned finalists from this year).
Here is a look at some of the top potential contenders (in no particular order):
2025 stats: 80 catches, 1,086 receiving yards, 12 total touchdowns
Smith’s highlight reel of acrobatic, one-handed catches continues to grow, and he arguably has been the best player in college football this season. He was the fastest Buckeyes player to reach career marks of 2,000 receiving yards (24 games), 100 catches (20) and 25 touchdown receptions (25).
2025 stats: 78.4% completion pct, 3,323 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, 6 interceptions
Sayin might have captured the Heisman Trophy this season if Ohio State’s offense hadn’t flopped in its 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten championship game. In his first season as a starter, Sayin is on pace to break the NCAA single-season pass completion record of 77.4%, set by Oregon’s Bo Nix in 2023.
2025 stats: 70.7% completion pct, 2,691 passing yards, 442 rushing yards, 31 total touchdowns
In his first full season as Georgia’s starting quarterback, Stockton helped guide the Bulldogs to a 12-1 record and SEC title. His legs and right arm were a big reason the Bulldogs averaged 31.9 points, despite enduring myriad injuries on the offensive line. Stockton was at his best when the game was on the line — he completed 86% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and one interception in the fourth quarter against ranked opponents.
2025 stats: 84 receptions, 970 receiving yards, 7 receiving touchdowns
Toney’s teammates call him “Baby Jesus,” and the true freshman delivered in a big way in his first season with the No. 10 Hurricanes. He ranks sixth in the FBS with 84 catches and had 1,328 all-purpose yards. Toney even threw for two scores. Not bad for an 18-year-old who would be a senior in high school if he hadn’t reclassified to the class of 2025.
2025 stats: 61.4% completion pct, 2,942 passing yards, 32 total touchdowns
Even after all the hand-wringing about Manning being overrated at the start of the season, the former five-star recruit ended up putting together a good campaign, throwing for 2,942 yards with 24 touchdowns. The No. 13 Longhorns need to find some offensive linemen (he was sacked 23 times) and receivers to help him in 2026.
2025 stats: 65.5% completion pct, 3,016 passing yards, 24 total touchdowns
Ole Miss officials have submitted a waiver to the NCAA on Chambliss’ behalf for another season of eligibility. He played his first three seasons at Division II Ferris State before transferring to Ole Miss this year. He was named SEC Newcomer of the Year after taking over the starting job in the third game of the season.
2025 stats: 1,560 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns
A transfer from Louisiana-Monroe, Hardy led the FBS with 130 rushing yards per game and was No. 2 with 1,560 total rushing yards. He had eight 100-yard games for the Tigers, including a whopping 300-yard effort with three touchdowns in a 49-27 victory against Mississippi State on Nov. 15.
2025 stats: 61.8% completion pct, 2,932 passing yards, 466 rushing yards, 31 total touchdowns
Reed announced this week that he plans to stay at Texas A&M next season, which is great news for the No. 7 Aggies. He was a threat with the ball in his hands, throwing for 2,932 yards with 25 touchdowns and running for 466 yards with six scores. His decision-making needs to continue to improve, so he can cut down on his 10 interceptions.
2025 stats: 63.6% completion pct, 3,117 passing yards, 20 total touchdowns
There’s a reason new Bears coach Tosh Lupoi took a late-night flight to Hawai’i to make sure Sagapolutele was staying at Cal. He was only the second true freshman in FBS history to pass for 200 yards or more in each of his first 11 starts. In the Bears’ late-season upsets of then-No. 21 SMU and No. 15 Louisville, Sagapolutele passed for a combined 653 yards with six touchdowns and no picks.
2025 stats: 1,279 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns
After transferring from Missouri, Lacy helped the No. 6 Rebels win 11 games in the regular season for the first time. He ranks No. 2 in the FBS with 20 rushing touchdowns and piled up 1,279 yards on the ground. Will he follow former coach Lane Kiffin to LSU or remain with the Rebels in 2026?
2025 stats: 66.2% completion pct, 3,431 passing yards, 29 total touchdowns
If Maiava returns to the No. 16 Trojans for another season, he’ll probably flourish in Lincoln Riley’s offense. This year, he threw for 3,431 yards with 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He ranks No. 1 with a 91.2 total QBR. According to Pro Football Focus, he was second in the FBS with 26 big-time throws. (A big-time throw is defined as a high-difficulty, high-value pass.)
2025 stats: 1,035 rushing yards, 6 total touchdowns
Jackson became the fifth true freshman in OSU history to produce a 1,000-yard season, joining Robert Smith (1990), Maurice Clarett (2002), JK Dobbins (2017) and TreVeyon Henderson (2021). That’s good company. And, of course, he’d be the second Bo Jackson to collect a stiff-armed trophy.
2025 stats: 70.2% completion pct, 4,129 passing yards, 36 total touchdowns
Mestemaker is one of the best stories in college football. He didn’t start a single game in high school, then joined North Texas as a walk-on. This season, he led the FBS with 4,129 passing yards, helping him capture the Burlsworth Trophy as the top walk-on in the country. Will he join former Mean Green coach Eric Morris at Oklahoma State in 2026?
CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame
2025 starts: 66.6% completion pct, 2,741 passing yards, 24 touchdowns
Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman entrusted Carr to lead his offense after a heated battle in preseason camp. The decision paid off, as Carr put together one of the best performances by a first-time starter in Notre Dame history. He threw for at least one touchdown in each of his first 12 starts, becoming the first Irish player to do that since Everett Golson in 2012-14. Carr’s 24 passing touchdowns are tied for the most in the first 12 starts by a Notre Dame player since 1966.
2025 stats: 70% completion pct, 2,850 passing yards, 595 rushing yards, 27 total touchdowns
Williams is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the FBS, and his ability to run and throw was on display in the Huskies’ 38-19 victory against Rutgers on Oct. 10. He became the first player in school history to pass for at least 400 yards (400) and run for at least 100 (136) in the same game. Williams was second on the team with 595 rushing yards.
Others to watch: Sam Leavitt, QB, TBA; Cam Coleman, WR, Auburn; Brendan Sorsby, QB, Cincinnati; Josh Hoover, QB, TCU; Darian Mensah, QB, Duke; Nate Frazier, RB, Georgia; LJ Martin, RB, BYU; Bear Bachmeier, QB, BYU; LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina; Bryce Underwood, QB, Michigan
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Adam Rittenberg
Maryland quarterback Malik Washington, who set the team’s freshman passing record this fall, will return to the Terrapins for the 2026 season.
Washington set Maryland freshman records for passing yards (2,963) and completions (273) this season, while connecting on 17 touchdown passes. He reached 200 passing yards in all but one game and finished as just the second Big Ten freshman since 1996 to record at least 2,500 passing yards and at least 300 rushing yards.
“Representing this team, this area, means so much to me and my family,” Washington said in a statement Saturday. “This is home and we’re going to continue keeping the best athletes from this area here with the Terps. I believe in everyone in our facility and I know we’re building something that our fans will be excited about for years to come.”
Washington, the nation’s No. 134 recruit in the 2025 class, grew up in Severn, Maryland, about 30 miles from Maryland’s campus. Despite a 4-8 record that included only one Big Ten win, Maryland announced that coach Mike Locksley, who recruited Washington, would return in 2026. Locksley will enter his eighth season as Maryland’s coach.
“Malik is a Terp through and through and I’m thrilled he’s coming back to lead this football team,” Locksley said in a statement. “He means so much to this area and this area means so much to him. What we saw from Malik this past season is only the tip of the iceberg. He has such a bright future and he’s already started putting the work in towards the 2026 season.”
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