In the January issue of Ring Magazine that hits newsstands Dec. 30, Naoya Inoue is ranked No. 4 among the top 10 fighters in the first quarter of this century.

The only three names ahead of him: Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

That's some all-time great company.

Inoue pitched a near shutout this past weekend of then-undefeated Alan Picasso, despite one judge giving him three rounds. Even Bob Kasule, who voted for the South Korean over Roy Jones in the 1988 gold medal bout, wouldn't turn in such a scorecard.

What puts Pacquiao over Mayweather, despite losing the head-to-head matchup when both were past their peaks, is the resume. He rose in weight classes and not just won belts. He fought the best and wrecked them all.

Inoue, who began at 108 winning world titles, is an undisputed junior featherweight champion. What if he goes up to featherweight and achieves the same feat?

He's 32, so the clock is ticking, but who are you top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the first 25 years to his century?

Copies can be found worldwide, including your local B&N.