Many highly anticipated bouts never materialize at all and that's a shame. Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe and Michael Moorer were all heavyweight champions during the same era, yet until Lewis and Tyson finally squared off in 2002 none of them had ever faced each other as professionals (Lewis topped Bowe as an amateur). Next time someone questions Evander Holyfield's historical significance, consider that the Real Deal totaled an amazing nine bouts against the above four. In fact, if it wasn't for Holyfield's desire to always face the best - a rare quality in fighters these days - there would have been almost no meaningful heavyweight fights over the past decade . . . but that's a subject for another day.

Today's task is to boil all of the great match-ups that could be made among today's active fighters down to the top ten. Not an easy task. Plus, here are some ground rules to make the job even more difficult:

1. No rematches. Sure Lewis-Klitschko II, De La Hoya-Trinidad II and Barrera-Morales III should - and hopefully will - happen, but not on this list.

2. No fighter can appear on the list twice. So you have to choose between Hopkins, Wright, Forrest, Mayorga, Margarito, Spinks and Mayweather as possible opponents for De La Hoya.

3. Fighter must be active . . . as in not in prison. Sorry Ike Ibeabuchi.

That's it. Just three simple rules. While each and every fight fan will come up with a different list (which they are encouraged to share with their fellow fans), here's one fight fan's list - in descending weight order - of the ten bouts that must be made:

1. Roy Jones Jr. vs. Mike Tyson
Others on Jones wish list: Chris Byrd
Others on Tyson wish list: David Tua, James Toney

2. Vitali Klitschko vs. James Toney
Others on Klitschko wish list: Wladimir Klitschko (never gonna happen)
Others on Toney wish list: Mike Tyson

3. Bernard Hopkins vs. Jermain Taylor
Others on Hopkins wish list: Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Fernando Vargas, Joe Calzaghe
Others on Taylor wish list: Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Fernando Vargas

4. Shane Mosley vs. Fernando Vargas
Others on Mosley wish list: Bernard Hopkins, Fernando Vargas, Ricardo Mayorga
Others on Vargas wish list: Bernard Hopkins, Ricardo Mayorga

5. Oscar De La Hoya vs. Ricardo Mayorga
Others on De La Hoya wish list: Bernard Hopkins, Winky Wright, Floyd Mayweather
Others on Mayorga wish list: Shane Mosley, Fernando Vargas, Antonio Margarito

6. Kostya Tszyu vs. Arturo Gatti
Others on Tszyu wish list: Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Rickey Hatton
Others on Gatti wish list: Zab Judah, Miguel Cotto, Rickey Hatton

7. Floyd Mayweather vs. Zab Judah
Others on Mayweather wish list: Acelino Freitas, Kotya Tszyu, Vernon Forrest, Oscar De La Hoya
Others on Judah wish list: Arturo Gatti, Miguel Cotto, Rickey Hatton

8. Acelino Freitas vs. Diego Corrales
Others on Freitas wish list: Jesus Chavez, Erik Morales
Others on Corrales wish list: Jesus Chavez, Erik Morales

9. Erik Morales vs. Manny Pacquiao
Others on Morales wish list: Acelino Freitas, Diego Corrales, Joel Casamayor, Juan Manual Marquez
Others on Pacquiao wish list: Juan Manual Marquez, Johnny Tapia, Paulie Ayala

10. Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Paulie Ayala
Others on Barrera wish list: Juan Manuel Marquez
Others on Ayala wish list: Rafael Marquez

Up next: Fearless predictions for each of the above dream fights!