Ringside Seat magazine, an authoritative US publication now on its fifth year, recently came out with its 17th issue, a special edition naming the best fighters in the last six decades or 60 years. Honored were Muhammad Ali in the 1960s, Roberto Duran in the 1970s, Michael Spinks in the 1980s, Roy Jones, Jr. in the 1990s, Manny Pacquiao in the 2000s and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in the 2010s.
It wasn’t difficult to justify Pacquiao’s recognition. Writer Eric Raskin wrote: “Pacquiao was named Fighter of the Year in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Only three previous boxers in history won that award three times in a four-year span----Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Ali. Pacquiao is the only non-heavyweight ever to achieve the feat. His numbers for the decade as a whole are staggering. The Filipino put together a record of 23-1-2 with 20 KOs, winning titles in six different divisions, three of those in the lineal variety. Perhaps most importantly, he went 7-1-1 between 2000 and 2009 against fighters who went on to gain Hall of Fame induction.”
The highlights of Pacquiao’s ascent in the 2000s were his demolition of Lehlo Ledwaba for the IBF superbantamweight crown in his US debut in 2001, his shock stoppage of Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003, the unfair draw with Juan Manuel Marquez in 2004 (Pacquiao scored three knockdowns in the first round and judge Burt Clements mistakenly scored it 10-7 instead of 10-6, robbing him of a win by a split decision), the vengeful knockout wins over Erik Morales in 2006, the repeat victory over Barrera in 2007, the wins over Marquez, David Diaz and Oscar de la Hoya in 2008 and the disposal of Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto in 2009.
“The Manny Pacquiao of the 2000s, just 21 years old when the decade began, exuded innocence,” noted Raskin. “The infectious smile, the loose grasp on the English language, the raw athleticism alone proving too much for so many he shared the ring with----it was a simpler time and he, pre-political aspirations, was a simple man. It is not meant as an insult. Pacquiao just didn’t come across as overly complicated. He was magnetic, he was thrilling and he was a fighting machine.”
Today, Pacquiao is retired from the ring yet continues to fight. He’s in a tough battle for the presidency of the republic. The odds are against him but he’s never been afraid to be the underdog. He lost in his first attempt to run for public office in 2007 but bounced back to win seats in Congress and the Senate. Detractors bash him for his inability to express himself fluently in English but nobody has ever doubted his sincerity, integrity and spirituality. Pacquiao has never backed off from sharing his hard-earned fortune with the less privileged and deep in his heart, he believes it’s his calling to make a difference. No matter the winner in the coming polls, Pacquiao’s legacy is forever etched in Philippine history as a man who brought honor to the country as an athlete and a Filipino with the heart of a champion.
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