CANASTOTA?Maybe Bill Murray was ?Lost In Translation? in the movie about the fading movie star reduced to doing cheesy commercials in Tokyo.
I can assure you nothing was lost in translation when I asked 2008 International Boxing Hall Of Fame inductee Joe Koizumi, better know to his many friends in the business as ?Japanese Joe,? to name the greatest Asian boxer of all time.
Correspondent for Ring magazine since 1964, promoter, trainer, cutman, matchmaker, booking agent?Koizumi has done all that and more in his busy lifetime in the fight game.
When I asked, I thought Koizumi might name Fighting Harada, Yoko Gushiken or some other ring great from Japan.
But Japanese Joe didn?t hesitate before saying, ?Manny Pacquiao.
?He is better even than the great Flash Elorde. He is the greatest Asian boxer of all time.?
The Phillipine government gave Pacman the ?stamp of approval? by issuing postage stamp with his face on them.
And now Pacman has the ?seal of approval? from Koizumi, who got started in boxing as a teenager by writing an article to legendary Nat Fleischer at The Ring.
Here?s hoping Japanese Joe will be on hand here five years after Megamanny?s retirement when the Pinoy idol will take his place on boxing?s historic stage, the IBHOF.
