MANNY Pacquiao made history in 2009 by becoming the only boxer who has captured seven world titles in different weight divisions. This year, he once again did the near impossible and established his name as one of the greatest fighters of all time by winning his eighth division world title.
Pacquiao was literally facing a giant in Antonio Margarito. The 32-year-old Mexican former world champion was four and a half inches taller at 5?11? and had a six-inch reach advantage.
Domination
Despite the odds stacked against the 31-year-old pound-for-pound king, Pacquiao still dominated the bigger Margarito to win the vacant World Boxing Council light middleweight crown by a landslide. The scorecards read 119-109, 120-108 and 118-110.
Eight months before his incredible feat, Pacquiao was in a fight with lesser-known Joshua Clottey and beat him in a lopsided unanimous decision last March also at the Cowboys Stadium.
Pacquiao was supposed to face former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., but because both camps could not agree with each other, the negotiation fizzled out. Mayweather Jr.?s camp demanded an Olympic-style drug testing.
After Pacquiao?s bout with Clottey, the negotiations with Mayweather Jr. resumed, but somehow the fight didn?t happen, which led to the Pacquiao-Margarito bout.
Politics
Outside boxing, Pacquiao also made history by becoming the first boxer to win a congressional seat in the Philippines in the last May 10 polls.
Like his fight with legendary Oscar de la Hoya in 2008, Pacquiao was a major underdog coming into this year?s elections against Roy Chongbian for the congressional seat of Sarangani Province, but like most of his fights he emerged victorious and toppled down a goliath in politics.
