November 15th, 2005 is just around the corner. Could it be almost two years already? Two years since one of the most exciting little big men in boxing today burst into the national spotlight when he dismantled featherweight/super-featherweight legend Marco Antonio Barrera via 11th round TKO. Depending on who you ask, he is known as both “Pac-Man” and “The Destroyer.” Anyone who has seen him fight will agree with me that both nicknames fit him to a tee as he both chews up and destroys opponents with reckless abandon. His name is Manny Pacquiao, 39-3-2, 31 KO’s, and in less then two weeks from now he’ll more then likely have another check in the win column.
Let’s rewind back to November 15th, 2003 for a few moments. There were a couple of things that I knew about the Pacquiao/Barrera fight, and to tell you the truth, most of it was about Barrera. I knew that Barrera had rejuvenated his career after two losses to Junior Jones and was still on top of his game after dispatching of Kevin Kelley in early 2003 along with both Johnny Tapia and Erik Morales in 2002. His place in boxing history had already been solidified and I’d seen him fight over a dozen times. I knew much less about Manny Pacquiao.
However, I had seen him fight before. About a year and a half earlier I saw him demolish an overmatched Jorge Eliecer Julio via TKO2 on the undercard of the Mike Tyson/Lennox Lewis snoozer in Memphis, Tennessee. But even with the ferociousness he showed in this fight, I thought he had a sluggers chance at best of lasting 12 rounds with Barrera let alone winning a decision. Boy was I and the rest of the boxing world in for a big surprise.
Pacquiao matched Barrera shot for shot throughout the duration of the fight and thoroughly dominated Barrera like nobody had before. Even If Pacquiao wouldn’t have pummeled Barrera into submission forcing his corner to stop the fight in the eleventh round, the decision wouldn’t have even been close. He was up by at least seven points on all three judges scorecards. Suddenly everyone in boxing knew the name Manny Pacquiao.
Up next for Pacquiao was a shot at reigning WBA/IBF Featherweight Champion Juan Manuel Marquez, 42-2, 33 KO’s. Pacquiao gave Marquez all he could handle early in the fight knocking him down three times in the first round. But with the three knock-down rule not in effect, Marquez was able to withstand the barrage Pacman threw at him early and mount a comeback of his own to earn a controversial draw.
In his last fight, Pacquiao threw leather with “El Terrible” Erik Morales for twelve rounds in what is sure to be a candidate for 2005’s Fight of the Year. Morales, another world-beater, owns victories over Barrera, Paulie Ayala and Junior Jones defeated Pacquiao by a razor-thin margin on all three scorecards to win a close unanimous decision.
Eager to put this loss behind him, Pacquiao is scheduled to fight journeyman Hector Velazquez, 42-10-2, 31 KO’s on September 10th, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Velazquez, a grizzled veteran has been in the ring with stellar competitors such as Rocky Juarez and current IBF Super Featherweight champion Robbie “The Bomber” Peden. While he’s obviously not looking past Velazquez, Pacquiao obviously has an eye on bigger fights with bigger fighters and much better paydays. And while nothing is written in stone as far as what he’ll do, one thing is for sure. Since it involves Manny Pacquiao, it’s sure to be exciting.
