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Philippines, 18 May 2024 |
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Lomachenko, Santa Cruz Losses Further Magnify Pacquiao's Greatness By Estace Yambot PhilBoxing.com Tue, 17 Nov 2020  Vasiliy Lomachenko, a world champion in three weight classes, is known for his exceptional hand speed, timing, accuracy, creativity, athleticism, defense and footwork. He is called "The Matrix" for his ability to download information then putting on a beatdown to his opponents. He is considered as the greatest amateur boxer of all time amassing a record of 396 wins and a single loss. He avenged that loss twice. Lomachenko accomplished a rare feat of winning an Olympic gold medal twice. He turned professional in 2013 winning a world title in the fewest ever professional fights, winning the Featherweight title in his 3rd fight. He was considered as one of the pound for pound best boxers of the world and received awards like Fighter of the Year and Boxer of the year. He was so dominant that he was mowing down the competition making some of them quit. He beat champions after champions winning the Featherweight, Junior Lightweight and Lightweight Crowns. He was considered as the best boxer of the world for a long time until he recently lost convincingly to Teofimo Lopez. All of a sudden, his greatness disappeared when he fought a legitimately younger, as skilled and as fast as he is, but definitely bigger and stronger than him. He got 'old' all of a sudden at 32. Leo Santa Cruz, another great Mexican champion winning titles in four weight classes- bantamweight, super bantamweight, featherweight, and super featherweight. He, like Lomachenko, was also considered as one of the best pound for pound active boxers reaching as high as sixth in the mythical ranking. Santa Cruz beat the likes of Mares, Frampton, Mijares, Avalos. He was considered as one of the toughest little men, until he lost and got knocked out with a wicked uppercut by a naturally bigger Gervonta Davis. His reign of being a champion and moving up in weight has ended. He also is 32 years old and is now considering retirement. 
Pacquiao drops Thurman. Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao, turning soon to be 42 years old. In July 2019, Pacquiao became the oldest welterweight world champion in history at the age of 40, and the first boxer in history to become a recognized four-time welterweight champion after defeating Keith Thurman to win the WBA (Super) welterweight title. He is the only eight-division world champion in the history of boxing, and has won twelve major world titles. He was the first boxer to win the lineal championship in five different weight classes, the first boxer to win major world titles in four of the eight "glamour divisions": flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. He is the only boxer to hold world championships across four decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s). To qualify for the minimum weight to legally fight, he has to secretly put weights on his pocket to make the weight. Yet over the course of his career, he moved up in weight demolishing champions after champions, winning against fighters, most of whom will surely enter Boxing's Hall of Fame. Manny fought as high as super welterweight against the once feared Antonio Margarito who at fight night was at least 20 lbs heavier than Pacquiao. Margarito is 5'11" and Pacquiao is 5'5", the size difference was so pronounced it literally was a David and Goliath fight. It did not matter. Pacquiao hammered Margarito with his superior speed and technique, reconfiguring the Mexican's face and breaking his right orbital bone on a lopsided win. 
Pacquiao re-configures Margarito's face. Lomachenko's and Santa Cruz's losses, reemphasized and redefined Pacquiao's greatness, and without even fighting. These great fighters lost and 'grew' out of their weight limits and 'got old'. Pacquiao climbed up in weight from flyweight to super welterweight, and is still a legitimate champion at 41 years old. Unbelievable! Pacquiao is the #1 pound for pound greatest fighter ever in the sport. Pacquiao has done something that no other fighter has ever achieved. Sure Manny lost to Mayweather, but imagine Floyd fighting against cruiserweights or even light heavyweights in comparison to how Manny climbed up from his original fighting weight. It is unheard of. This feat will never be duplicated. Lomachenko, Santa Cruz and the likes are great champions but Pacquiao is in a league of his own. Pacquiao, when he was at his peak, obliterated not only naturally bigger fighters but are great fighters. Dela Hoya, Cotto, Mosley, Margarito, you name it. Pacquiao is the greatest pound for pound boxer of all time. He is the only fighter in history to move up out of his natural weight class, get hit by big punches and still handle it proving his toughness and mental strength. He competed at high quality competition on their natural weight classes, beating them convincingly. Pacquiao's achievement is unmatched. Pacquiao just to remind you is again, almost 42 years old, yet he demolished a younger, bigger, stronger champion in Keith Thurman, making him one of the legitimate champion at welterweight. Continue to witness and marvel at Pacquiao's greatness, because this will never happen again, EVER! Manny Pacquiao is the greatest pound for pound fighter that ever lived. Period! Click here to view a list of other articles written by Estace Yambot.  |
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