Philippines, 12 Jul 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Title Romps in Non-Traditional Divisions Put Manny Pacquiao in GOAT Discussion


PhilBoxing.com




It is not just the number - eight world championships in as many boxing weight divisions - but his title conquests even in weight classes where Asian fights are traditionally weak that put Manny Pacquiao firmly in the discussion as to the GOAT or greatest fighter of all time or honor.

Aside from winning mostly lineal world championships in the flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight and super lightweight, divisions where fighters from Asia and the Philippines specifically have been successful or at least competitive through the years, Pacquiao also won world titles in the welterweight and super welterweight classes, divisions where Orientals are traditionally very weak or at worst, considered as nuisance.

Pacquiao in fact could be considered as the first and only Asian to win a world championship at welterweight which has been synonymous to Sugar Ray Robinson who many considered as the greatest fighter of all time. Though Robinson got acclaim as GOAT in the middleweight where he reigned as world champion for a record five times, it was really in the welterweight where he was at his almost invincible best, chalking up 91 consecutive victories in one stretch on the way to an incredible 128 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws record including an unbeaten run as world welterweight champion. And though other Asian boxers have won world titles at super welterweight or junior middleweight, he was the first fighter to win a major crown at that weight level (154 lbs) coming from as low at the light flyweight or 105 lbs.

Fact is the weight classes from the lightweight or 135 lbs and above have historically and traditionally been dominated by Caucasians, mainly American and European fighters including many of African and Latin or Hispanic and lately Slavic origin.

Hence, Asian fighters excelling in the lightweight and above are considered a rarity as it is even unique for a pugilist from the region to excel or be extremely competitive in more than one weight class at that level.

Pacquiao has therefore achieved the extraordinary in not only winning championships but even dominating at lightweight and super lightweight or 140 lbs, reigning once at super welterweight (154 lbs) and being world champion at welterweight not just thrice with WBO but four times including his winning the WBA super belt.

Manny will be gunning for his fifth world championship at welterweight against WBC-IBF unified titlist Errol Spence of the US on August 21, 2021. If he wins, he will be the first welterweight since Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to have experienced handling all the major belts in the division (although not simultaneously as unified champion in undisputed capacity). If he wins, Manny will essentially equal the feat of Robinson in becoming five time world champion though Sugar Ray achieved that at middleweight.

Being five time world middleweight champion inasmuch as being the first three time world heavyweight champion apart from dominating boxing for much of their respective eras, i.e. the 1940s and 1950s and 1960s and 1970s qualified Robinson and Muhammad Ali as the GOAT. That notwithstanding their few career losses.

Who would question Pacquiao's fitness and qualifications for being in the discussion as the GOAT or at least being among the greatest fighters of all time?

Pacquiao won his first world title in 1998, the decade of the 90s and his last already in 2019, or the 2010s or potentially this August 2021, already the 2020s. That means at the very least, Manny has been a world champion in all of the past three decades, i.e. from 1990s through the 2010s and potential, if he wins over Spence, including the 2020s. No other fighter in history has done that. Reigning as world champion in more than three decades while being dominant or still very competitive in at least two (Pacquiao was Fighter of the Decade 2000-2009 and was strong contender for Fighter of the Decade 2010-2019 which was controversially awarded to Floyd Mayweather, Jr who retired in 2015).

But more than the statistics, it is Manny's extraordinary feat at divisions usually dominated by non-Asians (i.e. lightweight up) that makes his record eight world championships in as many weight classes that put him over and above other multiple champions and at par with the greatest fighters to put on a pair of gloves and fight professionally since the dawn of the so called sweet science.

The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Taylor vs. Serrano Trilogy: Can Amanda Get The Nod?
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • BERLANGA-SHEERAZ, STEVENSON-CEPEDA, MORELL-KHATAEV MAKE WEIGHT IN NEW YORK
    By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • Johnny Spell Takes on Chancellor Batttenberg on Saturday, July 19th at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in Washington, PA
    , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • JV Tuazon, Ador Torres, Lemuel De Barbo, Jomar Fajardo Make Weight for Brico Santig's Highland Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Philippine Under-12 Girls Team Shines Bright, Clinches Multiple Medals at 23rd ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships in Penang
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Kenneth “Llover Boy” Takes on “El Nica” Concepcion Aug 17 on Gerry Peñalosa’s Show @ the Winford Resort and Casino Manila (Analysis)
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Anthony Velazquez won’t be Boxing’s best kept secret in 2026
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Undefeated Gabriela Tellez Returns July 18 at “Night of Champions” Live on DAZN
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Dushanbe hosts stacked fight card with Bakhodur Usmonov and Christopher Mouafo headlining IBA.Pro 8
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Shakur vs Zepeda & Morrell vs Khataev Fight Analysis
    By Ralph Rimpell, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Peñalosa To Test "Lover Boy" Llover Versus Accomplished Panamanian Veteran Concepcion
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Begins Brandenburg Cup Prep Camp
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Dream Fight: “Bam” Rodriguez vs “Puma” Martinez on the Horizon
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Perez vs Vivas Headlines All Star Boxing's Prueba de Fuego Card on July 25
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Christy Martin Promotions & Ringside Ticket Inc. Present ‘Lopez Vs. Vargas’ Welterweight Battle
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Vegas Fight Experience Where Authentic Sparring Meets Cinematic Vegas Energy
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • 4 Division World Champion & Hall of Famer Erik Morales Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Mexican Independence Day Weekend, Saturday September 13, in Las Vegas
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • SALITA PROMOTIONS SIGNS FORMER WORLD CHAMPION TONY HARRISON
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • FIGHT EMPIRE! TUAZON, ADOR, DE BARBO, JOMAR, AND MORE ARE READY FOR ACTION IN BRICO SANTIG'S EXCITING SHOW JULY 12 IN THAILAND
    By Carlos Costa, , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • Shakur Stevenson and David Morrell Face "Crossroad Fights" This Saturday in Queens
    By Ralph Rimpell, , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • Christy Martin’s “Mayhem in Music City 2” to Feature Undefeated Vic Hernandez Facing Jayvon Garnett for NABA & Jr. NABF Featherweight Championships
    , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • James Perkins & Anthony Andreozzi Headlines “Oceanside Prize Fights”
    , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • GORST PURSUES GOLDEN GLORY IN JEDDAH, DEFENDING WORLD POOL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE IN SAUDI ARABIA, 21–26 JULY
    , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • Hovhannisyan and Barrientes Set for High-Stakes Showdowns July 18 on DAZN
    , Tue, 08 Jul 2025
  • UNBEATEN PROSPECT KENNETH LLOVER TO FACE FORMER TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION LUIS CONCEPCION IN MANILA
    , Mon, 07 Jul 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.