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Manny Pacquiao Retiring Marks End of Era; But New Age At Welterweight Not in Offing By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Thu, 30 Dec 2021  The welterweight has traditionally rivalled the heavyweights in glamour and importance since the time of Sugar Ray Robinson in the late 1930s. The 147 lbs division has been continuously marked by eras or reigns of distinguished world champions that are largely unbroken since then until this year. Last August, Manny Pacquiao officially retired from boxing marking an end of his era in the fight sport, specifically in the welterweights but without necessarily ushering a new one. His closest rivals following the retirement of Floyd Mayweather Jr in 2015, Terrence Crawford and Errol Spence, both of whom botched opportunities to replace him by fighting and beating him since years back, are nowhere near fighting each other themselves. And may never have the chance to do so to at least set their own era without fighting Pacquiao, the old king. However, it was an unfitting, tumultuous ending for the era of Pacquiao who is generally considered as one of the very few fighters of his generation deserving of inclusion to the pantheon of the old all time greats in the exclusive company of Robinson et al. At the beginning of 2021, he was unceremoniously stripped by the WBA of his welterweight super championship and relegated to the absurd status as champion in recess. All for his alleged failure to defend his super belt within an unspecified deadline that was warped by a global pandemic. It must be recalled that Pacquiao resuscitated his career and retook his claim as the best welterweight fighter, thereby re-establishing his era by wresting the WBA welterweight crown by outpointing erstwhile undefeated American defending titlist Keith Thurman in 2019. He had earlier won the regular WBA belt by knockout over Lucas Matthyse and defended it by outclassing Adrien Broner.  Pacquiao drops Thurman. The WBA had cast a covetous eye on Pacquiao since his move up to the welterweight class as by becoming its champion, the WBA could recover its fast diminishing luster and credibility as a world boxing sanctioning organization. It should be noted that Floyd Mayweather Jr had avoided fighting for its belt, forced to do so only in his bid to become unified world champion during his storied rivalry with Manny who on the other hand had established himself by being WBO champion. Hence when the opportunity came after Pacquiao lost for the third time his WBO belt in 2017 by controversial decision to Jeff Horn, the WBA lost no more time in luring him in to its fold by giving him a crack at its regular belt versus Matthyse leading to his eventual conquest of Thurman for the super belt. But instead of nurturing the gain of finally having Pacquiao as its legitimate champion after years of being relegated to the obscure background in the loaded welterweight division, the WBA could not resist going back to its old erratic ways, obviously in the interest of that thing called sanction fee. It was great to have Pacquiao finally on board. But to the powers that be in the WBA, money in form of sanction fees is more important. Despite Manny leaving behind his minor regular belt which the WBA lost no time in filling up by sanctioning fights among its other rated contenders. For a time, it seemed the WBA would give Manny deference as Pacquiao was then set to fight MMA star Conor McGregor in what was expected as a lucrative boxing bout in which the WBA could also profit by giving its approval and official sanction But when that super bout went pfft after McGregor dismally lost his next MMA fight, the WBA suddenly changed its tune and started to put Manny to task for his so called inactivity as its champion, notwithstanding the deliberating effects of the pandemic to boxing globally. Hence, almost without forewarning, the WBA unceremoniously defrocked Pacquiao of his hard earned super title and relegated him to the nebulous status as champion in recess while virtually handing to Cuban regular titlist Yordenis Ugas on a silver platter, the WBA super championship. But even then Manny refused to ride into the sunset, head unbowed. If it would be his last hurrah, Manny wanted to go down with his shield against the most formidable, worthy rival. Either Bud Crawford or Errol Spence. But the Crawford fight for the WBO title did not pan out, allegedly due to sponsors failing to put up with the money to make the bout happen in the Middle East per Arum's narrative. Duh? Arab royalties have been craving for Manny to fight in their turf for years! Then Manny settled for Spence for his unified WBC-IBF titles and for a long while it seemed the super fight between the two, 2 and 3 in the Ring Magazine and most other rankings, would materialize. It was not meant to be. A few days before the fight, Errol was found to have a detached retina, most likely incurred in previous fights and aggravated by a brutal car crash. Organizers had to pull him out Suddenly enter the WBA which sanctioned a fight for the WBA welterweight super championship between Manny and its anointed beltholder, Yordenis Ugas. It was essentially the least of Pacquiao's preferences as he believed he is the rightful super champion. But game and sporting he always was, Manny took on the fight, albeit the fact that he had originally prepared for a left-hander as Errol and not a right hander as Ugas. Ugas towered over Manny and outweighed him by fight time with the ringside announcer saying he looked more like a legitimate middleweight. Slowed down by time and rusty due to long inactivity, Manny did his best but Ugas was simply too tall and long and had obviously prepared very well for him. Manny lost by unanimous decision.  Ugas plants a left at Pacquiao's face. In retrospect, it looks really like a setup. But no complaint, Manny is determined it was his last boxing bout, win or lose Days later, Manny announced his retirement from boxing. Manny loves boxing, the sport he devoted two thirds of his life to learning and excelling in. But the sport is not entirely kind to him. Despite the fact that Manny has remained championship level years past his best prime unlike Robinson and other all time greats who were not able to fight for the world title years after their last championship defeat. The Ring Magazine editor in chief Douglass Fischer for one had adamantly determined him as all washed up after his 2017 defeat to Horn when he fought at top championship level for nearly the next four years. Years before that, Fischer's predecessors had to travel to the Philippine South to personally confer the Ring Magazine lineal belt to Manny signifying the publication's recognition of him as the one true world champion. Pacquiao officially started his era at welterweight in 2009 by stopping Miguel Cotto for the WBO crown (after an earlier TKO over Oscar De La Hoya in a catchweight fight at 147). He fortified his hold of being number one at welterweight and the elite pound for pound list by defeating in succession ex titlists Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito (for the vacant WBC super welterweight title) in 2010. Going back down to 147, Manny would have been on the way to firmly establishing his era if not for two developments: the unretirement of former unified titlist and division topnotcher Floyd Mayweather Jr in late 2009 restaking his own claim, and his own promoter Bob Arum backsliding to his old scheming way of playing "god". Unlike Kid Gavilan and Carmine Basilio who had the misfortune of emerging at the time when Sugar Ray Robinson was at his peak best, the usually softspoken Pacquiao has had to contend with a flamboyant Floyd Mayweather Jr bent on getting back the glory that once was his. And his big ego promoter Arum who was bent on making sure a fight between them does not happen while shrewdly maneuvering Pacquiao into not as big so called "in-house" fights well under his control and liking. After title defense wins in 2011 over another former titlist Shane Mosley and old rival Juan Manuel Marquez who Arum quizzically worked for to be rated and designated as title challenger, the fear Pacquiao fans had with Arum's constant machinations, happened when Manny first lost his WBO welterweight crown by highly disputed split decision to Timothy Bradley. 2012 was a very bad year for Manny as in his only other fight that year, he was knocked out by bitter rival Marquez in a high profile non title bout. After those twin defeats, talks of Manny as on decline and washed began. But Pacquiao came back strong. He regained the WBO crown by outclassing Bradley, a win he would repeat later and upstart challenger Chris Algieri. Then came the Mayweather loss in 2015. Again, Pacquiao would regain the WBO title by unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas in 2016 after repeating over Bradley. Arum's machination would lead him to that ambush of a loss to Jeff Horn in Australia. But Pacquiao was far from through. After bolting from Arum's Top Rank, Manny got his break from the WBA and the rest as we say, is history. Thanks for a long, heady era, Manny 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.  |
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