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Philippines, 17 May 2024 |
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COULD PACQUIAO HAVE DONE THE FEAT IN OTHER ERAS? By TM Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Sat, 28 Nov 2009  Quezon City, The Philippines -- Some pundits tried to play down Manny Pacquiao’s record-breaking feat of winning seven world titles in seven weight divisions by pointing to the proliferation of more major world boxing bodies and the institution of more boxing weight divisions in the recent years. They said that until the early 1980s, boxing just had the National Boxing Association, later renamed as World Boxing Association (WBA) and its spin-off rival, World Boxing Council (WBC) both of which recognize champions and rank contenders. In recent years, two more major boxing bodies emerged, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO), each also recognizing their own world champions and have their own sets of ranked contenders. Also until the early 80s, there were just eight, later eleven boxing weight divisions namely: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, jr. lightweight, lightweight, jr. welterweight, welterweight, jr. middleweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. Since then six more weight divisions have been added to include the mini-flyweight and jr. flyweight, jr. bantamweight and jr. featherweight, super-middleweight and cruiserweight divisions. (Plans are also afoot to create a super heavyweight division). The WBA, WBC, IBF and the WBO recognize their own regular champions in these weight divisions. These are apart from the so-called super and interim belt-holders that these alphabet soup organization recognize from time to time. So 17 divisions multiplied by at least four world-sanctioning bodies and we have at least 68 “world” champions, they say. In view of these, some pundits claimed that Pacman would be hard pressed to accomplish the feat in the earlier eras of modern professional boxing, that is the late 40s, the 50s, 60s, 70s and the early 80s where the general rule was only one recognized world champion for each weight division. This writer took up the challenge and tried to place Pacquiao in those different eras as he attempted to duplicate his seven world title conquests in just a little over a decade ranged against the champions if not the top dogs of the different boxing eras in question. Since Pacquiao won his first world championship in 1998 in the flyweight division, he would be pitted against the then world titleholders in the division in the years 1948; 1958; 1968 and 1978. Pacquiao won his second world title in the junior featherweight division in 2001, hence he would be pitted against the world champions of 1951, 1961, 1971 and 1981. There’s a problem here because the 122 lbs. weight division was only instituted in 1976. But for academic purpose, I have substituted the champions in the bantamweight in those problematic years for some comparable measure. Pacman won his third world title (the Ring Magazine versio) in the featherweight class in 2003 therefore he would be up against the world crown holders of 1953, 1963, 1973 and 1983. Pacman won his fourth world crown in the jr. lightweight class in 2008 beating arch-nemesis Jaun Manuel Marquez. How would he have fared against the then champions in 1958 1968 and 1978? Pacman captured his fifth world title in the lightweight division demolishing a hapless David Diaz also in 2008. He would be up against the world lightweight titlists also the years 1958, 1968 and 1978. Pacman would duplicate this double feat this year by winning the world jr. welterweight crown by 2nd round KO of British Ricky Hatton and then adding the world welterweight belt last weekend by stopping Miguel Cotto in the last round of their title fight, How would he have fared against the world champions in the two divisions of the years 1959, 1969 and 1979. Having established the scenarios for Pacman’s seven-world title record run in the different eras in question, the following are the possible results. Flyweight. In his quest for his first world championship in the flyweight division, Pacman would be ranged against 1948 champion Rinty Monaghan of UK; 1958 titlist Pascual Perez of Argentina; 1968 kingpin Chartchai Chionoi of Thailand and 1978 titleholder Miguel Canto of Mexico. Except for Perez, Pacman of 1998 would have no problem dispatching Monaghan, Chionoi and Canto. Perez was wily and strong and would have outpointed a then still raw Pacquiao over 15 rounds. Note that Pacman was well behind on points against Chatchai Sasakul before the Thai tired out and lost by late round KO in 1998. Score 3-1 Pacman Bantamweight/Junior Featherweight. In his quest for a second world crown, Pacman would meet 1951 world bantamweight champion Vic Toweel of South Africa; 1961 world bantam titlist Eder Joffre of Brazil; 1971 world bantam titleholder Ruben Olivares of Mexico and 1981 jr. featherweight titlist Wilfredo Gomez of Puerto Rico. A still raw but comparatively bigger Pacman would handily beat Towell and probably squeak past Joffre but I don’t think the 2001 Pacman could beat either Olivares and especially Gomez had they met in 1971 and 1981 settings. Both Olivares and Gomez would have outbombed Pacman with their relentless two-fisted attacks. Note that Pacman of 2001 was still a one-armed demolition man who had trouble with an average Agapito Sanchez. Score 2-2 Featherweight. For his quest for a third world crown in the different eras in question, Pacman would cross mitts with 1953 champion Sandy Saddler, 1963 champion Sugar Ramos, 1973 titlist Eder Joffre and 1983 kingpin Juan Laporte. Pacman of 2003 would be more than a match for Ramos, Joffre and LaPorte but I seriously doubt it if he can stay with Saddler for 15 gruelling rounds. Saddler would have stopped him on cuts in the later round. At that point in time, Saddler was so good he had beaten a young Flash Elorde and all-time great Willy Pep by TKO. Pacman was super in demolishing Marco Antonio Barrera but was pitifully outgunned by Marquez in a 2004 standoff which saw the Mexican came off the canvas thrice in the first round! Score 3-1 Pacman Junior Lightweight. In search for a fourth world crown, Pacman would have to face 1958 champion Sandy Saddler (again), 1968 champion Hiroshi Kobayashi of Japan; and 1978 champion Alexis Arguello of Nicaragua. Pacman started to show tremendous improvements in 2008 turning into a two-fisted fighter with speed, smarts and movements. He would have beaten Saddler who by that time already was in the twilight of his long career either on points or TKO. He would have easily disposed of Kobayashi not unlike the way Alfredo Escalera did later in the decade. But the 1978 version of Arguello was still peaking at the time and would have given him scary moments if he elected a shoot-out. Nonetheless, a vastly improved Pacman would have eked out a close unanimous decision win over the Stilleto Man. Score 3-0 Pacman Lightweight. Winning the 135 lbs. title in also in 2008, Pacman would be ranged against the champions of the years 1958 (Joe Brown) 1968 (Carlos Ortiz) and 1978 (Roberto Duran). No question, despite Brown’s legendary craftiness, Pacman would have annihilated him in the first half of their 15 round fight in 1958. Ortiz was never stopped in all of his career so its conceivable that he would have lasted with Pacman in 1968 although he was already on the downside of his long career. But Pacman would have punched his way to a comfortable points decision over the Puerto Rican. Duran though is another matter. The Panamanian was a monster in the lightweight division in the late 70s, having destroyed his arch-nemesis Esteban de Jesus. Duran would find a way to beat Pacman on points in a rugged slugfest, with either or both coming off flash knockdowns in the earlier or later rounds. Note that Pacman was never really tested in the lightweights, having just one bout against an average David Diaz. Duran’s pressing, bullying style, perpetual motion and ready KO threat as well as comparable freakish strength would have posed problems to Pacman of 2008 despite the Pinoy icon’s advantage in speed and mobility. Score 2-1 Pacman Junior Welterweight. Pacman pocketed his sixth world crown, although a linear one, by crushing Hatton inside two rounds in June 2009. This would pit him against the champions of 1959 (Carlos Ortiz); 1969 (compatriot Pedro Adigue) and 1979 (Korea’s Sang Hyun Kim). Ortiz of 1959 was still peaking and was competing against welterweights but Pacman of 2009 was already the world’s pound for pound best so its conceivable that Pacman would have also beaten Ortiz had they met in 1959 on points or even TKO/KO. The Adigue of 1969 was so dangerous that Japanese WBC Jr. Welter king Takeshi Paul Fujii, a certified KO specialist himself, avoided meeting him; so strong that he defeated foes bigger than him like American Adolph Pruitt and Japanese Koichi Wajima (who Adigue KO’d in an overweight match but would later have two reigns as world jr. middleweight champion). But Pacman’s speed, mobility and matching power would be too much for Adigue who would lose by TKO or KO in the middle rounds. As for Kim, Pacman would have little difficulty dispatching off the flash-in-the-pan Sokor in the earlier rounds. Score 3-0 Pacman. Welterweight. Pacman just recently won his seventh world title by 12th round TKO win over Miguel Angel Cotto. This would pit him against the world welterweight champions of 1959 (Emile Griffith); 1969 (Jose Napoles) and 1979 (Sugar Ray Leonard). Despite his credentials, Pacman remains a questionable force in the welterweights. On the other hand, Griffith and Leonard were already by those years firmly establishing their careers while Napoles was already a force in the welterweight division. All three would give Pacman trouble with their size and strength and ring wiles as well as comparable speed, especially Leonard. All three could knock out their opponents with a single blow hence they would present perpetual KO threat. I don't think Pacman could handle any of those three with his speed, mobility, new-found strength as well as the corner genius of a Freddie Roach. Quite conceivably, Pacquiao would lose to all three by KO or TKO in the middle to late rounds. 0-3 Final Score: Pacman 16 Opposition 8. Not bad for someone who started his career as a mini flyweight. Breakdown: 1948-Through the 1950 --- Pacman 5 Opposition 4 1958-Through the 1960s --- Pacman 6 Opposition 1 1968-Through the 1970s/Early 1980s -- Pacman 5 Opposition 3 In conclusion, Manny Pacquiao, at the rate of his improvements since 1998 through the current decade about to close, would have had better chances of nearly duplicating his feat in the years 1958 through the 1960s. But then again, that’s a subject for another debate. Any takers? Click here to view a list of other articles written by TM Reynoso.  |
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