I am an avid sports fan. I remember being at the 2003 Super Bowl watching my brother when he played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But the memory that sticks in my head the most, besides the Buccaneers win, was the athletic grace of then Oakland Raiders receiver Jerry Rice. He was around 40 years old then and I remember saying to myself, this is quite possibly the greatest athlete of my lifetime. Now there is always room for debate. Some people prefer Michael Jordan, some Wayne Gretzky, others Tiger Woods. But with the recent success and praise of Roger Federer, Kobe Bryant, and Tiger Woods. I would like for the mainstream sports media to include Manny Pacquiao in the discussion of who is the best. And here are the reasons why.
Accomplishment
6 titles in the 6 divisions. While that is a fantastic accomplishment, the real number that sticks out is 4 lineal titles in 4 different weight classes. Manny Pacquiao has won LINEAL titles at 112, 126, 130, and 140 pounds. Putting this in perspective people. There is only one other man in the history of the most history rich sport, boxing, who has accomplished more. That would be Henry Armstrong who once held the titles of Featherweight, Lightweight, and Welterweight all at the same time. Think about what Manny has done for a second. Imagine if this were the late 1990s, and Mark ‘Too Sharp’ Johnson, a fantastic Flyweight, went up in weight and knocked out Kosta Tszyu. If you even proposed that fight, and suggested Johnson would win, you would be laughed out of the building. Yet this is exactly comparable to what Manny Pacquiao accomplished. Kanye West would call this, “Amazing”. I call it incredible.
Grace, Athleticism
This is something that separates the greats, from the all times greats. And that is for every sport. There is a difference between Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. Both were great, but Michael had something a little more besides 6 championship rings. The same with football, there is a difference between Jerry Rice and Cris Carter. The same can be said of Manny and his contemporaries. There are fighters who are as fast as Manny, there are fighters that hit harder then Manny, and there are fighters that move around the ring better then Manny. But NONE of them have all three attributes and Manny Pacquiao does. If you really want to take a look just how dominant Manny Pacquiao really is at his profession. Pop in the tape of his beat down of 1st ballot and All time great, prime Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003. It was incredible to watch, the brutality, the athleticism and the grace. It was an astonishing display of Manny’s greatness.
The “IT” Factor
The “IT factor does not automatically make you a legend. Oscar De La Hoya has the “IT” factor, but he never became a true ring legend. The “IT” is part attraction to the athlete and part admiring what you are seeing. It is a feeling when you are watching something special. You get it when you see Tiger Woods charging down the last 3 holes of a major championship. You get it when you watch Kobe Bryant drop 81 points on the Toronto Raptors. You get when you see Roger Federer win his 15th major title over a game Andy Roddick in a classic. And you get it when you are watching Manny Pacquiao destroy a tough current champion Ricky Hatton. It is hard to explain what “IT” is, but Manny Pacquiao definitely has “IT”
Who’s the Best
It is hard to say. I guess it depends what you really like. I like boxing, so I think Pacquiao is on par with the others, but I could see any argument for any of the other modern greats. Memo to the mainstream media, don’t forget about Manny Pacquiao. He should be included in the discussion.
Sugar Shane Mosley
It looks like Sugar Shane Mosley finally has given up on trying to land a fight with Manny Pacquiao. I feel bad for Shane on this. I know it is hard to feel bad for a multi-millionaire future 1st ballot hall of famer. But I do feel bad. I really believe that the Pacquiao advisement team never considered Mosley because they considered him too dangerous. Too bad, It would have been a great event and a great fight. But Shane realized it was time to move on and good for him. My advice to him would be to avoid Andre Berto at all costs. What, you say. Andre Berto, the same guy who went life and death with Luis Collazo. A guy Mosley nearly shut-out in 2007. Remember, never underestimate youth and hunger. And while Mosley is the superior fighter if you were to match them up against other opponents. Berto’s speed, youth and style would give Mosley fits and I think it could lead to an upset. If I were on Mosley’s team, I would focus on guys that come at you and that will engage and fight. 2 names come to mind, Joshua Clottey and Kermit Cintron. Both of them would be good tests and very winnable fights for Mosley.
