During last Saturday?s HBO telecast featuring Arturo Gatti vs. Gianluca Branco, the network giant conducted an Internet poll on their website asking the fans to vote for the best that boxing offered in 2003. An overwhelming 74% chose Manny Pacquiao as Fighter of the Year as well as 75% picked him as the boxer who scored the Upset of the Year.
Pacquiao started the year with an easy victory in the Philippines against the overmatched Serikzhan Yeshmangbetov, stopping him in the fifth round. On July 26, 2003 Pacquiao faced the challenge of Emanuel Lucero before a raucous Los Angeles crowd and a national HBO audience. A single left cross, early in the first round, caused tremendous damage. Lucero, wobbling, turned around and found the rope before dropping to his knee, forcing the referee to immediately put a halt to the contest early in the third round. The victory set the stage for the slick and hard punching Philippino?s challenge of the People?s Featherweight Champion, the legendary Marco Antonio Barrera.
