The only 8 division champion, Manny Pacquiao has yet to announce whether he will hang up the gloves for good or will he fight inside the boxing ring once more and avenge his loss against Yordenis Ugas. Pacquiao is already 42 years old and has accomplished so much throughout his boxing career, it is hard not to call him an all-time great. There are reports that he is considering January as the possible date for an Ugas rematch.
What made Pacquiao do boxing in the first place? It was poverty in the Philippines, Pacquiao started out as one the poorest of the poor, so he had no choice to compete in order to survive. No money means no food for the day, that is where Pacquiao’s hunger came from. To this day, Pacquaio still helps the poor and loves to give back to the community. Pacquiao is also a senator in the Philippines and there are rumors that he might run for President in this coming election.
As a boxing career or legacy-wise, Pacquiao is one of the greatest. He is the only 8 division champion, that itself defies logic. No other boxer could possibly achieve this anymore as you have to beat the division’s best in order to be the champion and Pacquiao fought much bigger guys. That itself is a hard feat to do, as weight classes exist for a reason.
Pacquiao started making a NAME when he fought Lehlo Ledwaba on short notice. It was his first fight on American soil and he performed well. He won the IBF Super Bantamweight title and from then on he started his legendary run.
He was given top contenders and beat most of them in fantastic fashion. Although he lost the first fight against Erik Morales, he avenged it by beating Morales twice. Pacquiao was nicknamed the Mexicutioner as he was beating a lot of Mexican greats, though Pacquiao did not like the term. He has beaten legends like De La Hoya, Marquez, Morales, Diaz, Barrera and many more.
After that, Pacquiao also beat other champions like Ricky Hatton who he finished in under 2 rounds. Bigger and stronger guys like Margarito, Clottey, and Cotto were no problem for Pacquaio. It was a legendary run that defied size advantage. Pacquiao has said that Margarito was his strongest opponent but he still demolished him to a one-sided unanimous decision.
Even Mayweather said that the best opponent he faced throughout his career was none other than Manny Pacquiao. It was the footwork and movement of Pacquiao that made him great. It was hard to read Pacquiao’s awkward angle and movement, that was his secret to becoming one of the best boxers ever.
An old Manny Pacquiao may have had tough losses in the latter part of his career, but he still defied Father time. Pacquiao still went on to beat an undefeated Keith Thurman and won the WBA Super welterweight belt. Where do you rank Manny Pacquiao in the all-time greats? Do you think he should continue fighting or should he retire from the sport for good.
