By Lee Groves, Seconds Out
In the beginning Manny Pacquiao was just another in a long line of Asian flyweights destined to be known only by the hard cores.
In the middle, Pacquiao improbably hurdled over two weight classes to win a second divisional title at 122, prevailed in a historic round-robin with Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, and capped it off by winning a “major” belt at 130 against the last member of this trio.
While the end has yet to be written, Pacquiao stands at a summit even he couldn’t have contemplated. His boxing credentials are unprecedented even in this era of division-hoppers – the first former flyweight champion to claim shares of “major” titles at junior featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight and now welterweight. He also became the fourth fighter to capture Alphabet belts in five weight classes and the only man to capture a belt of any kind in seven divisions. Not only did Pacquiao batter Oscar de la Hoya into a corner submission last year, he also snatched away his status as the face – and bankbook – of boxing.
His deeds inside the ring have blossomed into opportunities in singing, acting and politics, allowed him to become the sport’s mythical pound-for-pound king and inspired serious comparisons to the immortal Henry Armstrong, both in style and substance. Those are sure to continue following Pacquiao’s performance in capturing Miguel Cotto’s WBO welterweight title this past Saturday. This fight was one that began as a struggle between two dynamic forces but as the fight progressed, so did Pacquiao’s typhoon-like relentlessness. His blazing blows reddened Cotto’s face, bloodied his eyes and led to a resounding 12th round TKO that could hardly have been more impressive.
Pacquiao’s superlative performance combined with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s systematic dismantling of Marquez has served as a perfect prologue to Pacquiao-Mayweather – a fight I’m unilaterally dubbing “One on One” because ( a ) it emphasizes boxing’s unique appeal ( b ) both have legitimate claims to the mythical pound-for-pound crown and ( c ) each are avid basketball players. It is that rare fight that must be made regardless of money, prestige and pride, for this is the one battle for which cash-strapped consumers would gladly fork over their hard-earned pay. Additionally, this superfight could crush pay-per-view records as well as generate purses and media attention previously reserved for heavyweights, a most welcome development for a sport that has been willfully marginalized for an entire sporting generation.
For all his honors and accolades, the most incredible aspect of Pacquiao’s ascent has been his metamorphosis from a one-trick pony to a conquering stallion who excels without regard to turf condition or jockey weight. In a sport where a few pounds can exact unforgiving consequences on performance, Pacquiao’s most jaw- dropping efforts have come at ever-escalating weights – David Diaz at 135, Ricky Hatton at 140 and De la Hoya/Cotto at 147. Even more astoundingly, two of these four fights ended in spectacular one-punch knockouts, something Pacquiao had rarely done against elite foes at lower weights. Pacquiao’s explosions were preceded by displays of lightning hand speed, superb combination punching, sparkling footwork, underrated defense and an instinctive ring intelligence that can only come from an unyielding work ethic, a thirst for knowledge and a love of the game that can’t be faked. Better yet, each element was executed with a jazz musician’s fluidity and improvisation. Like Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk, Pacquiao doesn’t know what he will do from one moment to the next yet he is confident that all will fall into place no matter how he decides to mix his skills.
By the time most fighters reach their late 20s they are incapable of wholesale changes in style. Fighters like Pernell Whitaker and Willie Pep will never transform into Tyson-esque aggressors and, despite the story line in “Rocky III,” face-first tough guys won’t suddenly become quick-fisted Apollo Creed clones. It is human nature to continue doing the things that brought success and for Pacquiao, dazzling speed and a booming left hand had been enough to secure his fortune. It is exceedingly rare for an elite athlete to dramatically overhaul his game because he risks altering his God-given talents forever. But when one rolls the dice of fate and comes up with a seven, the results can be spectacular.
Tiger Woods completely re-worked his swing at a time when he was already achieving historic success based on what previous greats had done, but he took that risk because he felt he wasn’t living up to his own standards. While Woods struggled at the beginning he eventually righted the ship and ended up redefining the bounds of dominance in his chosen sport. Just one month shy of his 34th birthday, Woods is nearing the top of the charts in terms of tournament victories and majors won while also becoming the world’s first billionaire athlete. All this, and he still has a decade’s worth of prime years remaining.
Like Woods, Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach had many reasons to be satisfied with the status quo. “The Pac Man” had money, fame and achievements that exceeded the standards of fighters his size but they also knew that worldwide superstardom could be his if they summoned the will to change. Now, that superstardom is his and Roach is also reaping the benefits of worldwide recognition.
What was the genesis of Pacquiao’s astounding mid-career metamorphosis? A single insult.
After beating Pacquiao in 2005, Erik Morales said the “Pac Man” would have been an ordinary fighter had it not been for his left hand. Other trainers would have sloughed off Morales’ words as those of an ungracious victor but Roach saw it as a challenge.
“I was guilty of being satisfied of where he was at, that he was knocking out people with the left hand,” Roach said a few weeks before the Cotto fight. “When (Morales’ words were) brought to my attention I said to myself that Manny is much better than they think and I’ll show it. As far as developing the right hand, it was like when my trainer Eddie Futch trained me – educate the other hand. We would do drills with just the right hand; I would have him lead with it and I’d have him throw combinations with just the right over and over again. At first Manny didn’t understand why I was doing this but I was getting him used to throwing it. I told Manny I wasn’t going to be satisfied until both of his hands were equal and I think it’s there now.”
Once again, Roach is the master of understatement.
Pacquiao’s right hook became so proficient that it was given its own name – Manila Ice – and the lead hand that had once served as inconsequential window dressing is now one of the sport’s most versatile and dangerous weapons. While Pacquiao’s jab remains a virtual nonentity, his hooks and uppercuts have rendered opponents helpless because of the speed with which they are thrown and the unusual angles from where they are launched. Like opponents of the prime Roy Jones, they can’t find sparring partners that can duplicate what Pacquiao does in the ring and because of that Jones and Pacquiao owned the element of surprise – as if their supernatural talents weren’t enough of an edge.
Now that Pacquiao has acquired a 147-pound belt, the debate can begin – is he an all-time great only in terms of this era or does will his star shine as brightly as those of Ali, Armstrong, Duran, Louis and Robinson?
The answer to the former is almost beyond dispute; in this era of 50-fight careers, 17 weight classes and multiple belts Pacquiao has walked a gauntlet few others would dare to attempt.
He won the WBC flyweight title from the 33-1 Chatchai Sasakul – who in turn captured his belt by beating the excellent Yuri Arbachakov – and defended it once against Gabriel Mira before weight issues (and Medgeon Singsurat’s punches) took its toll. He won his second belt (IBF super bantamweight) against a quality fighter in Lehlohonolo Ledwaba and defended it four times before vaulting onto the world stage with a dominant 11th round TKO over Marco Antonio Barrera.
From that point forward his level of competition seldom departed from a high level. From the first Barrera fight to the present, the combined records of Pacquiao’s opponents were a staggering 678-51-8. – a .919 winning percentage. Few fighters of this era have tackled the lineup Pacquiao has since his landmark win over Barrera – Juan Manuel Marquez (twice), Erik Morales (thrice), Barrera, Oscar Larios, Diaz, De La Hoya, Hatton and now Cotto. While Pacquiao’s record was marred by a loss (Morales I) and a draw (Marquez I), it is more than admirable given his strength of schedule.
Compare Pacquiao’s lineup to that of pound-for-pound rival Mayweather since rising to 140 – DeMarcus Corley, Henry Bruseles, Arturo Gatti, Sharmba Mitchell, Zab Judah, Carlos Baldomir, De La Hoya, Hatton and Marquez. The combined records going in was 352-34-9 – a .891 winning percentage – but despite his artful displays of boxing science he does not receive the same level of adulation as Pacquiao.
His critics’ main bone of contention is that Mayweather – despite his exceptional skill set and pound-for-pound pedigree – has continually refused to take on the big risks that had defined the careers of boxing’s most celebrated legends. Kostya Tszyu, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Paul Williams, Shane Mosley and Kermit Cintron would have provided stimulating challenges and legacy-defining victories. Despite the fact he would have been favored to beat all of them he refused to take that crucial leap of faith that carries great risks but promises equally great rewards, one of which would have been a legacy that would have carried on far past his time on earth. Instead, Mayweather took the path of less resistance by dismissing the prospect of fighting them with a wave of the hand or, on his more prickly days, a symbolic middle
finger.
The combination of maximizing his bank account, minimizing his level of risk and still declaring himself the greatest pound-for-pound fighter who has yet lived rubbed many fans and media members raw because history has proved that the only airtight method of achieving greatness is by challenging one’s talents to the utmost and prevailing. They say, and correctly so, that safety-first performances against carefully chosen opponents are no way to build a legend that rivals those residing atop boxing’s Mount Olympus.
Fair or not, fighters with the pedigrees of Mayweather and Pacquiao are held to a higher standard. If a fighter from this era aspires to be included with the greatest of the great, he must make the most of his time at the top. That is the root of Pacquiao’s public esteem and Mayweather’s image problem. To many, Pacquiao is perceived to be a small man who takes on big challenges while Mayweather is a big-time fighter content with accepting smaller challenges. No matter what each does from this point forward, that will be the template that will color historians’ discussions of their careers.
While Pacquiao is unquestionably today’s best fighter, has he secured his place in the pantheon of immortals? His critics have valid points to make. First, he defeated the tough but tailor-made David Diaz for the lightweight belt instead of pursuing a fight with three-belt champion Nate Campbell, who was fresh off an upset victory over Juan Diaz. Second, Pacquiao battered a weight-drained and aged De La Hoya and the same could be said about the emaciated and shopworn Ricky Hatton. Third, Team Pacquiao called for a 144-pound catch-weight for the Cotto fight before settling on 145 instead of fighting the welterweight champion at 147. Finally, many believe Pacquiao should have lost both fights against Marquez, who overcame four knockdowns in two fights to win more combined rounds.
For every argument there is a counter-argument.
First, Campbell was under the auspices of Don King and everyone knows that
only the prospect of huge money can surmount the historic animus between Top Rank and Don King Productions.
Second, most pundits predicted Pacquiao’s destruction at the hands of the naturally larger “Golden Boy” and more than a few experts foresaw a competitive fight with the once-beaten “Hit Man.” It wasn’t Pacquiao’s fault that De La Hoya and Hatton overdid the weight-loss process; he simply took advantage of what was in front of him and polished off each in the grand style expected of a pound-for-pound champion.
Third, Team Cotto could have said “no” to the catch-weight conditions but opted not to because the potential rewards of victory superseded the sacrifice of sweating off an extra two pounds. After all, Cotto weighed 146 for Clottey and, as Team Cotto proudly proclaims, their man has never failed to meet a weight. Cotto appeared fit and ready when he stepped on the scale and offered no excuses in the post-fight interview.
Finally, while Marquez did win more rounds there is a reason why knockdowns count for extra points, especially against fighters like Marquez who have otherwise solid chins. Both bouts were well contested and perilously close but your humble columnist believes the correct fighter prevailed on the scorecards.
Pacquiao is 8-1-2 (7 KO) in fights for “major belts” – an excellent record but modest in terms of what those on Mount Olympus had done. However, Pacquiao was one of the first stars to downplay the importance of Alphabet belts in favor of making more challenging matches. None of the Morales fights were for those belts and neither were his encounters with Barrera, former WBC super bantamweight champion Oscar Larios or the 33-0-2 Jorge Solis. Because Pacquiao showed that huge money could be made without major belts on the line, catch-weight fever has caught on with other stars. So in that respect, Pacquiao is a pioneer.
He is also the greatest fighter to ever come out of Asia, a continent that boasts its share of bonafide legends. For Pacquiao to achieve his level of fame despite the obstacles (at least in the American marketplace) of size and nationality is an accomplishment whose significance can’t be overstated.
Still, the realities of today’s game prevent fighters from this era from compiling the raw numbers and the overwhelming resumes against top foes that defined those who reigned over boxing’s Golden Eras. Only Julio Cesar Chavez and Roberto Duran could compare, and that’s because they strayed from the “new school” norms by taking plenty of non-title fights and lower profile title defenses. Therefore, while Pacquiao has plenty of ammunition to make his case for being among the top 100 who has ever lived – maybe even occupying a slot in the top half of that list – no one from this era can ever break into the top 10. The best they can hope for in future discussions is that they have the skill set to defeat past legends in one-on-one match-ups. For Pacquiao, whose arc encompasses 112 to 147, that isn’t a bad fate at all.
As fans and media bask in the afterglow of Pacquiao-Cotto, there is a stirring in the air. It is one of anticipation, expectancy and hope. Battle lines will be drawn, moved and finalized and once the final terms are agreed upon the stage for the ultimate battle will finally take place. The One who emerges victorious after “One on One” will stake his claim as the greatest of his generation, once and for all.
Let the battle be made, then let the battle begin.
Source:
secondsout.com
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