Why Manny Pacquiao became my all time favorite fighter

Pacquiao emerged as a superstar in 2003. At the that time I was 11 years old. Your favorite athletes growing up will remain your favorite all time. For xample I appreciate and love watching the top young fighters today, but no matter what I didn't grow up with them. Pacquiao's prime encompassed middle school, high school and parts of college for me.

Then it was his style and opposition. Pacquiao rose through weight class after weight class and fought the top fighters in each weight. And he would go toe to toe, savagely, in an incredibly intense fight with anybody. Win, lose or draw he would bring it. I remember watching those fights and it was like the greatest concert of my life.

I remember watching Pacquiao fights and I was never consumed with the outcome or the result of the fight. I never scored the fights, I never worried about the decision. None of that. I just watched the fight and enjoyed it. I remember when Morales beat Pac in 2005. I wasn't even upset, Morales deserved anyways. All I could think about was how awesome the fight was. And since we didn't have YouTube back then I couldn't wait for the rematch for more action.

Starting after the Cotto fight everything became more polarized. People started called for Pacquiao Mayweather. But I had previously given FMJ vs Pac no thought. Mayweather was so much bigger than Pac that the idea of them ever fighting a bout seemed like a pipe dream. But the impossible seemed plausible after Cotto.

Actually as a kid I couldn't understand what all the FMJ hype was about. He consistently fought lower level competition than Pac did. Consistently fought far less entertaining bouts than Pac did. And then retired for 2 years. I remember Mayweather being on the cover of Sports Illustrated before the DLH fight in the 10th grade. And I had absolute total indifference, I didn't even bother to read the articles.

But then FMJ became such a major draw and marketed his 0 so well that people were pretty much forced to pick sides. And naturally I chose Pac, the only reason I could justify being on team Mayweather was he was a fellow American. I remember listening to people telling me, but Mayweather is a better technician though. And I'm just sitting there saying "Ok.... that's fine, but I could care less".

Pacquiao would never generate the same type of excitement and momentum after the Cotto fight. And in the era of what have you done for me lately his aura began to fade into the 2010's. He still generated millions and millions of PPV buys well into the new decade. But the reckless, kamikaze style began to become a thing of the past. And his level of competition took a nosedive. I began to miss the old Pacquiao. But all good things must come to an end. The memories live on though.

 

It's about Pacquiao. But after the Cotto fight all anybody could say about Pac was the words Floyd Mayweather. It became so polarizing and so divisive that it completely took over the sport. Despite the fact that Pac accomplished so much previously.