Pacquiao burst onto the p4p scene at age 25 when he upset and annihilated MAB. In an incredible display of aerobic capacity, speed and chin. Essentially walking right through and physically overwhelming a dominant fighter. Then years later at age 30 he upset a much larger (albeit less dominant champ than Barrera) and still very young and game Cotto. Using more savvy at this point, but having shown to that point very little discernable loss in workrate or speed. Power obviously not nearly as devastating at this weight though. Really tough choice.
I don't think it's tough at all tbh. MAB was a whirlwind breakout performance on the P4P scale, but no one was talking about him being an ATG that night. After Cotto, the hype was insane. And probably justified.
There is a good argument to be made that a 3 weight lineal champ with KOs over prime versions of Sasakul, Ledwaba and Barrera is starting to enter ATG territory. Just saying, that is a resume that is nearing the equal of some low level ATGs.
Maybe but no one made it at the time. And it was only two weight lineal champ tbf. But FLW and FW is a huge deal that I don't think anyone else in history has done off top of my head. But you have to also remember how vulnerable he looked at this time. He'd been stopped twice, would struggle with JMM and Morales etc. But against Cotto and around that time, he was a phenom.
I would say at 130-135. He was too small to be considered a prime welterweight and a little too raw at featherweight and below to be considered his best. To me, his physical maturation, combined with his skill, speed, power, and experience all converged around 2006-08 to form the best version of Pacquiao.
Pacquiao's true prime is from the Marquez II to Miguel Cotto. I personally think he peaked against Hatton and De La Hoya. I think beating Barrera is a career best win, but winning the welterweight lineal title is a career best achievement.
Till Margarito imo. After that he lost a step. Underrated win as well. Imagine saying after marquez 2 that Pac would give Margarito a vicious beatdown and shatter his eye at 150+ You would get insane odds on that.
Floyd tweaking around a room crying about how Pac "ran through Cotto" and it was not normal must be the peak
-----That time they let the beast Algieri out of his cage but he could do nothing but get KD 6x by the bigger animal PacMan-------
Pacquaio on PEDs was a monster His obliteration of Hatton and Cotto was incredible God bless Alex Ariza