There can be no more doubt - PACQUIAO is the GREATEST active boxer on the planet.

Someone else would have to confirm this for 100% certain, but I am 99% sure that Manny Pacquiao must be the first former flyweight world champion to win a fight at 147lbs.

Thats THIRTY-FIVE pounds of a difference, and for someone who was so light to begin with, this truly is a LEGENDARY achievement.

Before this fight, Pacquiao was already the first fighter in history to win world titles at both flyweight (112lbs) and lightweight (135lbs).

Clearly, we have a very very special fighter here, I'm sure we can now all agree on this.


Last night must surely have silenced those who say Pacquiao is one-dimensional, limited, unskilled, etc - a stupid comment anyway as Pacquiao has developed incredibly from the raw and rampant version who annihilated Barrera in '03 but was then outboxed by Morales. This point of view only exists because Pac was possibly slightly outskilled by Juan Manuel Marquez in their 2 fights, avoiding losing by virtue of the knockdowns he achieved through his superior power and explosiveness. But Marquez is one of the two most skilled fighters in the world (along with Hopkins, who outskilled Calzaghe in a similar fashion when they fought but simply no longer had the stamina or workrate to get the decision), so finding Marquez such a difficult opponent does not mean Pacquiao is one-dimensional or limited or unskilled or anything of the sort - that Pac made the two fights so close with such a skilled operator who is at his own peak is surely evidence that Pac is more than just a pacy and powerful slugger.

Last night he showed he can be elusive as well, very good lateral movement to nullify De La Hoya's square-on come-forward approach, and Manny's speed and power while carrying weight he is not supposed to have is nothing short of INCREDIBLE.


I can only laugh now at the very suggestion that Pacquiao is not the undisputed world pound-for-pound number 1. Let's look at this guy's achievements for a second:

- First former flyweight champion ever to win a fight at welterweight
- First former flyweight champion ever to win a title at lightweight
- Champion in FIVE weight classes (fly, superbantam, feather, superfeather, light), but this will surely become six shortly, and the possibility exists for SEVEN!!!!!
- Strong resume (comfortably superior to Marquez or Calzaghe, his nearest p4p challengers) which is improving all the time
- In his last 3 fights he has won a decision over the p4p#2, won a world title at a 5th weight division with a KO, and then jumped 2 weight divisions and dominated an ATG at 147, a guy who has been fighting ABOVE that weight since 2001!

What the **** is the argument against him being number 1???? Forget about it.


What next for Pacquiao? Hatton at Wembley in front of 80-90,000, and beat him to win a world title at a 6th weight class, then get Mayweather out of retirement for the biggest SUPERFIGHT since Hagler v Leonard???????

I have a feeling Manny is on the brink of becoming one of the greatest fighters in history. Right now, there is an argument for him being top 40 or top 50 p4p of all-time, and if he can get a couple more big fights like Hatton and Marquez or maybe even Mayweather, we could see him soar even higher.


Lastly, I have to apologize to Manny. I felt sure Oscar's jab would be too good, his reach too long, his shots too hard, his weight and strength too much of an advantage. What the **** do I know?!?!?!


MANNY PACQUIAO - ESB SALUTES YOU, THE GREATEST FIGHTER IN THE WORLD AND A LEGEND IN THE MAKING!

:happy:happy

 

He doesn't have to go to middleweight to win 7, he has 5 now, he didn't win a title last night. If he wins a title at 140 then one at 147, that's 7. That IS a possibility, and then we're talking SERIOUS all-time legendary greatness.

 

You did indeed tell me. I was wrong. Completely and utterly! Oscar had looked pretty good to me v Mayweather and Forbes, I didn't see anything in those fights to show me that he would lose to a lightweight. But Pacquiao is an even greater fighter than even I thought.

 

:happy