Do you agree with this statement regarding Manny Pacquiao?

Most people are morons. If they weren't the world wouldn't be in the state it is in today. Or do you believe that all of the guys handling the money are experts? Puts you solidly in the 95% with Dan Rafael, Bert Sugar, Brian Kenny, etc...

Racially motivated? WTF about my arguments is race related? Manny and Mayweather could be purple the same things could hold true. Oh that is right. Fighting for an empty title at a catchweight against a fighter not ranked at the weight? Asking for a 30 day cut off, being busted on 24/7, asking for a 24 day cut off, cancelling negotiations, lying saying 14 days wasn't offered, admitting it was, fighting Clottey anyway. Saying he agreed to everything and then being busted AGAIN for lying on 24/7! What does that have to do with race?

I see... You are one of these newly "oppressed" White men? Got no heros of your own so you are hopping on the paler skin bandwagon with Manny? Sorry to break it to you man I am pretty down with Asian culture. So down in fact that if you knew my real life your ignorant statement would be funny. This has nothing to do with race. Facts you ignorant bigot.

 

That was a great flick!

 

What he has done for his country is amazing, but they're pushing it.

 

Roach and Ariza have made a huge difference.

 

Name me any other fighter, who was considered the greatest or at least the 2nd greatest fighter of his era/decade that can't sit alongside Ali/SRL and I will disagree with that statement, else I agree.

 

Of course he'll do great things for his people. But that's not what this thread is about. And there are other great Filipinos who are just as influential in the PI, namely Jose Rizal. The question is - will Pac be as big as the Bruce Lees, Michael Jordans, Muhammad Alis..etc? At this point I say he's going in the right direction but will fall a bit short. But that's just me. I mean who the hell knows what will happen 10-20 years from now. He could invent the perfect karaoke machine that cures cancer and win a Nobel prize for it. Or not.

 

I rooted against him thinking he was overrated for many years, even through JMM...He's the real deal and if he retired today, he should be there with those guys...As much as people wish to take away from his achievements, citing catchweights and what not, he's been no bull**** in his willingness to fight the best without a flinch...

Clottey waded through plaster fists and went into a shell vs Pac, and all the critics say it was fixed...They can wait for their fighter(s) to hem and haw for years before they take a big challenge if they ever do...

I've been watching boxing since the 70's and Pac is the best P4P...We're witnessing greatness whether we want to believe it or not...

 

So guys like Glenn McCrory, Bert Sugar, Larry Merchant, Emannuel Steward etc who are part of that 95% are morons....yet Bald_Head-Slick from eastsideboxing knows better.

:rofl

 

Exactly which is why to me they are a class below people like SRR. Also skills must be taken into account but IMO his mass of fights against contenders, champs and legends make him a class of his own. Ali could be placed closer as he also fought nothing but quality opposition. Just my opinion, mabye I shoud do more research into the area.

 

There have only been maybe 6-8 fighters in history that could be classified as phenomenons. Manny is one of them.

 

Completely disagree. I live in the US, so don't know how big his impact is overseas, but in America, 3 out of 4 sports fans couldn't tell you a single thing about him and if they could, it would be that he is too cool to take a blood test and prove he is a clean, elite level athlete.

As far as boxing achievement, he will be highly debated over due to the "dead" nature of the sport while he took part in it (and he's done nothing in terms of "reviving" the sport). I place him in my top 50 all time P4P, ahead of generation talents RJJ and Hopkins, but behind Mayweather.

Bottom line: Mayweather and Pacquiao both need each other in order to cement an un-debatable legacy. Reason: Nobody in their right mind would say Pacquiao was ever better than Floyd until beginning 2008 when Floyd retired. Even since then, Floyd won ESPY for best fighter beating Mosley and Marquez in 12 month span over Pacquiao, whom had beaten Clottey and Cotto in that span. Floyd has achieved much more and has only one potentially bad fight on his resume (W JLC I), whereas Pacquiao has at least six (L Torrecampo, L Singsurat, D Sanchez, D JMM I, L Morales, W JMM II). Let's not forget that losses and draws TAKE AWAY a significant amount of legacy. How else does RJJ fall from everybody's top 10 all time to out of some's top 50 in matter of a couple years?

 

:huh

Ali had 61 -- more than Pac.
Louis had 67-70 (depending what you count) -- more than Pac.
Marciano had 49, a few less than Pac.
Only Leonard really stands out as having significantly fewer.

But that's not the sum-total, is it? The original quote makes reference towards their status as a cultural icon. Being a cultural icon is a combination of sporting prowess and a whole host of other things that have nothing to do with sport (charisma, wit, ability to communicate, ability to reach beyond their sport). In both of these departments, Pac falls slightly short of the very top tier, IMO, but as Gyll says, his reign isn't over yet, we'll have to wait and see.