The kid was just 18 years old around the 1997 Ippo Gala fight. Manny wasnt an amateur boxing star that was being protected and overhyped and career wins getting padded up on purpose to make him look invincible. He was the wild fighting kid with a big fighting heart that the fans loved to watch. We never were expecting him to become a p4p world champ someday. We just thought he was an exciting young club fighter type of boxer, TV friendly fighting style and a crowd pleaser. I thought that he would be one of those boxers that would one day be forgotten by most of the public, but remembered by the local boxing fans in their memories as one of those kids that was so exciting and fun to watch, but was just not talented enough to break into the world championship level. A lot of boxers in the past became exactly like that. Then came Little Pac's biggest break. June 1997. The Orient-Pacific Boxing Federation Flyweight title challenge against Chokchai 3k battery. The OPBF's probably the most prestigious regional title in these parts. Manny was the big underdog, 3K was the champ since 1994. A more experienced guy, against the young club fighter. And Pac won by KO. Crazy upset. That's when I thought that maybe he can be good enough to fight internationally.
one thing is common among these so called pac critics. they always argue pac has never faced a top african american fighter, then say he never faced a puncher like valero, then spout **** about pac never facing fighters under 30 years of age, and then the usual 'truth hurts is it' and regard all pac defenders as *******s.:-( stupid alts.
If myou look at duran's record, it is even worse. He fought fighters who had more losses than win even after fighting great fighters like SRL, estevan de jesus. Those fights happened when he was already an established P4P fighter, fighting the likes of Obando (0-3-0), Diaz (1--4-0), Rojas (3-4-0) and countless many more with similar records. Yet he is probably number 3 among the greatest fighters. If your criteria is to be followed, no one would be an ATG. More than 3/4 of Armstrong's resume were journeyman or patsies.
Considering the guys he's been fighting from 112 to 147 - Morales, Marquez, Hatton, Barrera, Sasakul, Ledwaba etc - 3 losses and 2 draws is outstanding.
Pac is a great fighter who is making the most out of the sorry, inferior, past it opponents Arum is throwing at him. When Pac fights, or takes a fight with a good black fighter...let me know. If Pac doesn't fight Floyd, he will never be ranked highly by me...ever!