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| Pacman Legend Just Keeps On Growing |
| 15 December 2009, 9:11 am |
| By GE Editor |
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| Manny Pacquiao is the World's Greatest Ever Featherweight. Pacman (50-3-2, 38 KOs), riding a 10-fight win streak against a contemporary "Who's Who" list of world-class boxers, is 3-0 versus other Greatest Ever nominees, Marco Antonio Barrera (twice) and Oscar de la Hoya. A candidate in TWGEB featherweight division, "Pac Man" has held world titles in seven different weight classes, defeating other world champions such as Ricky Hatton, David Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales (twice). |
Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao (born December 17, 1978), is a modern day boxing phenomenon and a national icon for Filipinos worldwide. He is currently the WBO Welterweight champion, IBO and Ring Magazine light welterweight chanpion and rated by Ring magazine as the best pound for pound fighter in the world.
He is also the former WBC lightweight champion, WBC Super featherweight champion, IBF Super bantamweight champion and WBV Flyweight champion. Furthermore, he is the former Ring Magazine Featherweight and Super Featherweight champion.
The Filipino boxing superstar is the first boxer to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions. In addition, he is the only boxer to win the lineal championship ("the man who beat the man") in four different weight classes.
Pacquiao was born in Mindanao and lives in his home town of General Santos City, South Cotabato, Philippines. Pacquiao started his professional boxing career when he was just 16 years of age and weighed 106 pounds (light flyweight). His early fights took place in small local venues and were shown on Vintage Sports' Blow by Blow, an evening boxing show. His professional debut was a four round bout against Edmund "Enting" Ignacio, on January 22, 1995, which Pacquiao won via decision, becoming an instant star of the program.
His weight increased from 106 to 113 pounds, before losing in his twelfth bout against Rustico Torrecampo via a third round knockout. Pacquiao had not made the weight, so he was forced to use heavier gloves than Torrecampo, thereby putting him at a disadvantage. Shortly after the Torrecampo fight, Pacquiao settled at 112 pounds, winning the WBC Flyweight title (his first major boxing world title as well as the flyweight lineal title). Pacquiao then began a number of weight moves, going up the super bantamweight division of 122 pounds, where he picked up the WBC International super bantamweight title. He defended this title five times before his chance for a world title fight came.
Pacquiao's big break came on June 23, 2001, against former IBF World super bantamweight champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. Pacquiao stepped into the fight as a late replacement and won the fight by technical knockout to become the new IBF World super bantamweight champion (his second major boxing world title). The bout was held at the MGM Grand. Pacquiao went on to defend this title four times, aided by probably the world greatest ever trainer, Freddie Roach from the Wild Card Gym.
The legend was begun and the progress phenomenal. On November 14, 2009, Pacquiao defeated Miguel Cotto via technical knockout in the twelfth round, at the MGM Grand. With this victory, Pacquiao took the WBO welterweight title to become the first fighter in boxing history to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions.
The fight generated 1.25 million buys and 70 million dollars in domestic pay-per-view revenue, making it the most watched boxing event of 2009. Pacquiao earned around 22 million dollars for his part in the fight, whilst Cotto earned around 12 million dollars Pacquiao-Cotto also generated a live gate of $8,847,550 from an official crowd of 15,930 |
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