Author: John Pages

If it’s Bob Arum, the answer is Yes. The 78-year-old promoter who’s collaborated with Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler and “The Greatest” himself, Muhammad Ali, said: “I look at Manny as being the best that I’ve ever seen, including Ali. Ali was a great fighter and had great, great attributes and it’s really unfair to compare a big guy like Ali with a little guy like Pacquiao. But when you look at the skill sets, Pacquiao is faster. Now you could say he is a little guy so he should be faster but Ali essentially had just the right hand. His left hand could jab and everything but it wasn’t power punching.”

What differentiates Pacman from the rest? “His left and right hand hit with equal power and that is what destroys his opponents,” said Arum. “They train to fight a left-handed guy and they watch out for his left hand but before they know it, they are getting pummeled by the right hand.”

Arum is correct. But he’s also biased. As MP’s publicist-negotiator-marketer rolled into one, he will trumpet his client’s achievements.

Michael Rosenthal of the “The Ring Blog” (www.ringtv.com) has a more objective analysis. Two days after MP’s victory, Rosenthal penned the article, “Let’s hold off on declaring Pacquiao the best ever.”

Don’t get carried away, Rosenthal explains. Sure, Pacquiao is a first-ballot Hall of Famer but to name him the best-ever? Not so fast…

“Let’s say we anoint Pacquiao the No. 1 fighter ever or place him in the Top 10,” said Rosenthal. “And then he loses a one-sided decision to Mayweather, which is a possibility if they ever meet. What do we say then? Oops?”

Valid point. Though we know Manny will beat Money, it is a worthy argument. “That’s why it might be best to call Pacquiao one of the better of all time and wait until his career is over before assessing him further,” added Rosenthal.

Here’s another opinion-maker: Bill Gallo. This guy’s a legend. At 87 years old, he’s seen more gloves than Mr. Arum. He’s also a legendary writer, having been inducted into the Intl. Boxing Hall of Fame.

“Just who is this guy, Manny Pacquiao?” asked Gallo in his piece, “In thorough beating of Antonio Margarito, Manny Pacquiao cements himself as one of best boxers ever.”

Gallo continues: “He’s every little guy’s hero in this world of bullies, because he has this habit of beating the hell out of bigger guys. That’s who he is…

“This is one hell of a fighter, the likes of which I haven’t seen since Willie Pep and Sugar Ray Robinson. Yes, those two whom I’ve always regarded as the best ever.”

Finally, Gallo concludes by saying, “I’m going to wind this up by asking myself this question: Okay, Mr. Boxing Man, are you telling me this Philippine Dynamo is the best you have ever seen?

“Yes, in a very long time. And he might just be the man who will eventually put boxing back in the upper deck of sports. Believe me, this kid who aspires to be big in Philippine politics, with his perpetual smile and special brand of punching ability, is indeed the goods.”

Next is the excellent critique by Kenneth Ragpala of Filipino Boxing Journal. In “Pacquiao’s spot in boxing’s history: A contemplation,” Ragpala writes, “How history will place Pacquiao in the annals of the sport remains totally subjective. He may be greater than the legendary names who have proven their worth. Or not. Maybe he is the best ever, who knows?  The truth, however, remains untainted. Pacquiao is definitely the best in his era.

“In the words of the highly respected boxing correspondent Scoop Malinowski, ‘it’s impossible to rank the great fighters. Impossible. You just have to pick a whole group and put them all in that utmost echelon.’

The conclusion? No doubt Manny belongs in the “Best Ever” debate. As to his ranking—No. 7? 3? or 1?—only the evaluator can assess. Because as Freddie Roach himself said, “It’s so hard to compare eras. We could argue all night long. Why not leave it at this: Manny Pacquiao is the best of his era.”

And the greatest when he KOs Floyd?

Of boxing’s 17 weight-class divisions, Manny Pacquiao has won eight. What’s next? A clash against Wladimir Klitschko, all of 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds? Maybe that one-foot height advantage and 100-pound weight difference will finally matter!

MP possesses everything. He endures a brutal training regimen. That’s called hard-work. He owns an insatiable appetite for digesting pain—absorbing wooden sticks that flagellate his torso and crunching 10,000 sit-ups. He has focus. Humility. He’s devoted to God, kneeling down for prayer upon climbing the Dallas stage and repeatedly making the sign of the cross as if to pray, “Forgive me, Father, as I punch this—” Bang-bang-bang-bang!

Because if there’s one new quality we’ve learned about Pacman—the world saw it on display last weekend. We know Pacquiao’s killer instinct. His impulse to jump on the half-naked man and paint his white face red. He throws six punches in the wink of his opponent’s brown eyes. He is more offensive than Mike Tyson; scores more points than Kobe Bryant. Yet, for all of this “Mexicutioner” style and how he delights in slaughtering enemies—for all of his lion’s heart—we saw a different heart from Manny. His heart of compassion.

For what would have happened had our Filipino lacerated and slashed the Mexican in the last six minutes? The Tornado would have twisted, curled, warped. His fractured eye socket—which needed immediate surgery—might have led to worse: Brain injury? A mind that will forever be sleeping in a Tijuana hospital bed? A debilitated and paralyzed body? Who knows?

MANNY KNOWS. Because in the midst of the flurry of his punches, Pacman paused. He said, “PRRT! Ref, time out!” In those moments, Manny transformed from boxer to U.N. Goodwill Ambassador. Manny stopped, asked the referee, “Look at his eyes, look at his cuts,” and, in the post-fight press-conference, admitted what boxers rarely, if ever, say, “I didn’t want to hurt him anymore.”

Bobby Nalzaro said it perfectly yesterday: Manny had pity. For MP to have the sense in the middle of war to disarm himself, to hide the bullets, to assess his enemy’s damage, and to grant clemency to Margarito… why, that’s heroic.

It showed us his true character. It showed the world how a Filipino can fight—yet not be cannibalistic. It showed concern and sympathy—words never, ever used in the sweat shops of boxing. It’s called heart. A heart with two faces: that of a fighter and that of a humane person.

Thinking back on the historical magnitude of Manny Pacquiao’s achievement—and our good fortune to have witnessed it—we can’t clap or cheer enough on his first 10 rounds of boxing. His skill. His footwork. His Gen.San-bred granite chin. His power. His speed.

But, to me, the new Pacquiao was defined in those last two rounds. The face of Tony Margarito was brutalized and disfigured—and Manny could have killed him. Yet, he danced away. For Manny is no killer—only his instinct is. What compassion from a Filipino.

Haide Acuña: “Manny Pacquiao is a hero because he shows both kids and grown-ups that despite poverty, anyone can succeed in life through hard-work, persistence, humility and faith.”

Efren Belarmino: “Manny by KO in 7. Margarito will get tired.”

Chester Cokaliong: “Will this be MP’s last fight? No, because of the big money he’s getting in every fight. And he would want to fight Mayweather, knocking the lights out of the big mouth to cement his legacy.”

Iko Gomos: “Pacman by KO. But I hope that it will be in the later rounds para dili bitin. He’s too fast and he throws bombs from everywhere and in any stance.”

Atan Guardo: “I’m in Dallas now. From LAX to Dallas airport this morning, be it white, black, Latino, everybody tells me they’re rooting for Manny. You can feel his energy. It’s Manny by decision.”

Edward Hayco: “Manny’s strongest weapon is his Humility.”

Margaux Herrera: “His simplicity and boy-next-door charisma despite being a world-renowned athlete. His religious beliefs and convictions are admirable and reflective of Filipinos.”

Jack Jakosalem: “Unbelievable speed and accuracy. Punching power of a middleweight. Can take the strongest punches from a full welterweight opponent. The endurance to go 12 rounds with the same superb performance as the first round. And the best smile in boxing!”

Noy Jopson: “Size or speed? Size of Margarito will be a big factor as Manny will have bigger surface area to target. All that mass will be hard to cover-up and ultimately Manny’s speed will overwhelm the Mexican. He will get hit from so many angles en route to our Pambansang Kamao’s record-setting 8th weight-class title!”

Dave Karamihan: “If this were sex, size is important…”

Basti Lacson: “The only worshipping the world will be doing today is for Pacquiao, the World Overlord of Pain. He will end Margarito’s stint as punching bag on the 7th by sending him to the floor.”

Melanie Lim: “Manny is a hero because he has given hope to many and because he has proven that if you work at your craft, you can attain success.”

Stephanie Medalle: “His free spirited English reflects the pure confidence that no matter what, he will get the job done!”

Jay-Jay Neri: “MP’s last? I don’t think so because Pacquiao needs to beat Mayweather before he retires—making him the greatest of all time in my book.”

Anton Perdices: “Pacman on the 7th because of his power and speed.”

Harry Radaza: “MP by TKO, 9th or earlier. I don’t buy the smokescreen that he’s not in top form and is distracted. It’s all to sell tickets. He’s too smart and too good not to prepare. There’s only one reason Pacman wins – heart! I am organizing a live telecast at the Lapu-Lapu Sports Complex at only P100 with a unique twist: live round girls to parade around the venue between rounds!”

Mayor Mike Rama. “Pacquiao has an eagle’s eye in terms of focus. He has the heart and valor. He will have Margarito kneeling down by the 5th round.”

Jerry Roa: “He’s a hero because of the way he conducts his business. He fights with a singular purpose… to make people get their money’s worth. This marginally-schooled man’s business ethics can put many a businessman’s practices to shame.”

Cleo Santos: “Manny continues to bring honor and pride to the Phils. which gained us better respect from other nations. Also, he is a living example amongst the youth that dreams can truly happen as long as you put your heart into it.”

Joe Soberano: “He is the only world champion in 8 diff. weight classes (including the super welterweight class which I, along with many, predict his easy win over Margarito). He has even transcended boxing with his numerous achievements, fame, fortune. And he has been an inspiring, revolutionary force to millions of Filipinos who hope to emulate Manny’s success in overcoming the odds.”

Wilton Uykingtian: “Manny is a good, generous, humble and God-fearing person. That’s why he was gifted with boxing power (and lots of girls, hehe). He’s the greatest Filipino boxer.”

Only three mornings remain before the world’s most anticipated boxing event. Isn’t this exciting? The wait? The hype? The agony of hearing about Manny Pacquiao’s distractions in Baguio and Manila and, two weeks prior to fight day, all these “problems” fading away as Freddie Roach predicts a knockout victory? And yes, isn’t Mr. Roach always correct? Remember his prediction of a Round 2 KO against Hatton—he got that one right. That’s because Freddie Roach is a psychic. He also tells the truth. He doesn’t do this talking to intimidate enemies—this isn’t “trash talking.” It’s The Master having supreme confidence in The Student. What’s the latest prognosis of Freddie, the modern-day Nostradamus?

“Well you know, he’s got a reach advantage, and he’s tall, and he’s going to be a lot bigger, of course, but size doesn’t win fights—skill does. We out-skill him in every aspect—speed, timing, and I have no fears whatsoever,” said Roach in an exclusive interview with Jenna J of On The Ropes Boxing Radio Show in the article written by Geoffrey Ciani.

“I think it’s going to be an easy fight if Manny fights the right fight. The only problem I have is that some people say that Manny can’t bang with the big guys and that he’s not strong enough and Manny wants to prove that he is big enough. So somewhere in the fight he will go on the ropes and he will bang with him. We’re prepared for that, but the thing is I would rather see him outbox him. Knowing Manny Pacquiao, he’s going to try to bang with him and he’ll be successful because again, we’re ready for it. The thing is, I think the best way to fight Margarito is to outbox him, but again, we’ll do whatever it takes.”

Roach was asked about the weight differential between the Filipino and the Mexican. “You know what, Pacquiao weighed 147 pounds yesterday after a workout,” said Roach in this Nov. 9 interview. “He’s going to go into the ring at 149 pounds, his prime fighting weight. If he Pacquiao comes in a little heavier, like at 152-153, he’s a little slow and a little more sluggish. I know my fighter’s prime fighting weight, and again, we’ll be about 149 pounds and Margarito will be by fight time 160 to 165. Again, I’m not worried about the size of this guy. Speed and skills are going to win this fight, and Pacquiao outweighs him in those departments easily.”

As to Roach’s final words during the interview, he said, “Well Margarito is a little bit of a slow starter. We’re going to start quickly on him and we’re going to overwhelm him with combinations and speed. I think we’ll break Margarito down and I think we’ll knock him out in about eight or nine rounds and I think he just won’t handle Manny’s speed. The speed is going to be way too much for him.”

Read the entire piece here.

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