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| Ring magazine reviews Pacman's achievements |
By Jun Medina
As the reigning world champion in boxing's mythical pound-for-pound list, Filipino icon Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao continues to bask in the attention and adulation that goes that exalted title. But nothing perhaps beat being on the cover of the prestigious The Ring magazine, considered "the Bible of boxing."
In the cover article of its October issue, the 85-year magazine paid tribute to the Filipino boxer's unprecedented achievement of winning four world titles in as many weight classes, the first Asian to ever achieve that feat.
Pacquiao won titles at flyweight (102 pounds) in 1988, super bantamweight (122 lbs.) in 2001, and super featherweight (130 lbs) and lightweight (135 lbs.) in a span of three months this year. Actually, it should be five because The Ring featherweight title (126 lbs.) he won for his stunning stoppage of the legendary Marco Antonio of Mexico in 2003 is a legitimate world title.
Titled "PacMan Legend Continues to Grow; New P-4-P King, New Worlds to Conquer," the cover story by Don Stradley traced Pacquiao's dizzying rise to boxing superstardom capped by his skillful mastery over World Boxing Council lightweight champion David Diaz last June 28.
Drawing parallels with two other great Filipino pugilists in decades past – Pancho Villa and Gabriel "Flash" Elorde – Stradley said Pacquiao may have surpassed the two legendary fighters.
"In a way, Pacquiao is a hybrid of the two Hall of Famers – he has Villa's sizzle and Elorde's humanity," said the article.
The same feature article noted the Filipino power-puncher's improvement after every new fight – a more active right hand, improved defense and better footwork – under the tutelage of American boxing guru Freddie Roach, a three-time trainer of the year.
"Roach has done remarkable work with Pacquiao. He has shorn off Pacquiao's rough edges to the point where every few fights Pacquiao emerges new and improved," the article said. "As boxing writers filed their reports after Pacquiao beat Diaz, they used words like 'breathtaking,' 'sensational,' and 'ruthless.' Forgotten was the previous speculation that Pacquiao was slowing down."
The cover article continues: "Against Diaz, Pacquiao was unleashing his right hand as if it was a new power tool that he wanted to show off for his neighbors. He jabbed with it, he hooked with it, and then, as if he wanted to make sure HBO had something for the highlight reel, he ripped a perfect right to the body followed by an uppercut through Diaz' guard. Watching old Mike Tyson tapes, Manny?
"It's not as if Pacquiao was ever a bad boxer. Even before he stopped Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003, he showed signs that he was an astute finisher. Emmanuel Lucero tried crouching near the canvas like old Arturo Godoy, but Pacquiao, after eyeing Lucero like an alley cat staring down some strange species of mouse, faked a right and crushed him with a single left hand. Five years later, Pacquiao has added a right hand and some nice footwork. Plus, after beginning his career as an urchin-like junior-flyweight, Pacquiao is now a lightweight."
The Ring's positive report on Pacquiao comes with more than a month left before what has been dubbed as his "dream fight" against Mexican American Oscar De la Hoya, the sports most popular and most accomplished active player.
Bertrand Manguino of upstate New York, a sportsman and avid boxing fan, said no other Filipino sports personality has captured the imagination of Filipinos like the 29-year-old Pacquiao.
"Pacquiao's greatness cannot be measured by his unprecedented boxing records alone," said Manguino, a retired agribusiness consultant, "I think Manny has a unifying influence on Filipinos, both those who are in the Philippines and their legions of compatriots who have tried their luck abroad."
Manguino, a former member of the Philippine soccer team during his college years in UP Los Banos, said he looks forward to Pacquiao's coming encounter with De la Hoya, which he said could further define the Filipino icons boxing legacy.
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