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Friday, March 29, 2024

A November to remember for Pacquiao 

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THE month of November is a  special month for ring idol Manny Pacquiao, because it was during this time of the year that the Pacman accomplished his most improbable feats in boxing. 

Consider, it was on Nov. 13  five years ago, that Pacquiao completed his historic eight-division world championship conquest to emerge the only man in boxing history to accomplish the feat.

Manny Pacquiao

On that day, before a huge 50,000 plus spectators at the cavernous Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the then 32-year-old Pacman beat Mexican Antonio Margarito black and blue to capture the vacant World Boxing council super-welterweight jewel.

The title win for Pacquiao, then already a recipient of the “Fighter of the Decade” and three Fighter of the Year awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America and from the Ring Magazine, was the latest addition to the Filipino’s belt collections since crowning himself the WBC flyweight titlist in 1998.

Pacquiao took Thai Chatchai Sasakul’s 112-pound crown by knocking out the then defending champion in the eighth round.  

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The huge victory over the big, hard-hitting Margarito, which, incidentally, forced the Mexican to retire, was actually the Sarangani Congressman’s third for the month of November in his rich collection that includes the the Ring Magazine featherweight plum and the World Boxing Organization welterweight crowns. 

It was also in this month,  or November  15, 2003 to be exact, when the now senatorial candidate took the 126-pound diadem from Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera. 

Six years later, on Nov. 14, 2009, Pacquiao dethroned Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto as the WBO 147-pound kingpin via a 12-round technical knockout annihilation that, incidentally, remained  as his last triumph via stoppage.

Rounding out Pacquiao’s eight-division championship triumphs are  the International Boxing Federation super-bantamweight on a 6th-round TKO of Lehlo Ledwaba in 2001, his first under trainer Freddie Roach,  WBC super-featherweight at the expense of Juan Manuel Marquez in 2008, WBC lightweight via 9th -round TKO of David Diaz , also in 2008, and International Boxing Organization/Ring junior-welterweight titles on a 2nd round KO of Ricky Hatton in 2009. 

The Kibawe, Bukidnon-born’s  last defense of his WBO welterweight  title also came in the month of November when he unanimously decisioned New Yorker former martial arts campaigner Chris Algieri two years ago at the Cottai Arena at the posh Venetian Resort Hotel in Macau. 

He lost the title on a questionable decision to American Timothy Bradley in 2012, the same year he was knocked out by Marquez, but regained the same 22 months later.    

Impressive victories over Mexican Hall of Famer to be Barrera, Erik Morales and Marquez earned for the father of five with Saragani Vice Gov. Jinkee the moniker “The Mexicutioner.” 

An 8th-round demolition of legendary and Olympic gold medalist Osca DeLa Hoya on December 6, 2008 catapulted the Filipino hero to the pound-for-pound throne. 

All throughout his career that started in 1995, Pacquiao has fought 18 current and former world champions—Bradley, Marquez, Mosley, Margarito, Joshua Clottey, Cotto, Hatton, DeLa Hoya, Diaz, Barrera, Jorge Solis, Morales, Oscar Larios, Jorge Julio, Agapito Sanchez, Ledwaba, Medgeon Lukchaopormasak and Sasakul. 

Counting the WBC International super-bantamweight and the WBC super-bantamweight and super-featherweight crowns he wore at one time or another, Pacquiao had actually won 10 world titles, again, the most by any fighter in this era. 

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