(Second of a series)
Did you know that Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao is celebrating his 20th year as a professional fighter?
That year 2015 also marks his and trainer Freddie Roach’s 13th anniversary as partners?
their world welterweight championship boxing bout at the Cotai Arena in
Macau in November 23, 2014. The Filipino ring icon won by a lopsided
unanimous decision.
It was on January 22, 1995 when the then 17-year-old southpaw from General Santos City fought and won his first pro-fight with a unanimous decision triumph over Edmund Enting Ignacio in a four-round bout held in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.
Pacquiao, who had to put coins and ball bearings in his pocket to make the 109-pound limit for a light-flyweight, won his next ten fights, including four via stoppage, from 1995 to 1996, before tasting a loss, a TKO, to Rustico Torrecampo in only his second flyweight fight.
From there, the now 36-year-old pride of the Philippines amassed 57 wins (with 38 K0s), five losses and a pair of draws, and is the only fighter on the planet to become champion in eight weight divisions.
Pacquiao held titles in super-welterweight, welterweight, junior-welterweight, lightweight, super-featherweight, featherweight, super-bantamweight and flyweight divisions.
The Pacman wrested the superbantamweight plum from Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in his first fight under the tutelage of Roach on June 23, 2001.
Called the Pambansang Kamao by his adoring countrymen and “The Mexicutioner,” and “The Destroyer” in international boxing circle, the fighting Congressman from Sarangani Province is also the first boxer in the entire universe acknowledged as the lineal champion in four different weight categories, which even the “Greatest” Muhammad Ali has not accomplished.
The lineal champion is described as “the man who beat the man,” and considered as equally prestigious if not more prestigious than winning titles in eight-divisions.
In his 20 years of fighting atop the squared ring, the amiable Filipino ring warrior’s feat as world flyweight, featherweight, junior-lightweight and junior welterweight lineal belt owner remains unmatched up to the present time.
honor after the fight. Photo by Wendell Rupert Alinea
Pacquiao, too, had held three Ring Magazine titles in three weight levels —featherweight, junior-lightweight and junior-welterweight.
His countrymen christened him “Pambansang Kamao” because whenever and wherever he takes on a rival mano-a-mano, the entire country of 100 million comes to a virtual standstill with rival military and rebel forces going on an undeclared truce to watch and celebrate their hero’s victories and cried over his every loss.
The name “Mexicutioner” was given after the ring icon had taken the measure of such Mexican legends as Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, to mention a few.
Morales and Marquez though, inflicted two of Pacquiao’s career defeats. He more than made up his setback to Morales by knocking the Mexican out the next times they met.
Pacquiao beat Marquez twice in their first three encounters, but the Mexican came back to deal him his worst loss, a sixth round KO in 2012, the year when, for the first time, he suffered back-to-back defeats in his career.
It was also in that same year the Filipino was dethroned as the world welterweight titlist via a controversial split decision loss to then unbeaten Timothy Bradley.
He avenged that defeat, however, and re-claimed the 140-pound tiara by beating Bradley to a pulp last March.
Pacquiao defended his newly re-acquired belt against another erstwhile undefeated American Chris Algieri only last November.
A recipient of the “Fighter of the Year” (FOY) Awards twice from ESPY (2009 and 2011) and thrice from the Boxing Writers Association of America (2006, 2008 and 20090, Pacquiao was named “Fighter of the Decade” (2000-2011), also by the BWAA.
His third FOY award tied him with the great Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield in the history of the of the BWAA. He was chosen as Fighter of the Decade over Bernard Hopkins, Joe Calzaghe, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Shane Moseley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera.
Pacquiao was named by Time Magazine as one of the most influential people for the year 2009 and by Forbes Magazine in its 100 lists for the same year in the company of Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, and fellow athletes Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant.
He was also in the list of Highest Paid Athletes from the second half of 2008 to the first half of 2009 with NBA superstar LeBron James and golfer Phil Mickelson and a few years ago with baseball standout Derek Jeter.