OPINION Magnificent Manny - his past, his standing, his future?

 

Having crushed Antonio Margarito's face, if not his will in 12 brutal rounds- Manny Pacquiao is rightly receiving the plaudits for an emphatically one-sided performance. I was amazed to read a glowing piece by a real old veteran from the New York Daily Post, Bill Gallo, now 87, admitted that Pacquaio was, and I quote.

“….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.”

Even the UK's own notoriously acerbic old time scribe Colin Hart, was forced to admit that Manny was indeed a bit special during the Sky TV Broadcast, glowing, and rarefied praise indeed.

People are already comparing Manny Pacquaio to Henry Armstrong, that other little man who wreaked havoc through the weight divisions, from featherweight, through lightweight, to welterweight. Armstrong though did this in an era without the nutritional advances of today, and became the first and last man to hold all three belts at the same time, as the rules were changed to require a fighter to relinquish one belt, if they gained a second one at another weight. 

Whilst I can see the similarities, I think Pacquiao has a little way yet to go, to match the peerless achievements of Hammering Hank Armstrong. Armstrong started his career at 120 lbs, won the featherweight title in 1937, then added the Welterweight in 1938, (14 fights later!) from Barney Ross weighing in at 133, two pounds under the lightweight limit. He then added the lightweight belt in his very next fight.

Armstrong  defended his welterweight title a total of 21 times, all but 4 by way of KO, and in the space of 2 years. He lost it to Fritzie Zivic, in 1940, and though he never regained it, he fought on for another 5 years, including a distance loss to a young Ray Robinson. He was retired at 34 with an incredible record of 149 fights, 101 wins, 21 losses and 10 draws, most of his losses and draws coming very early or very late in his career, for at his peak, he was almost unbeatable. Only Lou Ambers beat him during his reign of terror between lightweight and Welterweight. A reign of terror of the Welterweight ranks has never been seen before or since. Whilst his reign at the top of the pile was not as long as Ray Robinson's, Armstrongs was the brightest fiercest arc I think boxing has ever seen. Rightly many, myself included consider him the greatest fighter than ever lived over Robinson. If not for his actual skills, for silky they were not, then for the ferocity of his peak and total domination of opponents.

Remember also that Armstrong did this during an era of same day weigh ins.

What is undeniable though is that Pacquaio, like Henry Armstrong, excells in breaking his opponents will with a high octane style, that relies on quickness, overwhelming pressure, and incredible stamina. Armstrong was blessed in having an unusually large heart, which physicians said enabled his blood to carry more oxygen, and therefore fight harder for longer. Manny is blessed with a great chin, incredible stamina, terrific punch placement, and blazing speed. Speed which seems not to have diminished as he has moved up the weights.

Like Armstrong, Pacquaio is routinely taking on naturally bigger men, and making the size differential look utterly meaningless. For all Margarito's weight draining to make the catch-weight, he came in 17 lbs heavier than Pacman on the night, but was on the end of a relentless and one sided beating. What is remarkable about both men is that there was no major dip in their destructive abilities as they moved through the weights. Armstrong was seemingly more devastating against Welterweights than he had been at featherweight and lightweight.

Whilst it may be a little premature, that Pacquaio is even being mentioned in such illustrious company by some, it is testament to the impression he has created even amongst the cynical boxing press, but just how good is he really, are people getting ahead of themselves?

I find myself, that displays as emphatic as Pacquaio's victory over Margarito, can skew perceptions a little, and it's usually best to wait a few days until the true implications of the victory can be chewed over and cogitated ruminatively. If you so wished, you can pick apart Manny's victory against Margarito.

After all, Margarito is not the top 154 pound fighter in the world, and furthermore was beaten into a cocked hat by Shane Mosley, only two fights ago. Special as Mosley is, or perhaps was, he was 38 going into that bout.  Sure, the controversy with the illegal hand-wraps cannot have helped with any game-plan Margarito had, but even so, it was a brutal beatdown.

For me the significance of Pacquaio's fight with Margarito hinges on the fact that he was, yet again, fighting in a higher weight class, and his destructive power, seemed little diminished. Only the remarkably stolid resolve of Margarito (and a little mercy from Pacman in the last two rounds) kept him in a fight, which most opponents would not have finished. Every time Pacquaio steps up in weight, against Barrera, against Diaz, against Hatton, against Cotto, against De La Hoya, and now against Margarito, everyone waits for the wheels to fall off, but so far, he just keeps winning, and winning with ease.

Lest people forget, Pacquaio started at his career as a poorly nourished and underdeveloped 106 pounds. Like so many asian fighters, being forcibly boiled down for much of his earlier career, he suffered the only two KO losses on his record weighing 110 and 112 respectively. To be able to hit and hurt men of Margarito's size is therefore nothing short of remarkable.

Whatever caveats you want to administer about the particular conditions surrounding his opposition, can be said of any great fighter. It's often said that Roy Jones Jr, that he beat a badly weight drained James Toney and an inexperienced version of Bernard Hopkins. His reign at light heavyweight contained quite a few scrubs and part timers. John Ruiz was tailor made for him at heavyweight. Is Jones Jr. not an all time great? This is an exercise that can be conducted ad nauseum with almost any great fighter.

What you really need to look at with a fighter, is their overall level of competition, through their whole career, and their level of performance when competing with the best.

Let's look at Manny Pacquaio's career since he burst into the international consciousness with an upset victory over Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003. Pacquaio was rightly the underdog going into that fight. Yet he tore the form book up by stunning Barrera early and staying on him through the whole fight, eventuall stopping him in 11 rounds. The tone really was set for his career in the elite level of the sport.

Even against the inscrutable and vastly more experienced Barrera his incredible footwork, handspeed and punch placement, overcame the Mexican. Since then his roster has included such luminaries as Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, Oscar Larios, David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, and now Antonio Margarito. Al of these men were former or current world champions.

During that run he has had, 16 fights, 1 loss, and 1 draw including 10 stoppage wins. Against that level of opposition, that is pretty astonishing. Of the men that survived 12 rounds, two, Clottey and Barrera came to last the distance. Margarito only survived because of his size , durability and mexican fighting heart. Only Marquez has ever been able it seems to stand and trade with Pacquaio, (more on him later). He has lost one (to Morales who he stopped in two further fights), and drawn one with Marquez.

When you consider that, Barrera, Marquez, Morales, and De La Hoya are surely all locks for the International Boxing Hall of Fame and that Cotto may yet make it too. That's some record.

Ok back to Marquez, and a caveat. Personally by my scorecards he lost both his fights with Marquez. I thought Marquez unlucky to only get a draw from their first fight, and thought he won a close but clear one in their rematch. He is hardly alone in having close fights go his way. Those are his only two, and you are allowed that in a whole career. Even two losses to Marquez would hardly marr his career in my eyes, given that Marquez has been a top 10 P4P fighter for the best part of a decade.

Yes, it's true, you could argue that some of those names were not prime versions, again, that could be said of virtually every single all time great fighter. Prime against Prime happens so seldom, that when it does, it's a major event. That was why there was such a massive pell-mell around the first Leonard v Hearns fight. Two unbeaten Welterweight champions at their peaks putting their 0's on the line. Barrera and Morales too were that boxing rarity, two greats in their primes. The same was true of the first 'superfight' between Ali and Frazier. The best very rarely meet at their peak. That's just how it is.

Add to that, that prior to this run, he had won world titles at flyweight, and super bantamweight and you have a hell of a career. And guess what? He's not done yet. At only 31, he may well yet have another three, maybe four years at the top of his game. The biggest barrier to this, seems to be his political aspirations in his home country of the Phillipines where he has been elected congressman.

This brings me to Manny's future, and inevitably his arch-rival in the P4P stakes, the boxing encyclopedia that is Floyd Mayweather.

A fight between Pacquaio and Mayweather would for me be the most significant superfight since Leonard and Hearns fought the first time. However, unless this fight happens soon, the edge risks being taken off it by Mayweather's inactivity. 

Whilst Floyd Mayweather skulks in semi-retirement, awaiting his fiscal situation to deteriorate to the point where another fight looks attractive, fighting just once a year on average, Manny is still active, hungry, and amazingly, still improving. What is even more surprising, is that he has retained his speed, and seemingly carried most of his power up with him. He is perhaps a little less destructive above 135, but he is still one of the harder punchers out there even at 147.

After watching Mayweather dissect Marquez, I was convinced that he would have Manny's number, given Manny's struggles with Marquez, but now, well I'm not so sure.

Marquez' would probably still give manny a tussle at any weight, his incredible ability to stand and trade with Manny and keep him off balance, and an incredible chin, is what sets him apart from the rest of his opponents. However, I think Manny has improved since then, whilst Marquez now 37 has declined a little. He's now a little bit slower than he was when they last fought in 2008. In any case, Marquez has yet to get by the Rugged and comparatively youthful Michael Katsidis whom he fights for the lightweight title. That is no forgone conclusion, as Katsidis is much the younger, stronger and bigger man in that fight.

Roach is incidentally calling Marquez out already for a rubber match at 147, in part I'm sure to try and tempt Mayweather out of retirement. I hope this fight doesn't materialise. Marquez clearly cannot function very well above the lightweight limit of 135. At the welterweight limit, he still functioned well enough to keep Mayweather if not exactly honest, then at least respectful, but he was never in it. Manny's extra strength at the weight would be too much for Marquez.

Where else can Manny go? A move to Middleweight against the winner of Martinez and Williams is surely a leap too far even for the little sensation. They are too big and more importantly too skilled for the dynamite Filipino to overcome the size disparity. It would be a handicap that woulld owe little to the respective abilities of the participants, but merely the laws of physics. I know it's hard to doubt Pacquaio, but the end of the line has to come somewhere.

No, really, there is only one fight that will do, to cap off the careers of both Paquaio and Mayweather, and determine once and for all who is the greatest of their era, there is nobody out there for them to fight, that will enhance their respective legacies to such an extent.

At the moment, Manny has to be top 20 all time. Where is debatable, but there are a lot of great fighters in history that deserve at least consideration above him. Ray Robinson and Armstrong are a lock for the top 2.
In no particular order, the likes of Roberto Duran, Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Benny Leonard, Archie Moore, Willie Pep, Jimmy Wilde,  Roy Jones Jr. et' al are somewhere in the top 20, where precisely is an article in itself, the list could go on and on.

A win over Mayweather surely propels him far higher up that list for me, perhaps top 5, and into the rarefied stratosphere inhabited by the likes of Armstrong, and Robinson and the other men who are routinely placed in their company. Even being competitive and losing a close one with Mayweather, for me enhances his status.

For Mayweather, a win, and especially an emphatically one sided one, prove once and for all that he really is the best fighter of his generation, and propels him into the same stata as the greats. Right now, Mayweather's standing has been eroded by inactivity and too few serious challenges. Mayweather has been in his comfort zone too long, but then maybe, like Roy Jones in his prime, there is nobody to take him out of that comfort zone.

These two men really must fight for the sake of boxing. Were the two men to retire without having faced one another, it would be as bad as if the fabulous four of Leonard, Duran, Hearns and Hagler, never stepped into the ring with one another. This for me is like having Robinson and Armstrong face one another in their primes. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Mayweather has achieved anything like Robinson has, but he is definitely as smooth and composed a fighter as I've ever seen.

Let's hope the negotiations do resume. I'm hoping the phenomenal potential purse will facilitate this, because this is surely going to be the richest fight in boxing history. These two are the undisputed top 2 fighters in the world, you can argue as to which is top, but their primacy is clearly established.

If the fight happens, I see a fight where Pacquaio gets off to a flying start, giving Mayweather uncomfortable moments, before Mayweather makes adjustments and begins to control proceedings. Where I think the pattern changes from other mayweather fights, Is that Pacman will be able to press Mayweather like nobody since Castillo, and keep him in a real fight.

I think Pacquaio will step into an extra gear over the latter stages of the fight, and who will win, will depend whether or not Mayweather has the concomitant hunger to match Pacquaio. Mayweather's fitness is not in question, but for me, his desire to walk through the flames to win, is.

He is so used to dominating fights almost entirely on his own terms, that it would surely be a shock for him to have to fight tooth and nail to persevere. He's done it in spurts against Castillo, Judah, Mosley, and even Hatton, who gave him some shaky moments early on. The difference with Pacquaio is that the Filipino will never stop coming for 12 whole rounds, and will fight with the same intensity in the last as the first. Manny has the speed and footwork to land often enough to make Mayweather work.

I think right now it's a genuine 50-50 fight. I think that Pacman has continued to improve under the tutelage of Roach, and now he appears to be more or less the finished article. Footwork, combination punching, speed, stamina, and a great durability, make him, like Armstrong before him, seemingly the ultimate fighting machine.

I am not saying that Manny is unbeatable. Neither was Armstrong, nor was Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, nor any of the real greats. I'd have favoured Chavez over Pacquaio at featherweight, Duran at Lightweight, Ray Leonard, Mosley or a prime Oscar DeLaHoya at Welterweight.

Right now however in the present day, only Mayweather I think at 147 and below, with his uncanny ability to slow time around him, to anticipate, hypnotise and discombobulate his opponents, to make adjustments and upset and halt their own work, with his incredible mastery of distance and timing, can provide a foil, and provide the test, which will prove, once and for all, who is the greatest fighter of the early 21st century.

Let's hope that Mayweather's current legal issues (he has an assult charge pending) do not preclude this fight ever happening.