Top Pound-For-Pound Fighters: Where's Pacquiao?

[BABY1]

TweetThe first “best pound-for-pound fighters lists” were generated in the 1940s and 1950s. In those days, the “toughest man in the world” moniker was typically reserved for the heavyweight champion. Reporters and boxing aficionados realized that welterweight and middleweight sensation Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest talent in the world and through these lists, they found a way to formalize his status as the planet’s finest athlete in the ring.

In today’s world, it’s easy for a fan to call an athlete that he follows the greatest ever. We have become a culture that believes our modern world is the best and most advanced of all time, and so our athletes are, by association, the best ever. We take no consideration of athletes that have dominated the sport in past eras, though there existed a unique set of excellence and challenges for those fighters.

Manny Pacquiao has been hailed as the best pound-for-pound fighter of all-time by bloggers and a majority of writers ever since he won the "Fighter of the Decade" award. While Pacquiao is the most exciting fighter in boxing at the moment, he should not be included among the all-time greatest in the sport just yet.

The Pacquiao Effect

In my opinion, moving up in divisions is a great indicator of an exceptional fighter. It’s the best way for a boxer to test his mettle, because he is fighting against naturally bigger men who are more comfortable at that weight class. Pacquiao has won titles in weights ranging from 112 to 147 pounds, an incredible achievement that is reminiscent of Sugar Ray Robinson when he went up in weight class to fight Jake LaMotta and won.

In skill set, there is no other fighter in the world that possesses Manny Pacquiao’s unique quartet of above-average hand speed, stamina, power, and work rate. His chin is underrated; he has not been officially floored since coming to America, aside from a literal slip in his first fight with Barrera in 2003.

Most impressive of all, Manny Pacquiao has fought the best fighters of his generation. For most fighters, taking on the top contenders of their time is neither feasible nor achievable. Yet for Pacquiao, facing the best fighters of his era hasn’t solely been a topic of speculation by the media and fans; he’s actually fought them and come away victorious.

Reasons Pacquiao is not on the list

The best way to measure greatness in boxing is not through an undefeated record, which more often than not just indicates a lack of quality opposition. Instead, the measure of greatness in a fighter comes from his willingness to take on top-flight contenders in their prime. Let’s face it: Whenever Pacquiao has had a poor performance in the ring, his next fight usually tends to be against an opponent that will make him look good. After his draw with Marquez, he went and knocked out a diminutive Fahsan in the fourth round. After his loss to Morales, Pacquiao was matched against an average Hector Velazquez, and finally, after his controversial rematch with Marquez, he faced a mild threat against David Diaz.

Another problem that plagues Pacquiao is that a top pound-for-pound fighter should be able to distinguish himself as the best fighter in his natural division. Two controversial fights against Juan Manuel Marquez have not proven that Pacquiao is the best fighter of his natural weight class. Many analysts and boxing fans believe that Marquez should be 2-0 against Pacquiao.

Finally, the biggest drawback to adding Manny Pacquiao as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of all time is that his final numbers and career achievements are yet to be determined. It would be foolish to put him in a category alongside Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis if he should lose against Floyd Mayweather, Jr., or even against Antonio Margarito in his upcoming fight. While Pacquiao losing his nest bout is not probable, the end result will only be determined in the ring and not by public opinion; that’s why the fighter’s fight the fights.

The decision

Defining "the best pound-for-pound fighter" is a very subjective matter, and while there are many boxing aficionados that would include Manny Pacquiao on the list, I would not do so just yet. He is definitely the most exciting fighter in boxing at the moment and one day, I expect him to make the prestigious list. But until that day comes, he should be considered as the most dynamic athlete to grace the ring since Sugar Ray Leonard.

[Dzone]

Tweetgood post. saw manny on 60 Minutes last night...