Manny Pacquiao may not be the favorite to win on May 2 against Floyd Mayweather Jr., but he certainly will be the fan favorite in that super fight. Pacquiao’s made his name by being one of the most exciting fighters to possibly ever step inside the boxing ring. These five fights are showcases of why he has become a legend.
5. Juan Manuel Marquez (2004)
Pacquiao’s first fight with Marquez—and there are four in total—was the most memorable despite it being ruled a draw, typically the most unsatisfying outcome possible. Pacquiao began the fight like a bat out of hell, knocking down Marquez three times and threatening to defeat one of the game’s most respected fighters in fewer than three minutes.
Marquez recovered though, started timing Pacquiao’s punches and effectively countering. He managed a draw despite a 10-6 opening round, but the fight was no indictment on Pacquiao. It was two legends putting forth a legendary scrap, and it opened the door for three more fights full of action and drama. Pacquiao went on to win the next two battles by split and majority decision before Marquez finally got a win, via knockout, in 2012.
4. Antonio Margarito (2010)
Margarito is far from the most skilled opponent of Pacquiao’s career, but he was one of the most feared. A 154-pounder who had more than enough size to campaign at middleweight if he wanted to, Margarito spent much of his career as a boxing boogeyman, someone the majority of the top fighters avoided like the plague.
Pacquiao fought him when he had already proven he could tear through top-flight welterweights and even junior middleweights, but Margarito’s toughness was unmatched at the time. He proved that toughness by going the distance with Pacman, but he was busted up badly. Pacquiao bludgeoned Margarito so badly in a virtuoso performance that he broke his orbital bone, which was exploited in Margarito’s next and final fight against Miguel Cotto.
3. Miguel Cotto (2009)
Pacquiao’s win over Cotto was a career-defining moment, as well as the last time Pacman’s fans saw him score a knockout. Unlike his victory over Margarito, or one-sided wins against Joshua Clottey and Shane Mosley, Cotto is considered not only a strong puncher, but an elite boxer. Cotto even had success at various points throughout his 12th-round TKO defeat.
The problem was that Pacquiao was still able to utilize his speed to box circles around a future Hall of Famer who was fighting fairly well. Cotto’s defense was no match for the speed and awkward angles Pacquiao brought to the table, and his demolition of a strong champion gave Pacquiao a legitimate claim to the pound-for-pound throne.
2. Oscar De La Hoya (2008)
A victory over De La Hoya launched the career of Floyd Mayweather into super stardom, and Pacquiao’s stoppage victory over him did the same. De La Hoya was favored because of his size advantage over Pacquiao, who prior to this super fight had never been so heavy. His speed and accuracy made the size advantage irrelevant, as did De La Hoya’s curious decision to come in at nearly the same weight as Pacquiao.
De La Hoya’s famed jab couldn’t find a home, his reflexes were comically slow compared to Pacman’s barrages, and within a few rounds De La Hoya wasn’t even throwing anymore.
1. Ricky Hatton (2009)
Hatton was neither Pacquiao’s best opponent, nor his biggest, but he entered the fight as a widely respected foe in the welterweight division. Coming in with the reputation of a fierce brawler, Pacquiao reduced him to mincemeat within two rounds.
He knocked Hatton down twice, and the second was a historically great knockout. It is without question Pacquiao’s most thrilling finish, and stands as the prime exhibit in Pacquiao’s case as this generation’s top offensive fighter.
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