Tungod, Inabanga, Bohol – The date has already been set, but the opponent is still yet to be determined. Universally recognized pound for pound king Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) of the Philippines, who stands at a meager 5’6” and a reach of 67”, will continue to turn the pages of his storied boxing career, as he faces yet another tough challenge come October 17th.
Hereunder is a list of possible opponents ranked according to the risk-level on the planet’s best fighter. Please take note that factors such as money-matters and promotional concerns were not taken into consideration in generating this list.
1. “Sugar” Shane Mosley (46-5-0, 39 KOs) – This 37-yr-old boxing freak has had battles with some of the biggest names in the sport. The list includes Ronald “Winky” Wright, Vernon Forrest, Oscar De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas, Miguel Cotto, Ricardo Mayorga, and Antonio Margarito, just to name a few. It’s pretty amazing how he stayed in front of these guys, took a few good shots, and yet still stayed on his feet. Shane is way too young than his age would suggest. His granite chin – an uncanny ability to take a punch, coupled with an extra long reach (74 inches) and sweet boxing skills, makes Shane the most dangerous challenger for Pacquiao’s throne. And by the way, did I already mention that he also packs a punch in both fists? Check his knockout ratio out.
2. “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (39-0-0, 25 KOs) – Some may argue that this self-proclaimed best fighter should be atop the list. But his safety-first attitude and not-so-imposing size advantage over Pacquiao puts him below Mosley on the most dangerous list. Zab Judah showed us that Floyd is also vulnerable. I’m not saying that Mosley hasn’t been hurt in the past. We should, however, consider the guys he was against and realize that Floyd’s resume certainly pales in comparison. Come to think of it… Floyd can’t beat Shane if they fought now, but of course, that’s another story. Nevertheless, Floyd is undefeated and as long as he stays so, he’d still be taken with much due respect.
3. Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs) – Style-wise, this gritty Mexican is the worst matchup for Pacquiao. JuanMa’s exceptional patience and discipline in sticking to his age-old waiting game, better known as counterpunching, are a nightmare to Pacquiao’s aggressive, come forward style. Their first two encounters are still the subject of debates up to this very moment. Okay, let’s try to lay those debates to rest. Marquez won more rounds than Pacquiao did in their first encounter, the second one, well… it was pretty even. But the 3 knockdowns in the first fight and the lone knockdown in the 3rd canto of the 2nd encounter won Pacquiao both fights. Yes, Pacquiao also won the first fight, had it not been for the arithmetic incompetence of Burt Clements who scored the first round 10-7 instead of 10-6 for Pacquiao. Anyhow, there’s still no better way to settle the score than to do a 3rd face-off.
4. Miguel Angel “Junito” Cotto (33-1-0, 27 KOs) – This Puerto Rican welterweight champion poses the least threat for Pacquiao among the four ring gladiators mentioned in this list. His 5’7” frame and 67” reach is perfect for the Pinoy firebomb that stands just an inch shorter and shares the same reach. Antonio Margarito, regardless of him cheating or not, somehow erased or at least diminished Cotto’s once indomitable persona. The exceptionally fast Pacquiao, albeit considerably smaller, has enough power to hurt him. Cotto also has knockout power in both knuckles, but Pacquiao doesn’t have a glass chin either. Their styles are perfect for each other. A Pacquiao-Cotto showdown is probably the most exciting, most competitive, and most explosive among the prospective future Pacquiao fights, as well as the fight that will most likely happen next.
Source: philboxing.com
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Comments for this post
All comments
Posts
