Despite Just One Win So Far In 2010, WBO Names Manny Pacquiao Fighter Of The Year

By James Slater – By his standards, pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao has had a relatively quiet ring year so far in 2010. We saw Pac-Man win a shutout over a reluctant Joshua Clottey in March, and we are awaiting the superstar’s upcoming rumble with Antonio Margarito. And if Pac-Man wins on Nov. 13th, thus grabbing his eighth “world” title in as many weight classes, he might have a shot at being voted The Fighter of The Year.

The WBO, though, feel Manny has already done enough to deserve the distinction, as they named the Filipino dynamo their Fighter of The Year at their recent convention in Colombia. More active fighters such as Wladimir Kitschko (who has already won two fights in dominant fashion this year, with a third fight coming up soon) might feel they are more worthy of being The FOTY, but the WBO feels the man of the year has been Pac-Man..

Antonio Margarito sure will make the organisation eat their choice of fighter for the distinction if he scores the upset next month, that’s for sure. Most probably, if “Tony” does manage to pull it off in Texas, he will be receiving many accolades himself. The Comeback of The Year award will surely belong to the Mexican if he can halt Pac-Man’s assault on history, and his achievement would also be guaranteed to pick up The Upset of The Year.

At this point, it’s still too early to be giving out Fighter, or Fight of The Year awards. We still have so much to look forward to, and if guys like Amir Khan, Juan Manual Marquez and Bernard Hopkins win in their upcoming bouts, they may be in with a serious chance of winning The FOTY trophy.

Margarito, though, feels he will be the man of the moment come November 13th, as he has predicted a KO win over Pacquiao; a fighter who has not lost since 2005 and who has not been stopped since way back in 1999 (down at fly-weight).

“As the rounds go by, it will be different and when he feels the pressure and the punch of Antonio Margarito, then the fight will change,” Margarito told Ringtv.com

Of course, Pacquiao (or at least his trainer, Freddie Roach) has predicted a KO victory as well, but only one guy will be proven correct. Unless of course the fight surprises a lot of people and actually goes the distance. But whether he wins by decision or whether he wins by KO, if Pacquiao wins, will he deserve to be voted The FOTY? Manny has had greater years – 2008 for example, when he won three huge fights in exciting fashion – but a light-middleweight win over Margarito, especially a smashing one, will make his 2010 another year worth remembering.