Where does Pacquiao rank all-time?

Kessler vs Wardby Geoffrey Ciani – “I think after watching this fight we have to start talking about the all time great status of Manny Pacquiao. Does he now fall within the top ten? Or does a fight with Mayweather have to take place and does he have to win that fight in order to reach that top ten status? That’s my question for you guys.”—CALLER

This question was asked by one of our callers in the special post-fight edition of On the Ropes following Manny Pacquiao’s impressive effort against Miguel Cotto. There can be no doubt that Manny Pacquiao has firmly established his legacy as an all-time great. Top ten, though? Top fifteen, even? That seems awfully high. The question is inherently unfair because Pacquiao’s career is not over yet. Despite claims that he will only box for another year or so, it is conceivable that his career is far from over. The caller’s question inspired a somewhat heated exchange between me and the show’s Hostess, the lovely Miss Jenna J. The discussion evolved into a debate over whether Pacquiao is currently worthy of a top fifteen spot in an all time pound for pound sense. Jenna J thinks he is, I respectfully disagree..

People who support Jenna’s claim that Pacquiao is deserving of a top fifteen spot are quick to mention his winning titles in seven different weight classes. This is something unprecedented. More impressive yet, is the fact that he just beat a bona fide welterweight champion after starting his career at a mere 106 pounds. He also claimed the lineal championship in the flyweight, featherweight, and junior welterweight divisions. Pacquiao’s unique set of accomplishments combined with a variety of wins over future Hall of Famers Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Marco Antonio Barrera make for a compelling case. Recent wins against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton (undefeated at 140), and Miguel Cotto—fighters who had a considerable natural size advantage—only help strengthen this argument.

On the other hand, one must remember that there have been an awful lot of good fighters in the rich history of boxing. Haphazardly placing Pacquiao amongst the very best is something that might be tempting following his tremendous victory against Cotto. At the same time, perspective is important. Roberto Duran started his career as a bantamweight before dominating the lightweight division and ultimately moving up to beat the consensus number two welterweight of all time, Sugar Ray Leonard. Leonard himself was the first fighter to win titles in five different weight classes. Harry Greb was a middleweight who held victories against heavyweights and was the only fighter ever to defeat Gene Tunney. Henry Armstrong won titles in three true weight classes, including a victory over all time great Barney Ross who outweighed him by 21 pounds, to capture the welterweight title.

Personally I would not rate Pacquiao in the top fifteen at this time. I would peg him somewhere between 25 and 35, but to reiterate, the question itself is inherently unfair because Pacquiao’s career is not over. I think he has already surpassed the likes of Alexis Arguello, Julio Cesar Chavez, and Roy Jones Junior. Right now I would probably rate him somewhere closely behind Roberto Duran, perhaps even on the level of someone like Pernell Whitaker. He still has room for improvement, however. A win over Floyd Mayweather Junior would go a long ways towards enhancing his legacy. If he can beat Mayweather next year, I might bump him up as high as number fifteen, and if he could beat both Mayweather and Sugar Shane Mosley that would probably even warrant a top ten spot.

Evaluating fighters from different eras is a very daunting task. There is no universally agreed upon criteria to judge fighters and things are always thrown amiss by individual bias and personal preference. There can be no doubt that Pacquiao’s legacy is firmly established. Granting him a top fifteen spot, however, is more than a bit premature. The fact that people are even starting to ask whether or not Pacquiao warrants a spot in the top fifteen, or even the top ten, is truly a testament to his greatness. Pacquiao is a very unique and talented fighter who has been on an absolutely amazing run the past six years since first defeating Marco Antonio Barrera. With a mega bout against Floyd Mayweather looming on the horizon, one thing is for certain—we are all witnessing something very special and should enjoy it while it lasts.

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If you missed the Pacquiao-Cotto post-fight edition of On the Ropes be sure to tune in!

(Listen to Jenna and I debate Pacuqiao’s all time standing at approximately the 49 minute mark of the show).

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To contact Geoffrey Ciani or Jenna J:
ontheropes@boxing247.com

To read more by Jenna J please visit The Mushroom Mag:
http//www.eatthemushroom.com/mag