Manny Pacquiao is no doubt a lock for the boxing hall of fame; he quite rightly will go down as one of the greatest pound for pound fighters of all time. Many of us will remember the nights where he pummelled Oscar De La Hoya for 8 punishing rounds and sending the all-time great American in to retirement, or the night where he knocked Ricky Hatton unconscious in front of a raucous crowd at the MGM Grand, sending the likeable Mancunian into an early retirement also. Perhaps many will remember him as a hero, and remember him for the punishment he administered to Antonio Margarito following his return from the ban he received for wearing illegal hand wraps against Shane Mosley in 2009. Some other notable victims of the lightning quick Pacman's fists of fury were Cotto, Margarito, Clottey, Morales and Mosley to name just a few. Lets go back in time to just few short years ago, lets say three. Back then if you asked any boxing fan in the world what fight would most like to see happen, I am 99.999% certain what they all would tell you; Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather. For a few years the will they wont they, cat and mouse saga dragged on, on again, off again, on again, oh back off again. To date the fight never happened, ultimately it was the fans that were the biggest losers in the debacle. Pacquiao was then the number one Pound for Pound fighter on everyones rankings, he moved on. The Pride of the Philippines had the world at his feet; (almost) everyone wanted to fight him. In his last handful of fights, Pacquaio hasnt been able to produce the kind of performance that won him so many fans worldwide since he fought controversial Mexican Antonio Margarito in 2010. The Pacman handed out a brutal, sustained beating to the Mexican that lasted the full 10 rounds; earning him many new fans who were thrilled to see the cheat Margarito get a taste of his own medicine. Fast forward to 2013; ask any fight fan today who would they most like to see fight and you could receive any number of answers. One answer you wont get is Mayweather- Pacquiao (unless youre talking to a Filipino), why is that? Lets take a look. Pacmans last four fights have not produced much belief that he is still able to produce the performances of old, the type of performance need to beat a Mayweather.
Shane Mosley: May 7, 2011
Manny fought journeyman American Shane Mosley in 2011, winning by unanimous decision. There were signs in that performance that Pacquiao wasnt his usual relentless, all action, punishing self. Still though, he got a deserved victory all the same.