Pacquiao poised to top P4P list anew
Credit to Author: EDDIE G. ALINEA| Date: Fri, 09 Aug 2019 16:18:07 +0000
In as much as the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. is still undecided on whether to accept Manny Pacquiao’s challenge for a rematch of their 2015 super fight 1, the Filipino ring icon might as well continue his journey toward further establishing his greatness.
Pacquiao, now 40 had just dealt previously unbeaten Keith Thurman his only second knockdown in his 12-year prizefighting career and, thus, dealt him, too, his first defeat in 30 fights, in the process, becoming the sole owner of the WBA welterweight belt.
The Filipino lawmaker also emerged as the oldest 147-pound titlist and moved to No. 3 in the division pound-for-pound rating, and, too, the most senior in the Ring Magazine’s P4P list.
That amazing victory over “One Time” sent the Senator occupying the No. 10 in the RING roster behind Mikey Garcia, a breath away from recapturing the top spot with another one or two more wins in his next fights. If plans materialize, Pacquiao could be facing the winner of the Errol Spence vs Shawn Porter two-belt unification bout set on September 28.
If the eight division world champ beats the winner of that Spence-Porter confrontation, he will be ending up owning the three versions of the 147 pound crown — WBA, WBC and IBF.
That would be enough to range the three-time Fighter of the Year against WBO title-holder Terence Crawford, the remaining man standing for him to sit on all four 147-pound thrones.
And to the top of the P4P totem pole. That depends, of course, on whether Bob Arum of Top Rank, Pacquiao’s former promoter before moving to Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions, would agree to make it happen.
Whether the Pacquiao-Crawford would push is an entirely different story, but it is for the Filipino hero to weigh in if he wants to establish further his legacy.
For that would open the door for him to add the honor of becoming the first man, too, to earn the distinction of having won the P4P title thrice, counting his earlier feat in 2019 and 2016.
No less than boxing analyst Max Kellerman and ex-world champion now top trainer Robert Garcia expressed belief that Pacquiao’s latest victory over previously undefeated Thurman was enough for the Filipino to be at least in the conversation for the No. 1 spot in boxing’s pound-for-pound list.
“When you think about what Pacquiao did from flyweight to 154 pounds junior-middleweight, from a teenager to 40-years-old, and when you consider the heights he reached, you are talking about certainly one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of all time,” Kellerman said in his monologue on ESPN’s Max on Boxing.
Garcia, on the other hand, trainer of younger brother and four-division champion Mikey Garcia, said he feels Pacquiao has a legitimate claim to the title of boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighter.
The older Garcia, in an exclusive interview with Elie Seckbach of EsNews, said that the Filipino legend, along with middleweight kingpin Canelo Alvarez, lightweight champ Vasyl Lomachenko, Crawford and Spence should occupy the top tier of today’s boxing hierarchy in no particular order.
“Pacquiao is up there now with his win (over Thurman), Canelo, Spence, Crawford, and Loma… It depends on who you ask, all five could be No. 1,” Garcia remarked.