MANILA, Philippines (AP) — During his faultless 21-year pro career, Floyd Mayweather Jr. faced several of boxing's greats. But, of all of them, Filipino great Manny Pacquiao stood out as the finest one with whom he shared the ring. So how does one determine who is the greatest boxer in history? Let's take a look at some of the factors that go into making such a judgment.
Mayweather and Pacquiao had very different careers: While Mayweather won every fight he ever fought, Pacquiao never lost. Thus, they are not comparable in terms of their overall winning records. However, there are several factors other than just wins and losses that can be used to compare boxers. For example, both men were considered pound-for-pound fighters, but only Mayweather can truly be called so because nobody has ever beaten him up to date. They also both had remarkable resumes: Aside from being two of the best boxers of all time, they came from extremely poor backgrounds and had little or no access to any kind of training facility or coach. Both men found success early on in their careers and continued fighting even after their names had been associated with defeats.
Finally, they both had memorable fights with each other: There have been many great battles over the years between various opponents of both men. However, none of them reached the level of greatness of what Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was supposed to be.
Manny Pacquiao, according to ESPN expert Max Kellerman, might be the greatest boxer of all time. He's unquestionably a better boxer pound for pound than Floyd Mayweather. And he's achieved more in his career -- five world championships -- than any other fighter. However, he's not without his flaws. Kellerman noted that while Pacquiao is a great counterpuncher, he's also been stopped eight times in his career.
In order to determine who the greatest boxer of all time is, you have to look at statistics such as wins, losses, and draws. But beyond that, there's no real way to measure boxing skill. One thing's for sure: No matter how you look at it, Manny Pacquiao is one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Although Mayweather held the battle in the center of the ring, Pacquiao did hit some inside counters. Mayweather was awarded the round by all three judges. Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Manny Pacquiao by majority decision after 12 rounds, 118-110, 116-112, 116-112, to stay undefeated in his career. The fight was close throughout, with both fighters getting into plenty of fights inside the ring. Pacquiao took the first two rounds, but then Mayweather took control of the next eight rounds on all scorecards.
Mayweather used his power and speed advantage to impose his will on the bout. He landed more punches than Pacquiao, according to CompuBox, while also scoring several effective hooks and uppercuts. Pacquiao did land a few significant blows at various times, including a big left hook that sent Mayweather against the ropes in the third round. But overall, it was Mayweather who got the better of the exchanges.
Pacquiao started strong in their fourth meeting, taking the first two rounds on all three judges' cards. However, he seemed to tire in the following rounds, allowing Mayweather to take control again. The eighth round was very close, with both fighters trading punches until the end of the round when Mayweather scored a knockdown with a right hand. From that point on, it was all Mayweather. He outlanded Pacquiao 160 to 139 and won the fight by unanimous decision.
Money may not be everything...
Manny Pacquiao has undoubtedly established himself as one of the greatest fighters of his age. Pacquiao has won eight world titles in eight different weight classes, dominated the competition, and has not shied away from challenging the best. Those qualities alone will cement his place in boxing history.
But is he the greatest of all time? That's something only time will tell.
Manny Pacquiao is a Filipino professional boxer, media star, and politician who rose to prominence after winning more boxing titles than any other fighter in history. He ascended from impoverishment to the height of his sport, and he later became a senator in the Philippines.
Pacquiao first gained attention at an early age when he defeated several older opponents to win the national amateur championship. This led to his first international bout, which took place in 1995 against Malaysian contender Jeffery Ngaiming "The Punisher" Panjaitan. The match was held under no-rules rules and was seen by approximately 10 million television viewers in the Philippines. Pacquiao won by TKO (technical knockout) in the eighth round.
After this initial success, he decided to turn pro (i.e., become a professional boxer) and signed with a management company called MP Promotions. The company also represented other popular fighters in the country at the time, including Jeffrey Arrona and Nonito "The Don" Donaire. They were all given opportunities to compete abroad but only Pacquiao succeeded in doing so.
In 1998, he fought British champion Chris Eubank Jr. in London. The fight was declared a draw, but it made such an impression on the Philippines that many people believed Pacquiao had won. In 1999, he returned to Britain for a rematch with Eubank Jr.
Mayweather Jr. won the fight unanimously, with two judges scoring it 116–112 and the other 118–110.
| Weight Class | Welterweight |
|---|---|
| Weight | 147 lbs. |
| Floyd Mayweather Jr. (c) | |
| vs. | def. |
| Manny Pacquiao (c) |
Floyd Mayweather Junior is a American boxer who has been named as the number one box-offier in the world by various publications. He received this title after defeating Manny Pacquiao by majority decision on May 2, 2015, in Las Vegas. The fight was considered one of the greatest fights of all time and generated over $550 million in revenue. As well as being a great sporting event, the fight also made history because it was the first time in what must have been at least 10 years that two active boxing stars had met in the ring. Floyd's father, Floyd Sr., and Pacquiao's father, Francisco "Paco" Jr., were both professional fighters. They met three times in the ring, with each match being very significant for either man.
Their first encounter was in 1990 when Floyd Jr. was just 18 years old and fighting as an amateur. This fight took place at the National Boxing Stadium in Tokyo and resulted in a close fight but Floyd Jr. won via split decision. Four years later, in 1994, Floyd Sr. became a professional again and he went up against Pacquiao's father, Francisco "Paco" Jr., in a bout for the WBC super bantamweight championship.
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