By CARLO ANOLIN
Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, who hung up his gloves to focus on his presidential aspiration this coming May polls, barged into the all-time Top 10 list of boxers by The Ring Magazine.
Pacquiao, the only eight-division world boxing champion, was among the great boxing names included in the comprehensive list by Cliff Rold.
Pacquiao is ranked No. 9 in between Archie Moore at 10th and Ezzard Charles at 8th.
“The Filipino icon cracked Ring Magazine top 10s in four different decades from the 1990s to the 2020s with wins over reigning champions or opponents ranked in the top two of every weight class he competed in from flyweight to welterweight,” wrote Rold.
Pacquiao, through the years, became The Ring’s consistent awardee, bagging the Fighter of the Year awards in 2006, 2008, and 2009.
The boxer-turned-senator also hauled the magazine’s No. 1 Pound-for-Pound spot for four straight years starting 2008 to 2011.
Against Ricky Hatton in 2009, Pacquiao also captured the 2009 Knockout of the Year honor.
Per The Ring, Pacquiao entered the rankings with his first major title, the WBC flyweight title in particular, at age 19 when he dethroned Thai foe Chatchai Sasakul.
“Along with Ring Magazine titles at featherweight, junior lightweight and junior welterweight, Pacquiao also achieved No. 1-contender rankings at junior featherweight and welterweight along with a No. 1 ranking at flyweight in the era when The Ring did not recognize singular champions,” added Rold.
Topping the list are Sugar Ray Robinson (No. 1), Joe Louis (No. 2), and Muhammad Ali (No. 3)
Pacquiao’s rival, Floyd Mayweather Jr., placed No. 6 while completing the rankings are Tony Canzoneri (No. 4), Emile Griffith (No. 5), and Willie Pep (No. 7).
“Pacquiao couldn’t solve the riddle of Mayweather in the richest fight of all time, but several multi-fight rivalries magnified the greatness of Pacquiao. He topped Tim Bradley in two of their three fights,” wrote Rold.
“In nine fights against the Mexican trio of Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao was an impressive 6-2-1 and rebounded from a devastating knockout loss to Marquez in the last of those fights to add seven more wins over ranked opponents before what appears to be his farewell loss to Yordenis Ugas.”
Pacquiao, 43, retired from the sport after losing to Ugas.
