World boxer of 2008: Manny Pacquiao
OK, no surprise, but Manny Pacquiao did what many considered impossible in 2008 and would top any such list. Here he is pictured with Gloria Arroyo, the FIlipino president, being presented with his country's Legion of Honour for Sport. He is wearing an army uniform because he is a Reservist master sergeant in the Filipino Army.
Pacquiao had three fights in 2008 in three different weight divisions. First he struggled to get the better of old rival Juan Manuel Marquez for the WBC super-featherweight title, then he moved up to lightweight to win the WBC title in stunning style by outboxing then flattening David Diaz, then he moved up to welterweight to humiliate a weight-drained Oscar De La Hoya. Not bad for someone who began boxing as a light-flyweight and was world champion at flyweight.
A year ago talk of a Pacquiao-Hatton match sounded like a joke, now Pacquiao is favourite. Those saying Pacquiao willhave things easy are well wide of the mark, however. Pacquiao has more speed but if Hatton can get close he can make his strength count. Role on 2009.
Hopes for 2009: Some say a clash with Hatton is banged on for May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, but Floyd Mayweather Jr could still have something to say about that.
For the rest of this list, click here. Opinions and comments very welcome.
Such is the politics of boxing, why take a hard fight when there's better money for fighting a washed up fighter.
Posted by: NM | 5 Jan 2009 16:56:45
manny is the best.. speed, skill, hunger and charm too..
hoped he'd not be plastered by oscar..
he'll whip hatton good.
hatton and amir khan... just over rated and no fight in them. come on. be real.
Posted by: ken | 4 Jan 2009 11:43:21
Ron, whilst I admit that I favoured Diaz to beat Manny, I think we can now accept that De La Hoya was not the same fighter he was 10 years ago when he faced the Pacman. The Oscar that battered Chavez has come full cirlcle and now it is him that is a shot fighter. Therefore I cannot even class Manny's victories as better than Calzaghe's - who beat a Hopkins that went on to destroy Pavlik - and a Roy Jones that nobody wanted. Top performances in the past year were
1. Margarito
2. Calzaghe
3. Pacquiao
Sorry to disagree but had Pacman got in the ring with a prime welter like Margarito, we may now be discussing his demise. Without wishing to take too much away from his victory the win over Oscar is misleading. Hatton may get peppered all over the place by Pacman early but if Marquez can shake Manny, and bearing in mind that Hatton can take punches from Tszyu no probs, then Hatton should eventually overpower the Pacman.
Posted by: Crashing Dashing Kid | 1 Jan 2009 22:01:05