Manny Pacquiao: Boxing’s one and only four-decade champion.
The fact Manny Pacquiao won titles in a record eight divisions – of 17 total – is generally cited as his greatest accomplishment. Another of them might never be topped.
Pacquiao, who announced his retirement on Tuesday, is believed to be the first fighter to hold major titles in four decades. The Filipino icon, who turned pro at 16 in 1995 and is now 42, won his first world title (flyweight) when he stopped Chatchai Sasakul in eight rounds in 1998 and his most-recent belt (welterweight) when he defeated Keith Thurman by a split decision this in July 2019.
Here are Pacquiao’s major titles by decade:
1990s
WBC flyweight (1998) – KO 8 Chatchai Sasakul
2000s
IBF junior featherweight (2001) – TKO 6 Lehlo Ledwaba
*-Featherweight (2003) – TKO 11 Marco Antonio Barrera
WBC junior lightweight (2008) – SD 12 Juan Manuel Marquez
Manny Pacquiao: Boxing’s one and only four-decade champion.
The fact Manny Pacquiao won titles in a record eight divisions – of 17 total – is generally cited as his greatest accomplishment. Another of them might never be topped.
Pacquiao, who announced his retirement on Tuesday, is believed to be the first fighter to hold major titles in four decades. The Filipino icon, who turned pro at 16 in 1995 and is now 42, won his first world title (flyweight) when he stopped Chatchai Sasakul in eight rounds in 1998 and his most-recent belt (welterweight) when he defeated Keith Thurman by a split decision this in July 2019.
Here are Pacquiao’s major titles by decade:
1990s
WBC flyweight (1998) – KO 8 Chatchai Sasakul
2000s
IBF junior featherweight (2001) – TKO 6 Lehlo Ledwaba
*-Featherweight (2003) – TKO 11 Marco Antonio Barrera
WBC junior lightweight (2008) – SD 12 Juan Manuel Marquez
Manny Pacquiao retirement: Thanks for the memories, Pacman.
Manny Pacquiao was unknown when he made his U.S. debut against 122-pound titleholder Lehlo Ledwaba on the undercard of the Oscar De La Hoya-Javier Castillejo card in June 2001. Heck, his new trainer, Freddie Roach, barely knew who the 22-year-old Filipino was.
Everyone knew afterward.
The speed, both in hand and foot. The high volume of punches from all sorts of impossible angles. The power in his shots, which produced so many knockouts in the first half of his career. And the mesmirizing dynamism, which few fighters could match.
All of it was evident in his knockout victory over Ledwaba, which opened the world’s eyes to his unusual talents. And he never slowed down over the next two decades, producing one of the most accomplished careers in the history of the sport.
Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) was fortunate in that he had many worthy foils, starting with a decade-long rivalry with the great Mexican trio of Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, against whom he finished with a record of 6-2-1.
He left no doubt about his greatness in his wars against the Mexicans, each of whom is in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
But that was only a start. He was arguably at his greatest during an unforgettable four-fight stretch in 2008 and 2009, when he knocked out in succession David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.
The eight-round demolition of De La Hoya was a passing-of-the torch fight, from the outgoing face of the sport to his successor. And the Hatton fight provided arguably the most dramatic moment of Pacquiao’s career, a chilling left hand that knocked the normally durable Englishman unconscious and left onlookers in awe.
It was at that time that knowledgeable people began to compare Pacquiao to the greatest fighters of all time, including Henry Armstrong, who held three of the eight championships simultaneously at his peak. Pacquiao ended up with major titles in a record eight divisions, if you count Ring Magazine belts.
It was also around this time that the American public got to know Pacquiao personally, as he made multiple appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Pacquiao had little to say – he’s quiet by nature – yet he managed to charm millions with his smile, humility and sense of humor. No one is more likeable than Manny Pacquiao.
And still he was far from finished.
He continued to win after the Cotto fight, including a near-shutout decision over the naturally bigger brute Antonio Margarito in front of about 40,000 at the Dallas Cowboys’ home stadium in 2010, which gave the one time 112-pound champ a title at 154.
Pacquiao seemed almost untouchable at that point. And then, in 2012, he proved to be human.
Timothy Bradley defeated him by a controversial split decision, his first setback in more than seven years. And it got worse. In his next fight, Marquez, who became his arch rival, capped their four-fight series by doing to Pacquiao what Pacquiao had done to Hatton: He knocked him out cold with a single right hand in the sixth round.
Even at his worst moment, however, Pacquiao won respect by offering no excuses and acknowledging, in so many words, that such disappointments are simply a part of boxing. Always classy.
And he didn’t allow the back-to-back disappointments to discourage him. He bounced back by beating Brandon Rios, avenging his loss to Bradley and outpointing Chris Algieri to set up a long-awaited showdown in 2015 with Floyd Mayweather, arguably the only fighter from the era who was better than he was.
Some complained that the fight happened beyond the peaks of both fighters – Mayweather was 38, Pacquiao 36 – but the fans certainly bought into the event. It generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys in the U.S., which translated to nine-figure paydays for the fighters.
The fight didn’t live up to the hype – Mayweather won a wide decision – but its success was a testament to the star power of the fighters.
Pacquiao continued to fight after the super fight with Mayweather but, as he approached his 40th birthday, he seemed to have lost a step. He still had quick hands and could move well but he couldn’t fight at the pace he once did.
Still, he earned a shot at undefeated welterweight titleholder Keith Thurman in July 2019. The champion had to deal with nagging injuries and a long layoff but most experts picked the younger fighter to retain his belt against the grand, but overmatched old man even though oddsmakers saw the fight as roughly even.
Well, Pacquiao, 40, made the oddsmakers look like geniuses by giving the world one last special performance. He put Thurman down in the first round, controlled most of the fight and then withstood a late rally by the champion to add one more championship belt to his gaudy collection.
He also added one last bit of evidence to demonstrate his greatness, although it certainly wasn’t necessary.
Pacquiao fought once more, losing a decision to Yordenis Ugas in a bid to regain the belt that was stripped from him because of inactivity. The fight came after a two-year layoff, largely because of the pandemic, and amid Pacquiao’s growing political ambitions. The long-serving senator recently accepted his party’s nomination to run for president of the Philippines.
Still, he was competitive against a capable opponent, demonstrating that he could’ve continued to fight at a reasonably high level. And he considered it. A chance to avenge the setback was tempting. Instead, he chose this time to close the book on his beloved boxing and shift his focus 100% to serving his beloved people.
Pacquiao gave boxing fans more of himself than they could have expected from a single man. We should be grateful, not greedy. Thanks for everything, Manny.
Manny Pacquiao retirement: Thanks for the memories, Pacman.
Manny Pacquiao was unknown when he made his U.S. debut against 122-pound titleholder Lehlo Ledwaba on the undercard of the Oscar De La Hoya-Javier Castillejo card in June 2001. Heck, his new trainer, Freddie Roach, barely knew who the 22-year-old Filipino was.
Everyone knew afterward.
The speed, both in hand and foot. The high volume of punches from all sorts of impossible angles. The power in his shots, which produced so many knockouts in the first half of his career. And the mesmirizing dynamism, which few fighters could match.
All of it was evident in his knockout victory over Ledwaba, which opened the world’s eyes to his unusual talents. And he never slowed down over the next two decades, producing one of the most accomplished careers in the history of the sport.
Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) was fortunate in that he had many worthy foils, starting with a decade-long rivalry with the great Mexican trio of Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, against whom he finished with a record of 6-2-1.
He left no doubt about his greatness in his wars against the Mexicans, each of whom is in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
But that was only a start. He was arguably at his greatest during an unforgettable four-fight stretch in 2008 and 2009, when he knocked out in succession David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.
The eight-round demolition of De La Hoya was a passing-of-the torch fight, from the outgoing face of the sport to his successor. And the Hatton fight provided arguably the most dramatic moment of Pacquiao’s career, a chilling left hand that knocked the normally durable Englishman unconscious and left onlookers in awe.
It was at that time that knowledgeable people began to compare Pacquiao to the greatest fighters of all time, including Henry Armstrong, who held three of the eight championships simultaneously at his peak. Pacquiao ended up with major titles in a record eight divisions, if you count Ring Magazine belts.
It was also around this time that the American public got to know Pacquiao personally, as he made multiple appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Pacquiao had little to say – he’s quiet by nature – yet he managed to charm millions with his smile, humility and sense of humor. No one is more likeable than Manny Pacquiao.
And still he was far from finished.
He continued to win after the Cotto fight, including a near-shutout decision over the naturally bigger brute Antonio Margarito in front of about 40,000 at the Dallas Cowboys’ home stadium in 2010, which gave the one time 112-pound champ a title at 154.
Pacquiao seemed almost untouchable at that point. And then, in 2012, he proved to be human.
Timothy Bradley defeated him by a controversial split decision, his first setback in more than seven years. And it got worse. In his next fight, Marquez, who became his arch rival, capped their four-fight series by doing to Pacquiao what Pacquiao had done to Hatton: He knocked him out cold with a single right hand in the sixth round.
Even at his worst moment, however, Pacquiao won respect by offering no excuses and acknowledging, in so many words, that such disappointments are simply a part of boxing. Always classy.
And he didn’t allow the back-to-back disappointments to discourage him. He bounced back by beating Brandon Rios, avenging his loss to Bradley and outpointing Chris Algieri to set up a long-awaited showdown in 2015 with Floyd Mayweather, arguably the only fighter from the era who was better than he was.
Some complained that the fight happened beyond the peaks of both fighters – Mayweather was 38, Pacquiao 36 – but the fans certainly bought into the event. It generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys in the U.S., which translated to nine-figure paydays for the fighters.
The fight didn’t live up to the hype – Mayweather won a wide decision – but its success was a testament to the star power of the fighters.
Pacquiao continued to fight after the super fight with Mayweather but, as he approached his 40th birthday, he seemed to have lost a step. He still had quick hands and could move well but he couldn’t fight at the pace he once did.
Still, he earned a shot at undefeated welterweight titleholder Keith Thurman in July 2019. The champion had to deal with nagging injuries and a long layoff but most experts picked the younger fighter to retain his belt against the grand, but overmatched old man even though oddsmakers saw the fight as roughly even.
Well, Pacquiao, 40, made the oddsmakers look like geniuses by giving the world one last special performance. He put Thurman down in the first round, controlled most of the fight and then withstood a late rally by the champion to add one more championship belt to his gaudy collection.
He also added one last bit of evidence to demonstrate his greatness, although it certainly wasn’t necessary.
Pacquiao fought once more, losing a decision to Yordenis Ugas in a bid to regain the belt that was stripped from him because of inactivity. The fight came after a two-year layoff, largely because of the pandemic, and amid Pacquiao’s growing political ambitions. The long-serving senator recently accepted his party’s nomination to run for president of the Philippines.
Still, he was competitive against a capable opponent, demonstrating that he could’ve continued to fight at a reasonably high level. And he considered it. A chance to avenge the setback was tempting. Instead, he chose this time to close the book on his beloved boxing and shift his focus 100% to serving his beloved people.
Pacquiao gave boxing fans more of himself than they could have expected from a single man. We should be grateful, not greedy. Thanks for everything, Manny.
Manny Pacquiao announced his retirement from boxing in a video on Tuesday.
The boxing career of Manny Pacquiao is over.
The 42-year-old former eight-division champion from the Philippines, who has fought professionally for more than a quarter century, announced his retirement in a video on Tuesday.
Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) was last in the ring on Aug. 21, when he lost a clear decision to WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas. The senator subsequently accepted his party’s nomination to run for president of his country.
“It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over,” Pacquiao said in the video. “Today, I am announcing my retirement. I had never thought that this day would come. As I hang up my boxing gloves, I would like to thank the whole world, especially the Filipino people, for supporting Manny Pacquiao.
“Goodbye, boxing. Thank you for changing my life. My family was desperate, you gave us hope. You give me the chance to fight out way out of poverty. Because of you, I was able to inspire people all over the world.”
Pacquiao will be remembered as one of the best fighters of his era pound for pound, perhaps second only to Floyd Mayweather.
Here is a link to the video on which Pacquiao made his announcement.
Manny Pacquiao announced his retirement from boxing in a video on Tuesday.
The boxing career of Manny Pacquiao is over.
The 42-year-old former eight-division champion from the Philippines, who has fought professionally for more than a quarter century, announced his retirement in a video on Tuesday.
Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) was last in the ring on Aug. 21, when he lost a clear decision to WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas. The senator subsequently accepted his party’s nomination to run for president of his country.
“It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over,” Pacquiao said in the video. “Today, I am announcing my retirement. I had never thought that this day would come. As I hang up my boxing gloves, I would like to thank the whole world, especially the Filipino people, for supporting Manny Pacquiao.
“Goodbye, boxing. Thank you for changing my life. My family was desperate, you gave us hope. You give me the chance to fight out way out of poverty. Because of you, I was able to inspire people all over the world.”
Pacquiao will be remembered as one of the best fighters of his era pound for pound, perhaps second only to Floyd Mayweather.
Here is a link to the video on which Pacquiao made his announcement.
Manny Pacquiao seems to be inching toward retirement.
Has Manny Pacquiao retired?
The 42-year-old Filipino icon seemed to indicate conclusively on the Tony Talks podcast that he has fought for the last time, saying, “My boxing career is already over. It’s done because I’ve been in boxing for a long time and my family says that it is enough.”
That would make sense given his age, a so-so performance in a unanimous-decision loss to Yordenis Ugas last month and the recent announcement that the senator has accepted his party’s nomination to run for president of the Philippines next year.
Everything seems to be pointing toward retirement.
However, MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons told Yahoo Sports that the eight-division titleholder hasn’t made a final decision on whether he’ll fight again.
“The Senator is a presidential candidate and has made no decision on boxing career yet,” Gibbons said. “He will in the next few weeks will make a final decision whether to have one more or retire.”
Also, Pacquiao, obviously disappointed with his performance against Ugas, had earlier expressed interest in a rematch.
Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) burst onto the international scene when he upset Lehlo Ledwaba by a sixth-round knockout to win a 122-pound title in his U.S. debut. Over the next two decades, he became an all-time great and arguably the most-beloved fighter of his era.
He might be remembered best for his series against the great Mexican trio of Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez – against whom he finished 6-2-1 – but also defeated Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, Tim Bradley and Keith Thurman (when he was 40).
His biggest fight was his 2015 meeting with Floyd Mayweather, who won a unanimous decision to underscore the prevailing wisdom that Mayweather was the best of the era.
