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What’s next for Terence Crawford?

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By Sina Latif

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Published: October 04, 2023

What’s next for Terence Crawford?

The boxing world first got a real glimpse of Terence "Bud" Crawford when he dismantled Amir Khan's first-round conqueror, Briedis Prescott, via unanimous decision in March 2013. This was a guy who could be special.

Once Crawford defeated Ricky Burns in Glasgow to win his first world title at lightweight, then successfully defended against fellow rising star Yuriorkis Gamboa, there was always one mission for Crawford: to attain the respect and recognition that his talent deserves. For a fighter so immensely skilled and exciting, people needed to know who Crawford was.

As Crawford went through the divisions, becoming an undisputed champion and successfully defeating everyone in front of him, often world-class fighters who were made to look so ordinary, the same issue remained.

This guy should be a pay-per-view star. He's too good not to be. He's potentially a generational talent, yet he lacked the wider name recognition that a great pay-per-view star with such a skill set deserved.

Since Crawford made the move to welterweight in 2018, there was always one fighter whose name was mentioned, and that was Errol Spence Jr. It became apparent Spence was the generational rival of Crawford's and the real legacy definer of Crawford's career. After years of failed negotiations, drawn-out social media spats, and Crawford leaving Top Rank to seek out this fight, it was finally made.

Then came Crawford's finest hour. In the biggest fight of his life, with the whole boxing world's eyes on the T-Mobile Arena ring in Las Vegas on the night of 29th July 2023, Crawford was truly majestic. He dominated his supposed equal and fellow pound-for-pound elite rival.

Crawford stopped Spence and became a two-weight undisputed champion. With this win, Crawford finally earned the right to call the shots in his career, and at 36 years of age, he is undoubtedly now seeking out the biggest paydays and legacy definers.

Not just any fight will suffice. Crawford is rightly looking for the biggest fights out there, but which ones are they?

In the immediate post-fight interview, Spence expressed his desire to run it back at 154 lbs. Crawford said he would happily oblige, and the rematch does not need to be at 147 lbs.

Spence triggered the contractual rematch clause recently, and the completion of the rematch seemed a formality. However, it seems Crawford has now had second thoughts on his initial post-fight statements.

A close friend of Crawford's said the following on Twitter: "Facts… and to all the people out here spreading false narratives, Bud is offering Errol a fight at 147. If he doesn't take it, which we're hoping he doesn't because it's a waste of time, Bud wants to do [something] that's never been done and move up 3 weight classes to beat Canelo."

Facts… and to all the people out here spreading false narratives, Bud is offering Errol a fight at 147. If he doesn’t take it, which we’re hoping he doesn’t because it’s a waste of time, Bud wants to do sumn that’s never been done and move up 3 weight classes to beat Canelo https://t.co/39WpCdiUgU

— Steven “So Cold” Nelson (@SoColdNelson) September 15, 2023

Due to his victory in the first fight, Crawford has a say on the weight of the rematch. If these reports are accurate, considering Spence's reported struggles of making the welterweight limit, it is still being determined whether Spence would opt for the immediate rematch at 147lbs.

If Crawford desires a potential generational showdown with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez for his undisputed super middleweight titles, a move up to 154 lbs to adjust to fighting at a higher weight will make sense for Crawford. However, as the winner of the first showdown, Crawford has earned the right to call the shots, and time will tell if the rematch takes place.

Another option for Crawford, the only man currently at welterweight who could present a challenge, is Jaron "Boots" Ennis. In terms of athleticism, youth, speed, power, switch-hitting, size, and arguably physical strength, Crawford holds no advantages over the young lion. Crawford's only apparent advantages come in experience and, arguably, ring IQ.

However, in a recent appearance on "The Breakfast Club," Crawford said:

"Listen, right now in my career, a lotta people like, 'Boots this, Boots that, Boots this,'" Crawford told co-hosts DJ Envy and Charlamagne The God. "You know, fightin' Boots is a lose-lose situation. You know, I win, they gonna say, 'Oh, well, he was young. He wasn't ready. You know, he was talented, he was skillful. But you got the experience over him.

"You got, you know, so much more than this kid that never been tested before. You know, because we always seen him win [with] flying colors. You know, to where we say, oh man, he's cold, he's skilful, but he's never been in the ring with nobody to test him.'"

At 26, Ennis is 10 years younger than Crawford. The Philadelphian is undoubtedly an elite-level talent, but he has never faced an opponent as dangerous, versatile, gifted, skillful, complete, or experienced as Crawford. Of course, this does not guarantee victory for Crawford.

Nobody expected the inexperienced and young then-Cassius Clay to defeat Sonny Liston or the young Leon Spinks, with only seven professional fights, to dethrone Muhammad Ali.

To defeat his generational rival in Spence and then successfully defend against the number 1 contender, the rising star of the welterweight division would place Crawford amongst the welterweight greats.

Seeking greatness comes with risk. Then-undisputed middleweight king Bernard Hopkins put his long reign on the line against the untested but wonderfully athletic and gifted Jermain Taylor and lost his titles. On the flip side, Lennox Lewis successfully defended his heavyweight crown against the young and hungry Vitali Klitschko, a last-minute replacement and leading heavyweight of the following era, before bowing out on top.

Such risks come with great danger but great rewards, too. Nevertheless, Crawford is seeking out the biggest legacy definers and money makers out there that make the most business sense, and after everything he has had to overcome to get here, he has earned that right.

Crawford has frequently expressed his interest in fighting unified super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo in the past. However, following Charlo's loss to Canelo, Crawford stated Charlo is "no longer on my hit list."

Ok y’all I’m over @TwinCharlo he’s no longer on my hit list. He went out there and laid down and let Canelo spank him like he was his daddy with no type of resistance.😂

— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) October 1, 2023

Nevertheless, Charlo remained open to the idea of moving back down to 154lbs following the Canelo fight to face Crawford.

The WBO ruled that its interim champion, Australia's Tim Tszyu, would become its full-fledged 154-pound champion once Charlo fights Alvarez. After Tszyu was elevated, Charlo is no longer officially boxing's undisputed 154 lbs champion.

Crawford is chasing greatness and is looking to become a three-weight division undisputed champion. Although he desired a Charlo showdown at 154 to become just that, with the Tszyu and WBO recent developments and what Crawford thought was a poor showing by Charlo against Canelo, Crawford states he has readjusted his desires, with a Canelo showdown very much on his radar.

When recently speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience, Crawford said the following about if Canelo defeats Charlo: "For a person to go up three weight classes from 147 to 168 and to win, and become undisputed, wow.. what can they say?"

Who will Terence Crawford fight next?

In the post-fight press conference after the Charlo fight, Canelo was asked about a Crawford fight, to which he responded, "if it makes sense, but he's (Crawford) not in the plan."

If the business does indeed make sense, and Crawford was to secure that fight and be successful, his all-time pound-for-pound standing would suddenly place him in a very exclusive club with past pugilistic greats.

If all else fails, Tim Tszyu isn't the worst option for Crawford. The Australian is unbeaten and is now elevated to full WBO champion at 154 lbs. The son of Aussie great Kosta Tszyu is clearly talented in his own right, with guts, power, and an exciting all-action style that would call for a thrilling showdown with "Bud."

Crawford could try to take Tszyu's belt so that when a potential Charlo fight comes around at 154, a Crawford-Charlo showdown could still be for undisputed status.

For now, Tszyu is set to defend his WBO title against Brian Mendoza in October.

Crawford told us all that this was his era, and he now sits at the top of the sport as the best boxer in the world in many people's eyes. With the arrival of his 36th birthday, retirement may be on the horizon.

Two months after the Spence fight, Crawford does not have a next opponent yet, but with options aplenty, Crawford may have the chance in the twilight of his career to cement his legacy as one of the sport's all-time greats.

(Featured Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)

[blodeuweddschild]

Howdy my guy! I need some help. What are some of the BFUCU characters? I wanna write some Tinsworth, and I don't really remember all of them. I know there's Tinsley, Goldsworth, Holly Horsely, and Banjo McClintock. Who else is there? Thanks in advance!! :D

So as far as I know there is (I’ve included ones you’ve listed in case others don’t know who they are) ~

Ricky Goldsworth (12:25): Elite sociopath (think Hannibal), vigilante, general serial killer, evil bratty heir, probably has daddy issues. His mother is called Lucy Goldsworth. Could be in love with C.C. Tinsley

C.C. Tinsley (9:18): Private detective, lawyer, corrupt cop, very lanky, tired and likes his coffee black. Could be in love with Ricky Goldsworth

Holly Horsely (3:46): C.C. Tinsley’s boss, lawyer, she’ll usually have to stop everyone from ripping each other’s throats out, completely done with everyone’s shit

The Mayor (16:50): Had his house stolen by Ricky Goldsworth and isn’t too happy about it but he’s too nervous to fight back

Dr Fear (4:05): Evil doctor (if you’ve ever seen AHS Asylum I’d say maybe Dr Arden might be a half decent base but only for what he does to the patients), may or may not have murked C.C. Tinsley

Francesca Norris (9:50): Spy, general criminal but she’s better than everyone else at it, assassin, might work with Ricky Goldsworth depending on her mood. She’s better than everyone and she knows it

Night Night (3:34): In a mob with Legs, has killed like 90 people, notorious. Probably has a family relation to Ricky Goldsworth

Legs (3:20): In a mob with Night Night, has considerably long legs

Banjo McClintock (24:30): Art thief, spy, usually mischievous but not murderous. But in other things he may be a police chief (sometimes corrupt, sometimes not. Usually is though). Shane but in a moustache

Silent Js (9:28): Both Andrew’s and Shane’s (alternate) Mob names, in a mob with Night Night

When you write your story please do tell me because I’d absolutely love to read it!

[frontproofmedia]

A look at the Fighting Life of Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford

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By Sina Latif

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Published: March 31, 2022

Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford has been a pound-for-pound elite mainstay in boxing for the best part of a decade. Bud is undefeated and in his prime, and it will take either Father Time or an All-Time Great performance by an opponent to beat him.

However, the journey to the top has not been an easy one and has been one worthy of moulding such a tough, special fighter.

Terence was raised in Omaha, Nebraska, by a single mother on a street that has since been renamed “Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford Street.”

Crawford’s mother, Debra, brought him up with a certain type of tough love. When Terence was born, his father branded him ‘a million dollar’ baby, a world champion, to which Debra responded he “wouldn’t be shit”. Growing up, Debra offered $10 to any kid who could beat Terence up on the streets. Later, prior to his first title shot against Ricky Burns, Debra told Terence he was ‘gonna get his ass kicked.

Crawford’s induction to fighting was as a kid on the streets of Omaha before entering the boxing gym and looking to take his fighting to the next level in the boxing arena.

Shortly after Crawford’s professional debut in 2008, a setback, and major re-awakening, occurred. Whilst shooting dice with some neighbourhood gangsters in North Omaha, Bud returned to his car to count his winnings. A gun bullet then grazed Crawford’s skull. This near-death incident was a huge wake-up call for Crawford, which made him put his previous life entirely behind him and dedicate himself to a new life which has carried him to the summit of professional boxing.

Crawford is the best finisher in the sport today. Once he hurts an opponent, he will pounce and get them out of there. There are really good fighters, and there are special fighters. The special ones have that “It” factor. Crawford has it. He is as complete a fighter as any in recent memory. Crawford is arguably the greatest switch hitter in the history of boxing in his seamless way of switching from orthodox to southpaw, or vice versa, and is a great counter-puncher. There’s the silky skills, power, toughness, poise, and vicious killer’s instinct, but there’s also his supreme confidence and competitiveness. The heart and doggedness. The intangibles that make him an extremely difficult individual to beat.

Crawford once said: “When it’s time to fight, it’s time to fight. At the end of the day, it’s going to be me or you, and I’m coming.”

In March 2013, Crawford moved up to super lightweight and fought the hard-hitting Colombian, Breidis Prescott, on less than two weeks’ notice and prevailed via unanimous decision. In a display of ring IQ and superior speed, Crawford shocked the world and took Prescott apart. With this win, the Nebraskan improved to 20-0, and his career was starting to take off.

After working his way up the rankings, Crawford received his first title shot for the WBO lightweight title against Burns in Glasgow, Scotland, in March 2014.

Teddy Atlas has repeatedly referred to Crawford as the best switch hitter and most instinctive fighter he has ever seen. During this fight, Crawford’s natural fighting instincts came to the fore for all to see. Bud switched effortlessly between orthodox and southpaw throughout the fight to outfight and outbox Burns, and with a clear points victory, he inflicted Burns’ first loss in seven years and became the new WBO lightweight champion of the world.

Crawford’s first defense was against an undefeated Yuriorkis Gamboa in front of his hometown fans at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha.

Gamboa was a 2004 Olympic gold medalist on the come-up through the professional ranks. Crawford’s switch-hitting prowess strengthened him both offensively and defensively and yet again enabled him to prevail in style. With a scintillating display, Crawford scored a ninth-round stoppage and introduced himself as a star to the boxing world.

His final title defense at 135 lbs came against arguably the second-best lightweight in the world in Raymundo Beltran. In a constant running theme throughout Crawford’s career, Crawford has always been in with supposedly the toughest opponent of his career.

Nevertheless, Crawford proceeded to close out 2014 by scoring a 12-round shut-out against the Mexican warrior to win his first Ring Magazine world title.

With nothing left to accomplish at lightweight, Crawford commenced 2015 by making a move up to the 140 lbs division.

Just over a year after claiming his first WBO title at lightweight, Crawford fought for the vacant WBO super-lightweight title in April 2015 against Thomas Dulorme. In what has become very common during Crawford’s championship fights, Bud produced a commanding, highly skilled performance to stop Dulorme in the sixth round after three knockdowns to become a two-weight division champion.

Crawford’s exploits throughout the next two years established him as the most dominant champion at 140 lbs since it was “Hawk Time” in the early 1980s when Aaron Pryor was the top dog of the division.

After two successful title defenses against Dierry Jean and Henry Lundy, Crawford had a unification showdown with WBC super lightweight champion Viktor Postol. Postol was viewed as the main man of the 140 lbs division and a legitimate threat to Crawford’s unbeaten record. Nevertheless, Crawford had no regard for the script. On July 23, 2016, Crawford displayed a masterclass. With his vicious counters, movement, poise, a vast array of punches, and precise shots, Crawford out-classed Postol with another highly skilled performance. The only thing left for Crawford at 140 lbs was to unify all the belts.

After two successful defenses of his WBC, WBO, and Ring Magazine titles against John Molina Jr and Felix Diaz, Crawford faced WBA and IBF champion Julius Indongo in an attempt to become the first undisputed 140 lbs champion during the four-belt era. As a skillful, awkward, rangy, hard-hitting southpaw, Indongo was viewed as a dangerous opponent for Crawford. When fight night arrived, from the opening bell, Crawford displayed his versatility to fight out of the southpaw stance, stifling Indongo with his superior speed. In the second round, a brutal right to the body followed by a straight left to the head dropped the Namibian to the canvas. In the third round, a vicious and quite literally breath-taking left to the body made Indongo drown on the canvas, and Crawford became the undisputed super lightweight champion of the world.

After cleaning out the 140 lbs division, the next step for ‘Bud’ was to move up to welterweight, the most talent-laden division in history, and attempt to wreak havoc there.

In June 2018, in his first fight at 147 lbs, Crawford dominated and battered Jeff Horn for eight rounds and dropped the Aussie in round 9 before the referee mercifully stopped the fight in the ninth, making Bud the WBO welterweight champion.

After four defenses of his title against mediocre opposition came Crawford’s toughest career opponent by far in Shawn Porter. As the boogeyman of the welterweight division, Crawford had been unable to land a meaningful fight at 147 lbs, and so a showdown against a game and always-ready Porter, who had faced every elite welterweight of his era, was refreshing and a legacy-builder for Bud.

Porter put forth a fierce effort with constant effective aggression, with his lunging power shots and rough inside punching. However, Crawford continued to gather information as the rounds passed by and made adjustments. With time, Crawford has really come into his own as a welterweight. He has filled out and carries genuine power at the weight, stopping all his opponents at 147 lbs. This power showed in the tenth round, with Crawford becoming the first man to ever stop Porter following two knockdowns. At the 1:21 mark of round 10, Porter’s father and trainer, Kenny Porter, jumped on the ring apron to call a halt to the fight.

As a two-weight lineal champion and three-weight division champion with 16 title fights, Crawford has already amassed a Hall of Fame career. With his great boxing skills, terrific adaptability, and vicious killer’s instinct when required, it’s like we are witnessing a modern-day Marvelous Marvin Hagler when watching Crawford in full flow. He has that same chip on his shoulder. However, for Crawford to get the recognition his talent deserves and be recognized in the same breath as all-time greats such as Hagler, he must face and defeat Errol Spence Jr, the other leading welterweight of his generation. If Crawford and Spence don’t face one another, it will go down as one of the biggest disasters in boxing history, with two elite, undefeated, pound-for-pound stars, both welterweights, competing in the same era, both in their prime and not fighting.

In a recent interview with Behind The Gloves, Crawford said: “If I can’t get the Spence - Ugas winner, I would love to get the Jermell (Charlo) - Castano winner.”

When speaking about Crawford and Spence on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Mike Tyson recently said: “These guys have gotta want to be immortal. I wanted to be immortal. I wanted the world to know my name until the end of time.”

Crawford is a generational talent, and if Spence prevails against Yordenis Ugas and the Spence fight cannot be made for Crawford, an undisputed showdown at 154 lbs would be the greatest alternative. Bud’s aspirations of sealing an undisputed fight in the near future at 147 or 154 lbs to become a two-weight undisputed champion is the sort of accomplishment that will seal all-time great status and the immortality that Tyson referred to.

Whether Crawford manages one of these “Dare to be Great” fights in these final years of his career remains to be seen, but his legacy will depend on it.

(Featured Photo: Nati Harnik/Associated Press)

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Terence Crawford-Shawn Porter Welterweight Title Showdown Set for November 20 at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas

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Published: September 29, 2021

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 29, 2021) — Pound-for-pound star Terence “Bud” Crawford has called out the welterweight superstars for years. His long wait for a legacy-defining fight is now over. Crawford will defend his WBO welterweight world title and unbeaten record Saturday, Nov. 20 against two-time welterweight champion and WBO No. 1 contender “Showtime” Shawn Porter at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Tickets starting at $54 go on sale Monday, Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com. Undercard information will be announced shortly. “This is a fight that reminds me of all the great welterweight battles of the 1980s and 90s, two prime fighters unafraid to tackle the biggest challenge available to them,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Terence has wanted a challenge like this for a very long time, and I am confident he will rise to the occasion. Shawn Porter, however, is not an easy night for any fighter.” “I’ve been calling out the top welterweights since I moved up to 147 in 2018, and I’m excited that Shawn stepped up,” Crawford said. “This fight will bring out the best in me and showcase parts of my game that the world hasn’t seen yet. On November 20, I will silence my doubters and prove that I am the best welterweight in the world.” Porter said, “I’ve wanted this fight for a long time and now my patience has paid off. Throughout my career, I’ve taken on the best and proven myself as a man who gives 100 percent in everything I do. Terence Crawford is a great, versatile fighter who is very athletic just like myself. We are the two best welterweights in the world, and on November 20, we get a chance to prove who is the best. Fight fans can expect a great show that night and, with this victory, I will cement myself as the best welterweight of this era.” Matt Kenny, Vice President, Programming & Acquisition, ESPN added, “We are thrilled to present this blockbuster welterweight showdown exclusively on ESPN+ PPV. This is the kind of fight that boxing fans dream of and we are looking forward to a tremendous event on November 20.” Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs), the three-weight world champion from America’s heartland, Omaha, Nebraska, has made four defenses of his world title since knocking off Jeff “The Hornet” Horn in June 2018. A mainstay near the upper rungs of the mythical pound-for-pound rankings, Crawford has been a world champion since March 2014. He defeated WBO lightweight world champion Ricky Burns on enemy soil in Scotland and made his first title defense in front of the Omaha faithful with a ninth-round stoppage over Yuriorkis Gamboa. Crawford became the first man in the four-belt era to become the undisputed junior welterweight champion, and he is 4-0 with four knockouts since moving up to welterweight. His knockout streak of eight dates back to July 2016, when he notched a one-sided decision over Viktor “The Iceman” Postol at MGM Grand Garden Arena to unify two of the junior welterweight world titles. Crawford is coming off last November’s fourth-round knockout over Kell Brook inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble. Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs), a 13-year pro from Akron, Ohio, first tasted championship glory in December 2013 when he outfought the previously undefeated Devon Alexander to win the IBF welterweight title. He knocked out two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi in his first title defense before Brook edged him by majority decision in August 2014. Over the next seven years, Porter continued fighting the welterweight elite, becoming a two-time world champion in 2018 when he toppled Danny Garcia to win the WBC welterweight title. He defended that title against future Manny Pacquiao conqueror Yordenis Ugas before taking Errol Spence Jr. to the limit in a September 2019 title unification tilt. After dropping a split decision to Spence, Porter regrouped with a one-sided decision over Sebastian Formella in August 2020 to set up the Crawford showdown.

[frontproofmedia]

Manny Pacquiao's Five Best World Title Victories

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By Hector Franco

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Published: August 07, 2021

Later this month, on August 21st, the city of Las Vegas will host one of the most anticipated fights of the year as Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) makes his return to the squared circle against unified WBC and IBF Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs).

The bout will also be for the Ring Magazine Welterweight title. Pacquiao has been the Ring Magazine champion at Featherweight (126), Junior Lightweight (130), and Junior Welterweight (140).

The fighting Senator will be coming off a two-year hiatus, the longest of his career, and at 42-years of age, will face height, reach, and overall size disadvantages against Spence.

Given Pacquiao’s name and stature that he has earned over a nearly 27-year career, he could have faced any opponent, including participating in an exhibition contest. However, the eight-division champion feels that he has more to accomplish and prove in the sport.

"There were a lot of opportunities for me to pick an easier fight than this,” said Pacquiao at a Los Angeles press conference promoting the fight with Spence. “But I picked Errol Spence Jr. because I want a real fight and a great fight for the fans.

“I’m a fighter, and boxing is my passion.”

At this stage of his career, Pacquiao has been fortunate not to have found himself at the hands of beating like many Hall-of-Famers before him. In this era, fighters have been able to stay at an elite level for longer due to advanced technology and new measures of rest and recovery.

However, this isn’t to say that he won’t meet his impending end at the hands of Spence. The last thing fans want to see is a scenario similar to when Muhammad Ali took on Larry Holmes in 1980 and was thoroughly dominated in a fight that was hard to watch.

Boxing isn’t a forgiving sport, and if Pacquiao overstays his welcome, he could end up the victim of a beating.

Throughout his career, Pacquiao has defeated 16 opponents with eight knockouts in world title fights and holds a 25-6-2 record against former world champions.

He has won the lineal crown in five separate weight classes and is the only fighter to win a title in eight divisions. One accomplishment that has escaped his grasp is successfully unifying titles in a division. Should he come out victorious against Spence, he will be the unified Welterweight champion, and it would arguably be his most significant title victory.

We will examine five of Pacquiao’s most notable title victories. There will be two victories that won’t be included, but are just as crucial to the eight-division champion's career.

In 2003, Pacquiao defeated Marco Antonio Barrera for the Ring Magazine and lineal Featherweight crown. No sanctioning body title was on the line for the fight with Barrera as he was stripped of the WBC Featherweight title following his second encounter with Erik Morales.

Almost six years later and 14-pounds heavier at Junior Welterweight, Pacquiao scored his most famous and emphatic knockout over Ricky Hatton in May 2009 to claim the lineal Junior Welterweight crown.

Although these victories will not be included in this list since there wasn’t a sanctioning body title on the line, these are two of Pacquiao’s best achievements and are arguably more significant since they established him as the number one fighter in the weight class.

5. Lehlo Ledwaba (36-6-1, 23 KOs) WTKO6

IBF Super Bantamweight Title – June 23, 2001

Pacquiao at Super Bantamweight had a near-perfect record of 11-0-1, with 11 knockouts with a draw against Agapito Sanchez in a unification bout being the only blemish.

Following a third-round knockout to Boonsai Sangsurat after losing his WBC Flyweight title on the weight scale, Pacquiao decided to move up to the 122-pound division.

The move to Super Bantamweight eventually brought him to the United States, where he was fortunately placed in a position to fight for the IBF Super Bantamweight title after Lehlo Ledwaba’s initial opponent Enrique Sanchez pulled out of the fight.

The fight with Ledwaba was Pacquiao’s first in the United States and was the first chapter of the meteoric rise of his career. Pacquiao dominated Ledwaba to a sixth-round stoppage putting the boxing world on notice.

Although the late Ledwaba, who passed away earlier this year due to contracting COVID-19, isn’t viewed as one of the elite opponents Pacquaio faced in his career, he made five defenses of his IBF title. He had previously had a career-best performance against Carlos Contreras on the undercard of the first Lennox Lewis-Hasim Rahman Heavyweight title bout in his native South Africa.

“We recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of my US debut where I beat Lehlo Ledwaba to win his IBF junior featherweight title,” Pacquiao stated in a recent interview to The Sun. “That was certainly special because it was also my first fight with Freddie.”

4. Keith Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) WSD12

WBA Welterweight Title – July 20, 2019

Pacquiao’s most recent title victory was one of the greatest of his career from a historical perspective. The win over former unified and then-undefeated Welterweight champion Keith Thurman gave the Filipino the distinction as the oldest Welterweight champion in history at 40 and the only four-time Welterweight champion in history.

The win over Thurman doesn’t rank higher as the Florida native had been somewhat inactive before facing Pacquiao and has yet to step back in the ring since losing to the fighting Senator.

Ultimately, the knockdown Pacquiao scored in the first round, along with a dominant showing in the first half of the match, led to him receiving a split decision from the judges.

There is a saying in boxing that every fighter has one last great showing. Pacquiao certainly showed his greatness against Thurman, but will this be the last time we see him in elite form?

3. Miguel Cotto (41-6, 33 KOs) WTKO12

WBO Welterweight Title – November 14, 2009

For all intents and purposes, Pacquiao’s victory over Miguel Cotto in 2009 should claim the top position. Not only was this one of Pacquiao’s best overall performances, but it also secured him winning the Fighter of The Decade award for 2000-2009 and won him his seventh title in seven weight classes.

What holds this victory back slightly is an unnecessary catch weight of 145-pounds imposed on the match.

The first four rounds of the fight with Cotto rank as some of the best in boxing PPV history. Pacquiao scored knockdowns in the third and fourth rounds leading to an eventual stoppage in the 12th and final round.

This was Pacquiao at his peak and not only solidified him as a Hall-of-Famer, but as one of the top two fighters of the era along with Floyd Mayweather.

2. Timothy Bradley Jr. (33-2-1, 13 KOs) WUD12

WBO Welterweight Title – April 12, 2014

The most underrated title victory of Pacquiao’s career came in his second match with Timothy Bradley in April 2014. The two first fought in June 2012 and ended in a controversial split decision for Bradley that caused a massive public outcry.

Following the first fight, Pacquiao would be famously knocked out in the sixth round in his fourth bout with Juan Manuel Marquez.

Bradley would go in 2013 to have the best year of his career, first by participating in the Fight of the Year against Ruslan Provodniov and then winning a split decision over Pacquiao’s conqueror Marquez in a fight that Bradley arguably put on his most outstanding performance.

Often forgotten is that at the time of the Pacquiao-Bradley rematch, Bradley was rated as one of the top three fighters in the world pound-for-pound and was rated as the number one Welterweight by Ring Magazine.

The Palm Springs, California fighter’s work at Junior Welterweight as a unified champion and earning the number one position with a win over Devon Alexander in 2011 gave him distinction as an elite fighter. Add in holding victories over Marquez and Pacquiao although controversial for the latter, Bradley was on top of his game heading into a rematch with the Filipino.

Bradley was able to do something Pacquiao never could in clearly beating Marquez.

Due to the controversy of the first match with Pacquiao, the man known as the “Desert Storm” was arguably at his most motivated to prove fans and pundits wrong in the rematch.

Pacquiao-Bradley II would be the most exciting of their three fights, with Bradley choosing to engage and brawl with the fighting Senator through 12 rounds. Pacquiao would end up winning a unanimous decision and the WBO Welterweight title.

The victory over Bradley in 2014 not only established that Pacquiao was not a damaged fighter from his knockout at the hands of Marquez, but also made the eventual fight with Mayweather viable again.

The second fight with Bradley is Pacquiao’s highest grossing PPV since the fourth Marquez fight, besides the record-breaking fight with Mayweather.

Through three fights, Bradley was competitive, but he could never quite figure out how to deal with Pacquiao.

“I never got used to it at all,” Bradley stated on the 3-Knockdown rule Podcast. “His herky-jerky style is what makes him innovative inside the ring. This guy keeps you one edge. You think he’ll attack you, and he’ll foot feint you, feint you with his hands.

“You’re just constantly burning energy standing in front of him.”

1. Juan Manuel Marquez (56-7-1, 40 KOs) WSD12

WBC Junior Lightweight Title – March 12, 2008

The fight that began the run that made Pacquiao a worldwide superstar was the second match with rival Juan Manuel Marquez in 2008.

It may be problematic to put such a contentious bout on the top of this list; however, Pacquiao-Marquez II had everything you could want in a boxing match.

It featured two of the best fighters in the world, pound-for-pound fighting in a rematch of a disputed first encounter. The winner would be the number one fighter in the Junior Lightweight division holding the WBC, Ring Magazine, and lineal titles.

Rivalry, elite skill-level, and world championship glory all encompassed Pacquiao-Marquez II.

The match itself was one of the best in boxing PPV history, with both men battling to the brink of their talents. With numerous swing rounds that could have been scored for both pugilists and momentum swings occurring every few rounds, there was no telling what the judge's scorecards would look like once the final bell rang.

A third-round knockdown ended up being the difference on the judge’s scorecards. Duane Ford scored the fight for Pacquiao 115-112, Jerry Roth had a 115-112 scorecard for Marquez, and Tom Miller scored 114-113 for Pacquiao.

Media scorecards were looked at from members of the media that were not based out of Mexico and the Philippines, with 32 scoring for Marquez, another 32 for Pacquiao, and the remainder having the fight a draw.

At the time, Pacquiao-Marquez II was the highest-grossing PPV event at 400,000 buys for a fight below the Welterweight limit. That record would be broken a year later when Pacquiao faced Ricky Hatton at Junior Welterweight.

Throughout the history of boxing, there have been numerous fighters who have had storied and legendary careers. But Pacquiao's journey stands on its own as an odyssey through different eras.

All the millions of dollars Pacquiao has made in boxing did not change him from being grounded with legacy at the forefront of his thoughts.

“It is almost like I have had several careers in boxing the one I am in now makes me think,” Pacquiao said in an interview with Boxingscene.com. “If I can keep winning against elite-level fighters, perhaps I can be in the discussions of being one of the greatest fighters of my era.

“Of course, that is not for me to decide, but I would like to make my case before I do retire.”

(Featured Photo: Stephanie Trapp/Trapp Fotos)

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The Fighter of the Decade 2010-2019: Part 2: Floyd Mayweather Jr.

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By Hector Franco | Senior Writer and Editor

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Published: January 07, 2020

“If we should be blessed by some great reward, such as fame or fortune, it’s the fruit of a seed planted by us in the past.” – Bodhidharma

Throughout the last ten years, there may have been fighters that participated in more fights, won more world titles; however, nobody’s name has brought more attention to the sport of boxing than Floyd “Money��� Mayweather Jr. (50-0, 27 KOs).

Before the start of the decade in 2010, Mayweather retired in 2008 with a first-ballot Hall-of-Fame career as one of the best defensive boxers in the history of boxing.

He was just the fourth fighter to win titles in five weight classes joining Thomas Hearns, Ray Leonard, and Oscar De La Hoya.

Last decade that ran from 2000 through 2009, Mayweather was one of the finalists for the Boxing Writer’s Association of America (BWAA) Joe Louis Fighter of the Decade award along with current WBA Welterweight champion, Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao ended up receiving the award that started in the 1990s with the first recipient, Roy Jones Jr.

During most of the 2000s, Mayweather was still the “Pretty Boy” version of his persona. Once he began fighting on Pay-Per-View, the man known as Money Mayweather was born.

Most famously during the build-up with his fight against Oscar De La Hoya in 2007.

Following a stoppage victory over then-undefeated British champion Ricky Hatton in December 2007, Mayweather decided to retire for the first time.

This retirement may have cost Mayweather the Joe Louis award in the 2000s as Pacquiao went on to win the Fighter of the Year award in 2006, 2008, and 2009.

While the “Pretty Boy” version of Mayweather was prominent during the 2000s, the 2010s were all bout “Money.”

From the beginning to the end of the decade, Mayweather’s name was synonymous with boxing.

Whether the conversation was negative or positive, Mayweather was always in the headlines. 

From the moment the clock struck 12:01 am on January 1, 2010, the main storyline in boxing surrounded a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather.

Mayweather and Pacquiao did eventually step inside the ring to face each other in 2015, but Pacquiao was just one part of the many accomplishments Mayweather achieved in the decade.

At the start of the decade in 2010, when a fight could not be agreed upon between Mayweather and Pacquiao, Mayweather moved on to face future Hall-of-Famer, “Sugar” Shane Mosley.

Mosley was considered a top-five Welterweight at the time, having scored an impressive stoppage over Mexico’s Antonio Margarito in the best performance of his career since his first bout with Oscar De La Hoya.

When the two men met in May 2010, Mosley was facing over a year of inactivity with his last bout-taking place in January 2009 against Margarito.

Mayweather came out of retirement in the fall of 2009 when he faced Juan Manuel Marquez and won a dominant unanimous decision.

Fans and pundits demanded a fight with Pacquiao or against a top Welterweight from Mayweather. Mosley fit that bill and then some.

While Mayweather-Mosley was a non-title fight, the winner, along with Pacquiao, would be considered the best Welterweight in boxing.

Looking back at Mayweather’s career, he has been the prohibitive favorite in each bout since facing Deigo Corrales in 2001.

When a fighter is always the favorite, fans and pundits tend to underrate their victories.

The expectations surrounding Mayweather are unmatched by any other fighter, as even losing a round or two can be detrimental in how fans view his dominance.

Besides a rough second round where Mosley hurt Mayweather with a pair of right hands that had the Michigan native on wobbly legs, Mayweather largely dominated Mosley using counter right hands to make the California fighter hesitant and ineffective.

Throughout his career, Mayweather has only been officially knocked down once.

This took place against Carlos Hernandez in the Super Featherweight division in 2001 when Mayweather hurt his right hand after landing a punch causing him to touch his glove to the canvas in pain.

Former Super Lightweight and Welterweight champion Zab Judah also landed a straight left hand that caused Mayweather’s glove to touch the canvas when they fought in April 2006, but the referee did not count the knockdown.

It is a testament to not only Mayweather’s toughness but also his unmatched focus inside the squared circle to never have suffered a real damaging knockdown while having fought in three separate decades.

Mayweather followed his bout with Mosley with two of the most exciting bouts of his career.

In the fall of 2011, Mayweather challenged Victor Ortiz for the WBC Welterweight title. This would be Mayweather’s first world title bout since facing Ricky Hatton at the end of 2007.

Ortiz was coming off of what would end up becoming the Fight of the Year for 2011 when he defeated Andre Berto for the WBC Welterweight title in a fight that featured multiple knockdowns.

The gap in experience and, more importantly, ring intelligence played a significant role in Mayweather’s bout with Ortiz.

The five-division champion's elite defense frustrated Ortiz to the point that he started using his head as a weapon.

In the fourth round, Ortiz’s inability to land consistently on Mayweather led to him ramming his head into the Michigan native’s mouth in one of the worst fouls the sport has ever seen.

Ortiz was overly apologetic, much like a bully who knows he is about to get his comeuppance.

Referee Joe Cortez took a point away from Ortiz for the head-butt and waved both fighters in to continue the match.

While Ortiz continued to apologize, Mayweather would have no more of the bi-polar Ortiz and landed a one-two combination that sent him to the canvas unable to beat the referee’s 10 count.

This began Mayweather’s second reign as the WBC Welterweight champion.

The controversial ending, along with Mayweather’s hilarious argument with former HBO commentator Larry Merchant in his post-fight interview, kept casual and non-casual boxing fans talking for months.

Many of Mayweather’s highest-grossing bouts took place in the Super-Welterweight division. 

He would once again venture to the weight class when he took on Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto for the WBA Super Welterweight crown in May 2012.

In what would be considered Mayweather’s most entertaining bout of the decade, Cotto was able to win rounds against Mayweather using his jab and making a commitment to go the body.

Mayweather would pull away with the victory in the championship rounds as Cotto seemed to slow down while Mayweather only got sharper.

Mayweather was awarded a unanimous decision victory over Cotto, and he now held the WBC Welterweight and WBA Super Welterweight titles.

In 2013, Mayweather would enter the Showtime era of his career as he signed an unprecedented exclusive deal with the network to broadcast his fights.

For the first time since 2007, he would be fighting more than just once a year.

The first opponent Mayweather faced was one of the least interesting of his opponents in the decade as he took on California’s Robert “Ghost” Guerrero for his WBC Welterweight title.

For most of the match, Mayweather was on cruise control controlling every aspect of the fight.

Mayweather would successfully defend his WBC Welterweight title against Guerrero via unanimous decision.

Possibly Mayweather’s most significant victory of the decade took place next as he took on Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in September 2013.

Alvarez at the time was 23 years of age, and the heir apparent as the next boxing icon from Mexico.

Mayweather would face Alvarez in the Super-Welterweight division and instituted a catchweight for the bout of 152 pounds.

The match would be for Alvarez’s WBC Super Welterweight title and Mayweather’s WBA Super Welterweight title.

In what many will argue as Mayweather’s best and most virtuoso performance of the decade, he was able to dominate Alvarez for a vast majority of the 12 rounds, winning a majority decision victory.

The win for Mayweather established him as a unified champion at Super Welterweight, along with later being awarded the Fighter of the Year award in 2013 by the BWAA and ESPN.

Mayweather’s victory over Alvarez is one of the best by any fighter in the entire decade. One can look at the catchweight and Alvarez’s age to criticize the win. However, as of now, it still stands as the only official loss of the young Mexican’s career.

Following the fight with Alvarez, Mayweather moved back down to Welterweight to take on Argentinean power puncher, Marcos Maidana, in a Welterweight unification title bout.

Along with Maidana’s vaunted punching power, the Argentinean also had an unwavering amount of fearlessness, leaving him unintimidated by any opponent. 

Needless to say, Maidana did not shrink inside the ring against Mayweather when they first met in May 2014.

From the opening bell, Maidana attacked Mayweather with relentless barrages, including some illegal punches to the back of the head and below the waistline.

Despite Maidana’s efforts, Mayweather remained calm and poised.

Over the second half of the bout, Mayweather took over as Maidana began to slow down from his effort in the first six rounds.

After 12 rounds, it was clear that Mayweather had participated in one of the closest and toughest fights of his career.

Mayweather won a majority decision with two of the three judges scoring in his favor, and the final judge scoring the match a draw.

The bout was close enough and, more importantly, exciting enough to warrant a rematch.

The first bout with Maidana made Mayweather a two-division unified champion as he now held the WBA/WBC Welterweight and Super-Welterweight titles.

In the rematch with Maidana, Mayweather also put on the line his WBC Super Welterweight title along with both of his Welterweight titles.

Unfortunately, the rematch was far less exciting and competitive than the first encounter.

Mayweather outsmarted Maidana through most of the fight, knowing when to engage and when to clinch the Argentinean to stop him from mounting any effective attacks.

Mayweather won a clear and wide unanimous decision to put matters to rest with Maidana.

After five years of anticipation and five years of excuses, politics, and a massive amount of debating between fans, the fight that everybody was asking for finally came to fruition.

On May 2, 2015, Mayweather faced his greatest contemporary rival in Manny Pacquiao for Welterweight and pound-for-pound supremacy.

Before the bout, they was a large contingency of fans and pundits that felt the bout was five years too late and that Pacquiao was no longer in his prime or the same fighter he was just a few years before. 

Despite any negativity put on the event with the lackluster undercard, the high priced $100 PPV or the lack of tickets made available to the general public; nothing would stop the behemoth that was Mayweather-Pacquiao from becoming a financial juggernaut.

Mayweather-Pacquiao would sell over $4.6 million in PPV buys and took home the highest-grossing live gate in Nevada boxing history at $72 million.

The fight itself could not live up to the lofty expectations. People expected a battle in the same vein as Holyfield-Bowe and instead received a high-level boxing chess match.

The difference between Mayweather and Pacquiao in 2015 was most evident in their footwork.

Mayweather was able to use range and proper distance to keep Pacquiao continually resetting.

The eight-division champion was unable to keep any momentum he may have explicitly garnered in the first six rounds where he had his best rounds.

After 12 rounds, Mayweather was awarded a unanimous decision in a fight that may have been closer than it may have first appeared.

With the victory, Mayweather made boxing history for holding the most world titles at one time as he held the WBA/WBO/WBC Welterweight titles and the WBA/WBC Super Welterweight titles.

Talks of a potential Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch have been a yearly occurrence since the final bell rang in Round 12.

Following the fight with Pacquiao, Mayweather would face former Welterweight champion, Andre Berto, in September 2015.

There isn’t much to be said about the bout with Berto as it was seen as the one-sided affair it would eventually become when the match was first announced.

Mayweather would announce his second retirement shortly after defeating Berto.

Like in most sports, retirements aren’t usually permanent.

Mayweather would make his return to the ring in August 2017 against Mixed Martial Arts fighter, Conor McGregor. McGregor would be making his boxing debut to face Mayweather in the Super-Welterweight division.

Unsurprisingly, Mayweather stopped McGregor in the 10th round.

The McGregor bout was a financial and professional risk for Mayweather.

He would virtually get no credit for beating a fighter making his professional boxing debut.  Also, the bout was lamented by critics as more of a circus event than an actual athletic contest.

Mayweather-McGregor would go on to sell $4.4 million in PPV buys with over a $55 million live gate, putting it behind only Mayweather-Pacquiao as the highest-grossing fight in Nevada boxing history.

Mayweather would retire for the third time following the McGregor bout, leaving the sport with an undefeated record of 50-0.

Looking back at the 2010s decade, Mayweather had his hands in almost every facet of the boxing game.

Mayweather became the richest athlete of any sport in the decade, making almost $1 billion.

His shadow looms large over every pugilist in the era, as his business acumen, and matchmaking guided him to make the right fights at the right time.

He has left a template for all boxers to follow in playing the boxing game and not letting the game play him.

Mayweather’s influence in this decade cannot be understated as to how it will impact boxing for years to come.

The only fault that can be found with Mayweather in the 2010s would be that he was too inactive, having not taken a serious opponent since 2015.

The context in which the McGregor bout is viewed is important.

It is understood that it was an event and opportunity to make a vast amount of money. However, since the contest counted on Mayweather’s record, it can be criticized as the worst opponent that any of the other BWAA Fighter of the Decade nominee’s faced by a large margin.

The man known as “Money” Mayweather, however, does have two of the absolute best victories of the decade against Pacquiao and Alvarez.

Mayweather and his chief rival Pacquiao are one of the few boxers that could have been ranked as the best fighter of two separate decades.

Muhammad Ali did it in the 1960s and 1970s and Sugar Ray Robinson did the same in the 1940s and 1950s.

Whether you watched Mayweather to see him win or to see him lose, everybody was watching.

It will be unlikely that we ever see a mix of skill, talent, and box office numbers like that of Mayweather in the 2010s.

The same way, Mayweather did not need corporate sponsors to help him amass his millions; he does not need the BWAA to validate his accomplishments.

Inside or outside the ring, the numbers don’t lie, and for Floyd Mayweather Jr., the numbers were always in his favor.

(Featured Photo: Mike Egerton/PA Images)

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Emanuel Navarrete Stops Francisco De Vaca in Three

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Published: August 19, 2019

LOS ANGELES — Emanuel Navarrete was already a champion. He is now one of the sport's elite. Navarrete knocked out the previously unbeaten Francisco "Panchito" De Vaca in three rounds Saturday evening in front of 3,944 fans in the first-ever boxing card at Banc of California Stadium. Navarrete (28-1, 24 KOs), who upset Isaac Dogboe to win the title and then defeated him in an immediate rematch, knocked down De Vaca (20-1, 6 KOs) in the second round and forced the referee to stop the fight after dishing out a sustained beating in the third. “I want to thank my supporters, and second of all, I want to continue the tradition of Mexican boxing in Los Angeles. `I want to fill arenas and follow in the footsteps of Mexican legends," Navarrete said. “I’m talking to {Top Rank} about fighting September 14 on the Tyson Fury card in Las Vegas. I want to thank Bob Arum and Zanfer Promotions for the opportunity.” Said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum: “He’s Mexican. He’s proud to be Mexican. September 14 is Mexican Independence Day Weekend, and the best fighter in Mexico will be there defending his title.” Magdaleno Topples Rivera Former junior featherweight world champion Jessie Magdaleno is ready to take on the featherweight titans. In his second bout since moving up in weight, Magdaleno scored a ninth-round technical decision over Rafael Rivera after an elbow opened up a gash on the bridge of Magdaleno's nose. Magdaleno knocked down Rivera early in the ninth round and prevailed by scores of 89-81, 89-81 and 88-82. "These things happen. It's part of the sport," Magdaleno said. "I have a lot of respect for Rivera. He is a warrior. I felt very good. I felt strong. I would say better than ever. I want a world title. I'm ready." — Super lightweight contender Arnold Barboza Jr. (22-0, 9 KOs) dished out a sustained beating to Ricky Sismundo, and Sismundo's corner stopped the bout following the conclusion of the fourth round, "I want a world title shot now," Barboza said. "I want to challenge all the champions. It doesn't matter who it is, or where it takes place. All I want is to face Ramirez, Prograis, or Taylor, and I want it now!" — Welterweight contender Chris van Heerden (28-2-1, 12 KOs) continued his march up the rankings, overcoming a bad a cut to defeat Aslanbek Kozaev (33-3-1, 8 KOs) via eight-round unanimous decision (79-73 2x and 78-74). van Heerden has won five straight since a 2015 defeat to Errol Spence Jr. “Listen, it was a tough, hard fight, but I got the victory. Hopefully, the cut doesn’t keep me out of action too long. I’m starting to get more active, and before long, I will be ready to fight any of the top welterweights.” — Top middleweight contender Janibek Alimkhanuly (7-0, 3 KOs) defended his WBC Continental Americas and WBO Global middleweight titles with a fifth-round stoppage over Canadian veteran Stuart McLellan (27-4-3, 11 KOs). — Javier Molina (20-2, 8 KOs), a 2008 U.S. Olympian, won his third consecutive bout, grinding out an eight-round unanimous decision (79-73 2x and 78-74) over Manuel Mendez (16-6-3, 11 KOs). — Lightweight prospect Dmitry Yun improved to 2-0 with a six-round unanimous decision over veteran Javier Martinez (4-7, 3 KOs) by scores of 57-54 2x and 56-54. — Super lightweight prospect Elvis Rodriguez (3-0-1, 3 KOs) made quick work of Jesus Gonzalez (6-3, 2 KOs), knocking him out at 1:42 of the opening round.

(Featured Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)

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Terence Crawford and Amir Khan to Battle for Welterweight Supremacy on Inaugural PPV under Top Rank on ESPN Banner

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Published: January 15, 2019

(Jan. 15, 2019) — ESPN and Top Rank today announced their first pay-per-view event under the Top Rank on ESPN banner. Two kings are set for the year’s most anticipated welterweight showdown when pound-for-pound king Terence “Bud” Crawford puts his WBO welterweight world title on the line against former unified 140-pound champion and the pride of Bolton, England, Amir “King” Khan, on Saturday, April 20, live on pay-per-view at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT. Details on how fans will be able to access the pay-per-view event will be announced at a later date.   Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Matchroom Boxing and Khan Promotions, ticket and venue information will be revealed shortly. Details on the undercard will be announced soon.   “The Crawford-Khan showdown is a very interesting matchup of two elite fighters,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Khan, when fighting at welterweight, is as good as there is, but he is fighting the division’s best fighter and a pound-for-pound great. It will be an entertaining and competitive fight. We are also excited to join forces with ESPN on our first pay-per-view venture under the Top Rank on ESPN agreement.”   “It’s always been my goal to fight the best fighters out there, and I look at Amir Khan as one of the top fighters in my division,” Crawford said. "I know some people are writing him off, but I am by no means overlooking him. He’s a former unified world champion, and come April 20, I’ll be looking to go out there to seek and destroy. I’m excited about this fight because I believe it can push my career to another level.”   “I’m delighted to announce a much-anticipated world title fight with Terence Crawford, the current WBO welterweight world champion,” Khan said. “The decision as to fighting Kell Brook or Crawford has been one of the most difficult decisions of my career to date. Clearly, the UK fans want to see Khan vs. Brook, but I could not turn down the opportunity to fight for the WBO title. That is not to say that the Brook fight won't happen, as I want that fight to happen as soon as possible. Fighting a world champion won't be easy, but this is exactly the challenge I need at this stage of my career. I am fully motivated and ready for the best training camp of my life. Crawford is beatable, and I want that WBO title. It's going to be one hell of a fight.”   "There has been a lot of speculation regarding Amir's next fight, but the lure to trying to win another world title was too much to turn down, and now he faces arguably the number one welterweight in the world in Terence Crawford,” said Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport. “It's a fight he believes he can win, and on his night, Amir has all the speed and skills to beat the very best. I believe it will be a fascinating and dramatic matchup."   “Showcasing Crawford-Khan as the first pay-per-view event under the Top Rank on ESPN banner is truly a cause for celebration. Crawford is a world champion, a global phenomenon and perhaps the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport and Khan is a fighter that everyone wants to see every time he steps in the ring. This is what boxing needs, more big-name showdowns, and this fight is a perfect example of the vision that we had when we teamed up with Top Rank,” added ESPN Executive Vice President, Programming and Scheduling, Burke Magnus.   Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs), from Omaha, Neb., is ranked by many experts as the world’s best fighter, a switch-hitting dynamo who has reigned supreme in three weight classes. He won the WBO lightweight world title on March 1, 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, dethroning hometown hero Ricky Burns via unanimous decision. Crawford proved his lightweight supremacy that year with a thrilling ninth-round TKO win over then-undefeated Yuriorkis Gamboa and a near-shutout decision victory over Ray Beltran.   Crawford made history when he unified all four 140-pound titles, punctuating his dominance over the division with a third-round knockout against Julius Indongo on Aug. 19, 2017. With nothing left to prove at 140 pounds, Crawford moved up to welterweight. In his first bout at the weight, he knocked out Manny Pacquiao conqueror Jeff “The Hornet” Horn in the ninth round to win the WBO crown. For his first welterweight title defense, Crawford returned home to the CHI Health Center Omaha and knocked out bitter rival Jose Benavidez Jr. in the 12th round in front of 13,323 passionate fans.   Khan (33-4, 20 KOs) burst into the public consciousness at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens when, at 17 years of age, he captured a silver medal for Great Britain. He won the WBA super lightweight world title on July 18, 2009, outclassing Andreas Kotelnik to win a unanimous decision. He made five successful title defenses at 140 pounds and became unified champion when he knocked out IBF ruler Zab Judah in five rounds in 2011.   Khan has won seven of eight bouts since December 2012, the lone blemish coming when he moved up in weight to fight middleweight world champion Canelo Álvarez. After boxing well in the early rounds, Khan was knocked out with an overhand right in the sixth round. Following the Álvarez defeat, Khan took a nearly two-year sabbatical from the ring, returning in 2018 with a vengeance. In April, he blasted out Phil Lo Greco in 39 seconds, and in September, he notched a wide 12-round points victory over perennial contender Samuel Vargas. More than 13 years since turning professional, Khan will take on the pound-for-pound king in a legacy-defining superfight.

(Featured Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)

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August 25: Beltran-Pedraza and Dogboe-Otake Headline ESPN World Championship Doubleheader

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Published: July 24, 2018

Ray Beltran and Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will head to the desert on Aug. 25 for their first title defenses. In the main event at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, Beltran, who resides in nearby Phoenix, will defend the WBO lightweight title against Jose “Sniper” Pedraza, a former junior lightweight world champion looking to bring another world title home to Puerto Rico. And, in the all-action co-feature, Dogboe will defend the WBO junior featherweight title against Hidenori Otake.   Beltran-Pedraza and Dogboe-Otake will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action streaming live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company's Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.    Tickets to this world championship doubleheader, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, go on sale Thursday, July 26 at 10 a.m PST. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online atwww.gilariverarena.com.   "I’m living the dream. It feels great to be a world champion. I am very motivated to defend my title, and it’s very special to me because I’m fighting in my adopted home,” Beltran said. “Pedraza is a very skillful fighter and is going to bring his best to take the belt from us, but I’m not just fighting for the belt, I’m also fighting to keep it in Phoenix and my birthplace of Los Mochis, Mexico. This belt represents my family’s future, and it’s going nowhere."   "This is a great opportunity and a great challenge. Beltran is a veteran and is finally a world champion after trying for so long,” Pedraza said. “I think for that reason it's going to be a great fight because he will not want to lose the title. I’m 100 percent prepared for war.”

“I’m making my first defense against Otake, a Japanese warrior. It’s going to be fireworks,” Dogboe said. “I’m not stepping back. We’re on a quest to make this division exciting and great again. We’re shaking up the division. Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe, you all know I bring lightning and thunder!”

"I would like to express my appreciation to everyone who made this fight possible. I am truly grateful for this opportunity,” Otake said. "In capturing the world title for my first time on Aug. 25, I'd like to show everyone that age does not matter. Since comments can reveal strategy, I can't say anymore."   Beltran (35-7-1, 21 KOs) is a story of perseverance who finally broke through as a world champion five month shy of his 36th birthday. In his last bout, an ESPN-televised contest against Paulus Moses on Feb. 16 in Reno, Nevada, Beltran dug deep to win the vacant WBO lightweight title by unanimous decision. The scores — 117-111, 117-111 and 116-112 — did not reflect the back-and-forth nature of the bout. Once Manny Pacquiao’s chief sparring partner, Beltran had three previous cracks at a world title, most notably a 2013 draw against Ricky Burns that most ringside observers felt should have been a clear Beltran victory. The following year, he lost a wide unanimous decision to pound-for-pound elite Terence Crawford, who had beaten Burns to win the WBO lightweight crown. Beltran, a Phoenix resident who is originally from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, will be fighting in his adopted home state for the first time since 2005.   Pedraza (24-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto, is on a mission to become a two-weight world champion. A former IBF junior lightweight world champion who made two successful defenses of his title, he lost his belt via seventh-round TKO to Gervonta Davis in January 2017. Following a 14-month layoff, he moved up to the lightweight division and signed a promotional contract with Top Rank. Pedraza is 2-0 as a lightweight in 2018, winning an eight-round unanimous decision against Jose Luis Rodriguez on March 17 and a 10-round unanimous decision against Antonio Moran on June 9 as the co-feature to the Terence Crawford-Jeff Horn welterweight title bout in Las Vegas.   Dogboe (19-0, 13 KOs) established himself as one of boxing’s best young champions in 2018 with a pair of signature victories. He knocked out Cesar Juarez in the fifth round onJan. 6 in his hometown of Accra, Ghana, to win the interim WBO junior featherweight title. On April 28 in Philadelphia, Dogboe won the title in dramatic fashion, surviving a first-round knockdown to stop Jessie Magdaleno in the 11th round in a Fight of the Year contender. A 2012 Olympian, Dogboe had a rapid rise through the pro ranks, winning the WBO Oriental and WBO Africa featherweight titles en route to junior featherweight title contention. Boxing is in the Dogboe lineage as his father/trainer, Paul Dogboe, once served as a boxing coach and a physical instructor in the British Army.   Otake (31-2-3, 14 KOs), from Tokyo, has been a professional for more than 12 years and is riding a nine-bout winning streak dating back to Nov. 22, 2014. On that day, he challenged Scott Quigg for the WBA super bantamweight title, dropping a unanimous decision. He won the vacant Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title on March 17, 2017 with a unanimous decision against Jelbirt Gomera. Otake defended the OBPF title three times, most recently scoring a 10th-round TKO over Brian Lobetania in Tokyo onMarch 13.

(Featured Photo: Top Rank Boxing)

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Alberto Machado stops Jezreel Corrales in eight to win WBA 130-pound championship

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By Hector Franco

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Published: October 22, 2017

VERONA, NY – At the Turning Stone Resort & Casino the 130-pound division has welcomed a brought a new entrant in its elite ranks. Puerto Rico’s Alberto Machado (19-0, 16 KOs) scored an eighth-round knockout over Panama’s Jezreel Corrales (22-2, 8 KOs) to win the WBA super featherweight (130) championship. Corrales lost the WBA title on the scales when he failed to make the 130-pound weight limit. 

The bout started off in favor of the Panamanian as Corrales was able to land hard left hands on Machado. In the fifth round, Corrales landed a left hand that sent Machado to the canvas. Afterward, the momentum of the bout shifted in favor of the Puerto Rican as Machado worked more behind his jab allowing him to land his right hook. In the sixth round, Machado hurt Corrales with a right hook as Corrales jumped on the inside. The seventh round saw Machado once again land a right hook on the inside that put Corrales’ glove on the canvas. Unfortunately for Machado the referee did not see the punch and did not score a knockdown in his favor. The end came in the eighth round when both men exchanged left hands that landed. The Puerto Ricans landed harder. Corrales was on the canvas, and the referee waved the bout off when the Panamanian got to his feet at the count of ten. 

The victory for Machado was more than just winning a title but a way to uplift his fallen island of Puerto Rico that has fallen on hard times since being hit by Hurricane Maria last month. Machado is now only the third active Puerto Rican world champion in the sport. He joins Miguel Cotto and Amanda Serrano as the only world champions from the island.  There are many options available for Machado at 130-pounds including the winner of the upcoming Miguel Berchelt-Orlando Salido bout for the WBC 130-pound championship. 

"I won the world title for my family and for Puerto Rico."  -- Alberto Machado

The main supporting bout of the telecast featured former 154-pound champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (25-0, 16 KOs) making his move to the middleweight division. The Providence, Rhode Island native faced off against the then-undefeated Alantez Fox (23-1-1, 11 KOs) from Maryland. From the beginning, Andrade was able to showcase his toolbox of skills by outboxing the younger Fox from the outside landing counter left hands and right jabs all night. The gap in experience was apparent from the onset of the bout as Andrade has a deep amateur resume with wins over Daniel Jacobs and Keith Thurman. Andrade won a wide unanimous decision with scores of 118-110, 118-109 and 116-111. He landed 132 out of 269 of his power punches at a 49 percent connect rate. 

The victory for Andrade was not the statement he may have been looking for to announce his rival in the middleweight division. However, it was good enough to display that he would not be an easy night for anyone at middleweight. Andrade has been relatively inactive for the past few years having only fought once in 2014, 2015 and 2016. In 2017, he has now fought twice winning two decisions. With names like Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin in the middleweight division, Andrade would like to stay active enough to keep his name in the mix. Moreover, one day become an opponent for any of the big names in the division.

Starting off the HBO telecast was a rebroadcast of a bantamweight (118) title unification bout that took place at The SSE Arena in Belfast, Ireland. IBF bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett (18-0, 9 KOs) took on WBA bantamweight champion Zhanat Zhakiyanov (27-2, 18 KOs). The bout was tightly contested in each round with both men landing their fair share of shots in a fight that was essentially fought in a phone booth. 

Zhakiyanov’s trainer is former two-division champion and one of the U.K.’s most famous fighters in Ricky “Hitman” Hatton. The Kazakhstani fighter did his trainer proud by continuously coming forward applying pressure the entire fight. In the end, Burnett was able to land the cleaner punches throughout the bout to earn a unanimous decision victory to become the unified WBA and IBF bantamweight champion. The judge’s scorecards were 118-110, 119-109 and 116-112 in Burnett's favor. Burnett landed 194 out of 566 total punches at a 34 percent connect rate. Zhakiyanov landed 124 out of 491 total punches at a 25 percent connect rate. 

(Feature Photo: HBO Boxing)

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Terence Crawford vs. Julius Indongo all the makings of a classic

By Joseph Correa | Editor-in-Chief

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LINCOLN, NE - Unified junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs) one of boxing's brightest young

His opponent, Julius Indongo (22-0, 12 KOs), a former 2008 Olympian from Namibia who himself holds two junior welterweight titles and a knack for upsetting champions on their home turf. He scored a spectacular knockout in the first round over Eduard Troyanovsky in Moscow to capture his first title and turned right around and scored a shutout unanimous decision victory over Ricky Burns in his hometown of Glasgow to unify the titles. 

The winner of this fight becomes the undisputed junior welterweight champion of the world which has not been accomplished since Kostya Tszyu defeated Zab Judah in 2001 to capture the IBF titleunifying his WBA and WBC belts.  

What makes this fight unique, however, is that this is a four-belt unification bout (WBC, WBO, IBF, WBA) which has only happened once prior to this fight, in 2004 when Bernard Hopkins put his 3 middleweight titles (WBA, WBC, IBF) on the line against Oscar De La Hoya who held the WBO strap. Hopkins stopped De La Hoya with a devastating left hook to the liver in round 9 to capture the WBO middleweight title. 

Crawford, 29, is in his prime, and widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He has a switch hitting style, and the unique ability to adjust to, and shut down his opponent completely during fights. He currently holds the WBC and WBO titles.

For Crawford, this is a career-defining fight:

""We are in boxing to fight the best there is and he has two title belts," Crawford said. "For me it doesn't get any bigger than this.""

Indongo, 34, is a southpaw who has seemed to have come out of nowhere and is now in a position to steal the show and place himself amongst the elite in the sport. He possesses solid boxing skill, moves well, has respectable power and does a fair job of controlling distance. He currently holds the IBF and WBA titles. 

For Indongo, this is a fight to for his country and to prove he is a legitimate champion:

""I believe this is the time for me to show the world that a boxer from Africa, from Namibia, can beat a guy fighting in his home in front of his people. This is the best way to do it," Indongo said. "I am confident in my styles and techniques that I have learned from years ago.""

All the belts are on the line, and history will be written. This is sure to be a fight you do not want to miss!

 Feature Photo: Kelly Owen / Frontproof Media 

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Manny Pacquiao's five finest performances

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By Hector Franco

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Published: July 01, 2017

Tonight in Brisbane, Australia 8-division world champion Manny Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs) will defend his WBO welterweight title against Australia’s Jeff Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs). The bout will be televised in the United States on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and will be held in the afternoon on July 2nd in Australia. This is the first time Pacquiao has fought outside of the pay-per-view (PPV) format since 2005 when he faced Hector Velazquez (57-29-3, 39 KOs) on a double header with Erik Morales (52-9, 36 KOs) before their rematch in January 2006. 

Pacquiao, 38, may be old for the sport of boxing, but he has yet to be beaten into retirement. Even at his age, he would still be the favorite or at least even money with his fellow welterweight contemporaries like Keith Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) and Errol Spence Jr (22-0, 19 KOs). The Filipino senator may not be the whirlwind dynamo that he was in his prime, but he still possesses the quickness, reflexes, and intelligence that make him one of the best in the world to this day. Much like recent Hall of Fame inductee’s Evander Holyfield and Marco Antonio Barrera, retaking a look at the career of the Filipino legend it is striking the number of memories he has provided for fans throughout his 20-plus year career. 

Pacquiao as boxing’s only eight-division world champion and 5-division lineal champion is already one of the most accomplished boxers in history. Just as important he is one of the most exciting fighters in the history of the sport with a catalog of great action fights that can be replayed for generations to come. Within those fights are performances that will inspire future generations of people to join the fraternity of boxing known as ‘the sweet science.' Let’s retake a look at five of the best performances in the career of Manny Pacquiao. 

Honorable Mentions

Lehlo Ledwaba (36-6-1, 23 KOs) – IBF 122-pound championship

June 23, 2001

Pacquiao’s first fight in the United States took place in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand on the undercard of Oscar De La Hoya’s (39-6, 30 KOs) WBC Super Welterweight title fight against Javier Castillejo (62-8-1, 43 KOs). At the time Pacquiao was relatively unknown in America and was taking the fight against Ledwaba under two weeks notice. Famously on the telecast for this fight, you can hear HBO’s Jim Lampley mispronounce Pacquiao’s name. 

First impressions can mean everything to a fighter, and in Pacquiao’s case, it helped propel him on his way to eventual superstardom. Pacquiao dominated Ledwaba from the beginning en route to an impressive sixth-round stoppage to become the IBF super bantamweight champion. This victory made Pacquiao a two-division world champion.

David Diaz (36-4-1, 17 KOs) – WBC 135-pound championship

June 28, 2008

Coming off of his trilogy with Erik Morales and his second fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao decided to move up from 130-pounds and try his hand at the lightweight division. Pacquiao’s stay at lightweight turned out to be just an overnight visit, but his performance against then WBC lightweight champion David Diaz is an often forgotten highlight in the Filipino’s storied career. 

The fight with Diaz encompassed the beginning of Pacquiao’s apex as a fighter. This is where he began putting all of his experience and teachings together with his quickness and power to ultimately become one of the best fighters in the history of the sport. From the beginning, it was apparent that Pacquiao’s speed was too much for Diaz and by the middle rounds, he began taking a beating. The end came in the ninth round with a perfectly placed straight left hand that put Diaz face first in the canvas. The referee immediately waived off the fight. With the victory, Pacquiao joined Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather as a five-division world champion. 

Ricky Hatton (45-3, 32 KOs) – Lineal 140-pound championship

May 02, 2009

The highlight reel knockout of Pacquiao’s career came in 2009 against British 140-pound champion Ricky Hatton. At the time of this fight, many fans were questioning how Pacquiao would deal with an aggressive fighter like Hatton who’s only loss came to Floyd Mayweather at welterweight in 2007. Hatton was being trained by Mayweather’s father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., and was thought to have an advantage in size and power. It turned out that the advantage of speed and power was greatly in favor of the Filipino. 

Pacquiao was able to land a right hook in the first round while dodging a left hand to score the first knockdown on Hatton. From that point, Pacquiao smelled blood and went after Hatton with reckless abandon dropping him again before the bell rang to end the first round. The end came at the end of the second round with a devastating left hand from Pacquiao that dropped Hatton lifeless to the canvas. The knockout was phenomenal and solidified Pacquiao as the best fighter in the world. This was when the rumblings of a fight with Floyd Mayweather (49-0, 26 KOs) began as Pacquiao had taken two common opponents (Hatton and De La Hoya) of Mayweather's and impressively dispatched of them. While only the IBO 140-pound championship was on the line for the fight with Hatton, the lineal title was on the line making him the first fighter in boxing history to be the lineal champion in four weight classes.

Antonio Margarito (40-8, 27 KOs) – WBC 154-pound championship

November 13, 2010

This is a personal favorite of many fans. Antonio Margarito is the biggest fighter Pacquiao had ever faced up to that point in his career with a 17-pound weight and 6-inch height advantage for the Mexican on fight night. The fight took place at Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas in front of 40,000 fans. The fight was fought at a catchweight of 150-pounds. 

At the start of the match, the advantage in speed of hand and foot for Pacquiao was prevalent. Margarito’s plan was to take the fight to Pacquiao as the bigger man. The Filipino obliged him by hitting Margarito with every punch in the book. The combinations landed in this fight by Pacquiao were beautiful. They highlighted the violence that can be associated with the sweet science. The fight in a vacuum was a showcase for Pacquiao’s ability to move in and out while punching fluidly in combination. 

Pacquiao was able to damage Margarito’s eye and orbital bone in the fight landing an incredible 411 out of 713 power punches. Hindsight being 20/20 the referee should have stopped the fight from going the full 12 rounds as the damage done to Margarito’s eye is still prevalent to this day. Pacquiao won a unanimous decision to make him boxing’s only eight-division world champion.

Timothy Bradley II (33-2-1, 13 KOs) – WBO 147-pound championship

April 12, 2014

The rematch with Timothy Bradley came on the heels of Pacquiao’s endless meme generating knockout loss to Marquez in December 2012. The first fight with Bradley in June 2012 was controversial as a vast majority thought Pacquiao won. The World Boxing Organization (WBO) even reviewed the fight with five separate judges whom all had Pacquiao winning. After the knockout loss to Marquez, it was seen as the end of the Filipino’s career and many questioned if he could come back to any resemblance of the force fans had become accustomed. 

Before he faced Bradley in the rematch, Pacquiao participated in somewhat of a tune-up against Brandon Rios (34-3-1, 25 KOs) in November 2013. The bout took place in Macao, China where Pacquaio won a one-sided unanimous decision in an impressive performance where he boxed more than he brawled. Rios, however, wasn’t on the level of Bradley and thus questions of Pacquiao’s status as one of the best were up for debate. 

The rematch with Bradley was the most exciting fight of their eventual trilogy and put to rest any doubts if Pacquiao was still an elite fighter after the Marquez knockout. Coming into the fight, Bradley had a chip on his shoulder. He felt angry about the way he was treated after the first fight with Pacquaio. However, the Palm Springs, California native was coming off a win over Marquez and as confident as ever that he could defeat the Filipino. 

Bradley had his moments in the first half of the bout but ultimately tried in error to knock Pacquiao out instead of boxing leading to Pacquiao landing the cleaner blows throughout. Most memorably Pacquiao threw a ten-punch combination with Bradley against the ropes in the seventh round to the delight of the crowd. Pacquiao won a unanimous decision and won back the WBO welterweight title marking his second reign as welterweight champion. 

Marco Antonio Barrera I – Lineal 126-pound championship

November 15, 2003

To this day many will argue that Pacquiao’s win over Marco Antonio Barrera in November 2003 was the best victory of his career. At the time Barrera was one of the top five pound-for-pound fighters in the world coming off of significant victories over Naseem Hamed (36-1, 31 KOs) and Erik Morales. The Mexican champion was the clear favorite heading into the fight with Pacquaio in San Antonio. Little did Barrera know that he was about to be hit by a typhoon. 

As soon as the fight began the hand speed differential between the two men was apparent. The referee Laurence Cole scored a false knockdown against Pacquiao after the two men got their feet tangled. This only invigorated and infuriated Pacquiao to attack Barrera with more venom. The left hand of the Filipino began landing with sharp precision on Barrera. In the third round, Pacquiao scored a hard knockdown with a left hand putting Barrera on the seat of his pants. As the rounds passed Pacquiao became more and more dominant as Barrera seemed to want the bout to end as soon as possible. 

By the ninth round, it was time for the fight to be stopped, as it was clear that Pacquiao was not going to slow down in any way. The eleventh round signified the end for Barrera as he started taking punches against the ropes without throwing anything in return. The Mexican’s corner was forced to step in the ring and stop the fight. 

In 2003, this victory by Pacquiao changed the boxing landscape. There was now a new face to be recognized as one of the best in the sport. This was the beginning of the run by Pacquiao that became the foundation for what would become a Hall-of-Fame career. 

Juan Manuel Marquez I, II, III, and IV – WBA/IBF 126-pound championship, WBC 130-pound championship and WBO 147-pound championship

May 08, 2004, March 15, 2008, November 12, 2011, and December 08, 2012

This may seem like a cop-out of sorts to not pick a specific fight in Pacquiao’s rivalry with Marquez, but the fights provided such a high level of action and excitement that leaving any off would be an injustice. The rivalry of Pacquiao-Marquez started with three knockdowns by Pacquaio in the first round of the first fight and ended with an emphatic knockout in the fourth fight for Marquez. In many ways, the rivalry ended in a full circle. 

The two men first met as featherweights when the plan for Pacquiao was to run through the top Mexican stars of this era in Barrera, Marquez, and Morales in succession. After three knockdowns by Pacquiao in the first round it seemed that the plan was coming to fruition. Marquez who himself had been in the shadow of Barrera and Morales for years was not going to go down so easily. Marquez willed himself back into the fight and ultimately won enough rounds to have the fight called a draw. One of the judges, Burt Clements, in error scored the fight 113-113, as he was the only judge to score the first round 10-7 instead of 10-6 where Pacquiao scored three knockdowns. 

From here, Pacquiao would go on to fight in bigger fights on PPV while Marquez faded from the spotlight. The low point came for Marquez when he traveled to Indonesia to face Chris John (48-1-3, 22 KOs) and lost a unanimous decision. It seemed that a rematch with Pacquiao was out of reach. 

When Marquez returned from Indonesia, a change occurred in his fighting style and mentality to be more aggressive. The rest of 2006 and 2007 Marquez racked up a string of victories in exciting fights that showed that he was not only one of the best in the world but also one of the most exciting. He moved to 130-pounds and defeated Barrera in March 2007 for the WBC super lightweight title, setting up a rematch with Pacquiao the next year. 

The rematch in 2008 saw both Pacquiao and Marquez in vastly improved conditions. Pacquiao had now been on the big stage while developing his technique and gaining more experience. What proceeded was arguably the best fight in the rivalry as both engaged in a technical war reminiscent of James Toney-Mike McCallum from the early 90’s. There were shifts in momentum with both men hurting one another at various points. It was boxing at its very best pitting two of the best in the world together. In the end, Pacquiao came away with a razor-thin split decision victory with the difference being a knockdown scored in the third round.

By the time the third fight in the rivalry came around in 2011, Pacquiao was at a new level of superstardom rarely seen in the sport. He was now so highly regarded that oddsmakers made him as much as a nine to one favorite over Marquez. Despite how competitive and close the first two fights were, many were convinced that this time Pacquiao would defeat Marquez resoundingly leaving no room for debate. 

The third fight would be for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight championship at a contracted weight of 144 pounds. Marquez’s first attempt at welterweight was a failure when he faced Floyd Mayweather in 2009. For Marquez, he decided to change his training methods and hired the controversial strength and conditioning coach Angel “Memo” Heredia. 

When the bell for the first round rang, it was clear that Pacquiao was not going to be running over Marquez on this night. The third fight is the most technical fight of the rivalry with neither man scoring a knockdown. It was an intense fight with many swing rounds that could have been scored for either man. In the end, the rubber match offered more questions than answers. Pacquiao won a majority decision in a fight many felt Marquez had done enough to win. Perhaps, Marquez was given the benefit of the doubt for doing better than was expected, but the decision was enough for fans to vote the fight as Robbery of the Year in Ring Magazine. The results again left the door open for a rematch. 

The fourth fight in December 2012 came after Pacquiao had lost a controversial decision to Timothy Bradley in June of that year. Instead of heading straight to a rematch with Bradley, Pacquiao felt that Marquez was more deserving of a rematch. Despite the greatness of the first three fights, some fans were not too thrilled about a fourth Pacquiao-Marquez fight. It turns out that they could not have been more wrong. 

When the two men were in the middle of the ring getting instructions from referee Kenny Bayless the look both men gave each other was that on this night there would be no questions as to who would be the winner. The first two rounds Pacquiao displayed head movement and was able to counter much of Marquez’s attacks. In the third round, Marquez landed the first devastating blow as he knocked Pacquiao down for the first time with an overhand right. From this point, Pacquiao became even more aggressive with his mind set on paying Marquez back. 

In the fifth round, Pacquiao was able to knock Marquez down with a straight left and preceded to bloody Marquez’s nose with a right hand. The fifth round would go on to win round of the year honors for 2012. The sixth round was dominated entirely by Pacquiao who was beginning to land more frequently on Marquez and landing counters in combination. It looked like the Filipino had finally broken Marquez and would go on to stop him. Then the ten-second bell rang with Marquez against the ropes, Pacquiao rushed right into a perfectly timed right hand that sent him face first into the canvas giving Marquez an emphatic victory. 

The knockout came as a shock to many as this fight was the first time Marquez hurt Pacquiao. There was some foreshadowing for the punch as in the fifth round; Marquez landed a similar punch while Pacquiao was attacking. 

It was a fantastic end to a rivalry. The fight won fight of the year honors for 2012. On the biggest stage of the sport, both men gave their all for the fans. It is rare for PPV main events to not only live up to the hype but also exceed it. In an emphatic knockout loss to his greatest rival, Pacquiao could hold his head high as he still gave fans their money worth. 

Erik Morales  II

January 21, 2006

After the first fight with Marquez, Pacquiao turned his attention to three-division champion Erik Morales (52-9, 36 KOs). After blowing out Morales’ greatest rival in Barrera and holding Marquez to a draw, many figured that the Filipino would blow out Morales. The first fight between Pacquiao and Morales was Pacquiao’s first stint on PPV in March 2005. What a debut it turned out to be as the two men put on one of the best fights of the year. 

Morales would win a clear unanimous decision against Pacquiao showing that it would take more than just punching power to beat him. This loss was a changing point in the career of Pacquiao’s as he changed his training to become a complete fighter. By the time the rematch came around in 2006 adjustments were made by Pacquiao to ensure that he would come away with the victory. 

With more attention being paid to body punching and the right hand after five rounds Pacquiao was able to turn the tides completely in his favor. Pacquiao would go on to stop Morales for the first time in his career in the tenth round. The victory and performance showed that Pacquiao was willing to make the necessary changes to win.  The fights with Morales gave Pacquiao the experience and adversity that molded him into the fighter he is today. 

Oscar De La Hoya

December 06, 2008

Oscar De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) was not in his prime when he fought Manny Pacquiao in 2008. In fact, over seven years had passed since De La Hoya had fought at welterweight. Even so, because Pacquiao would be moving up two weight classes to meet De La Hoya, he was the underdog. Something has to be said for performing when all the pressure is on, and the spotlight is directly on you. 

The fight with De La Hoya was the proverbial passing of the torch handing Pacquiao the reigns to the sport. De La Hoya did not belong in the ring with Pacquiao that night. The Filipino boxed a perfect fight putting everything he learned together in one performance. Regardless of the opponent, the Pacquiao that showed up to face De La Hoya would have been hard for anyone to defeat. The seventh and eighth rounds were particularly brutal for De La Hoya as he got hit with endless combinations against the ropes. 

De La Hoya decided not to come out for the ninth round giving Pacquaio the stoppage victory on the biggest stage of his career. Many have tried to downplay this win because of De La Hoya’s condition, but the level of performance has to be considered. There have been fighters who have been given a lay-up in the past and failed to impress. Notably, Guillermo Rigondeaux against Drian Francisco. While this is not Pacquiao’s best victory, the performance itself is hard to beat. 

Miguel Cotto – WBO Welterweight Championship

November 14, 2009

For most pundits, this performance by Pacquiao seems to be the clear favorite. It was the performance that changed the narrative from Hall-of-Famer to All Time Great. Pacquiao delivered in every way against Cotto, knocking him down two times en route to a 12th round stoppage. 

With two back-to-back awards in 2008 and 2009 as fighter of the year to go along with great performances against David Diaz, Marquez, Hatton, and De La Hoya the victory over Cotto was the cherry on top that catapulted Pacquiao to be named the Fighter of the Decade. 

For some, there is a slight asterisk on the fight with the fight having a catch weight at 145. However, like Barrera and De La Hoya, Cotto is a southpaw that fights out of an orthodox stance leaving his strong hand, the left hand, in front. All three weren’t known for their right hands and not having a right hand against Pacquiao usually spells disaster. 

Looking back Pacquiao’s performance against Cotto can be compared to some of the best in the history of boxing. The victory made him a seven-division world champion. In the future when people pull up a fight of Pacquiao’s to watch on the Internet, this will likely be the first one that pulls up. 

(Feature Photo: Reuters)