Pacquiao truly a ring rarity

By Robert Morales, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/10/2009 10:39:00 PM PST

HOLLYWOOD - Manny Pacquiao has won major world championships in four weight classes. Some publications - not this one - are giving him credit for having won titles in six weight classes because of victories over Marco Antonio Barrera at featherweight and Ricky Hatton at junior welterweight.

There were no major belts on the line in those two fights. But Barrera and Hatton were, at least, people's champions at the time.

Either way, what Pacquiao has accomplished is rare, to be sure. On Saturday he will try to add a fifth major title in as many divisions when he challenges Miguel Cotto for his welterweight world title at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, has been in the game more than 40 years.

Among the fighters he has promoted is Oscar De La Hoya, the only fighter to win major championships in six weight classes. But his sixth came in a middleweight title fight against Felix Sturm, and many thought Sturm beat De La Hoya, who clearly struggled to carry his power up that high. Bulking up also slowed his hand and foot speed.

Pacquiao, who won his first title in the 112-pound flyweight division, had no such trouble when he knocked out Hatton in the second round at 140 pounds last May at MGM Grand. He was lightning quick and powerful.

"Manny Pacquiao's entire career has been incredible," Arum said. "I mean, I have never in all the time I've been in boxing seen a fighter who keeps going up in weight and keeps getting better rather than diminished. Because there's always, when a guy goes up in weight, does he bring his punch with him? And does it slow him down going up in weight?

"Well, Manny seems to be getting faster and his punches seem to be getting stronger. So it's a phenomenon that we have never seen before in boxing. I mean that. The body of work that Manny Pacquiao represents is something that is completely unique in the sport."

Pacquiao is a special athlete, and that certainly has played a big part in what he has achieved. But as he sat in his dressing room at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood last week - wearing that infectious smile - he talked about another aspect of his success.

School was in.

"Aside from hard work in training, I study how to make boxing easy," Pacquiao said. "Everybody knows that boxing is a hard sport and it's something where I say, `How can I make it easier than what it is?"'

In other words, as he has moved up he has analyzed what he must do to succeed in the heavier divisions.

"For example," he said, "tomorrow you have an exam for science. So, you have to now study the science subject, not mathematics. That's what I mean."

Freddie Roach has trained Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) for more than eight years. He said Pacquiao's willingness to learn is one of the key factors in Pacquiao being all he can be.

"Manny is never satisfied," Roach said. "People win world titles, they get satisfied and they don't learn anymore. Pacquiao is really hungry for knowledge, he wants to improve himself. His work ethic is unbelievable.

"The thing is he's like a throwback. People say, `Who's the next Manny Pacquiao?' I say, `We're not going to see another Manny Pacquiao in our lifetime.' Things like this don't happen every day."

Pacquiao's last loss was to Erik Morales in March 2005. Since then, Roach has worked hard to make Pacquiao more of an all-around boxer rather than just a wild-swinging brawler. Pacquiao has been more than a willing disciple of Roach's tutelage. Had he not been, it's doubtful he would be where he is today.

It's not like he has become a boxer who dances and runs his way to victory because he is not carrying his power up in weight either, or because he can't handle bigger punches coming his way. Since that narrow loss to Morales, Pacquiao has won 10 consecutive bouts, seven by knockout.

There's another element to Pacquiao's success. He wants to give the best he can and he wants his supporters to be wildly excited about his performance. He never wants to be accused of being in one of those yawn-fests where 12 rounds seem like 20.

He still is very explosive.

"My responsibility of being a fighter is not only for myself and for my family, but of course, you have a responsibility to make people happy, especially people who love boxing," said Pacquiao, 30.

"You have to do your job. You have to work hard and make people like your fighting, the way you fight in the ring.

"Not like somebody who doesn't care about the fight, you know, as long as he wins he doesn't care how the fight is, if it is a good fight or not."

Pacquiao never is in a dull fight, regardless of the inordinate amount of weight classes in which he has toiled. Even prestigious peers like Bernard Hopkins admire him.

"Pacquiao is going to chop Cotto up," Hopkins said. "Manny is the Bruce Lee of boxing. You can't tell where his shots are coming from. Unlike Rocky, Bruce Lee was a real dude and so is Manny."

Oh, absolutely.

Source: http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_13759914