After reviewing some of the responses to the original Tick Tock story, one response in particular said Manny Pacquiao could retire and we would have never see a fighter like him again. Funny whenever a fighter grabs the regular public’s attention we are suddenly besieged with quasi boxing experts.
First let me state this, Pacquiao is a great fighter, he has proven time and again that he has what it takes to win when he steps into the ring. But let’s get serious, when we look at history there are only a few smaller men that have gained recognition as history’s greats. Willy Pep, Sadler, Sanches are a few, It’s only when we enter into lightweight and welterweight, that we see the talent pool expand.
Let me preempt my thoughts by saying Pacquiao has one eight titles but many of the next fighters I list could have also won seven or eight if the classes actually existed. Old timers Mickey Walker, Benny Leanord, Barney Ross, Tony Canzoneri, Jimmy Mclarnin and more modern fighters, Sugar Ray Leanord, Roberto Duran, Aaron Pryor, and Ceser Chavez. Lastly, I have the untouchables Henry Armstrong, and Sugar Ray Robinson.
All the fighters above I feel would be favored to beat Pacquiao and I have a hard time finding one that he would beat. Face the facts the talent pool has been weak and Pacquiao, a freak of nature, has taken advantage. I can’t see him having his way with any of the modern fighters mentioned and I didn’t include Tommy Hearns who I feel would have punished Pacquiao.
So before you start crowning modern-day fighters who win titles just because they’re five pounds apart, LEARN YOUR HISTORY!
15 Comments
Hey Will Evans,
Indeed. Why don’t you “Learn Your History”.
While I think Aaron Pryor was a great fighter who could have possibly beaten the present edition of Manny Pacquiao in a dream fight. But correct me if I’m wrong. The Hawk only won titles in one division, light welterweight. The lighest he ever fought was 137 and the heaviest according to Boxrec was 154 in his next to last fight.
I know the divisions these days are diluted, but what 8 titles could Aaron had won in your world with a 17 pound weight swing? The “light-junior welterweight” title? The “semi-welterweight-kinda-mini-middleweight” title? Pacquiao has done it from 106 lbs to 150lbs.
Come on dude. If you are going to write an article and publish it worldwide you should at show some intelligence and do your homework. And above all, “Learn Your History”.
Old Larry
0
This is a classic yesteryear fighter being touted as the best when matching him up with a current fighter. Yes I agree there were some great fighters; but with the amount of science and training that the current crop has, the speed and power has increased tremendously.
You have to have the sense of contemporary which is the only fair means of scaling a fighter. Mohammed Ali was the greatest but he agreed that he wouldn’t stand up to a prime Mike Tyson.
Sweet pea man was awesome but can he fight Floyd Mayweather?
Roberto Duran had the hands of Stone but can he beat a beast munching Manny Pacquiao?
Niccolino “Intoucable” Locce was the defensive maestro but can he escape the current light men?
There is no way of comparing them and its unfair to make comments that dim current boxers. Roy Jones Jr has recently acknowledged that Manny is the pound for pound best at the moment. How can a small time writer like you, awkwardly consider boxing fans are Quasi experts? And why is that what you think is so correct than others… all you write is opinions. And opinions are like a$$h0les. Everyone has one champ.
0
Lets start off by saying boxing is a dangerous sport. It doesn’t matter who you get in the ring with each match can go fifty/fifty if each fighter is trained well and hungry.
Pacquiao has fought bigger men and won despite being much smaller. These aren’t just average boxers he fought, but seasoned veterans that know their way around a boxing ring. Don’t get me wrong there is an age limit on how long a boxer can keep fighting for, but they definitely weren’t done until Pacquiao finished them off. These we’re healthy men at a prime age. Anyone of those boxers before being destroyed by Pacquiao could’ve easily finished off a Duran, Leonard and Chavez. Personally, I believe Hatton, Margarito even Marquez, could’ve easily beaten a Duran, Chavez and Leonard in that order or mixed. But of course we’ll never know, right? And speculating is such a losing game.
You gotta stop living in the past by glorifying retired legends when there’s currently an active legend running havok among the ranks and doing a very convincing job of it. You gotta stop speculating on what could’ve been cause when Pacquiao retires who knows when the next heir apparent may come. Who knows if boxing will be as entertaining as it is now?
All I’m saying is let’s just enjoy his fighting and his next four wins against Mosely, Marquez, Mayweather and Bradley. You heard it first, right here.
0
Yeah dream on “Tommy Hearns vs Pacquiao”.. lol funny. We could care less about history old timer..
You could match Pacquiao vs WHO YOU WANT IN HISTORY? And WE DON’T CARE!!!
What we believe is what’s in front of us, and right now this is our time as to become boxing fans and don’t spoil it just because you think you know too much about boxing.. we only have one source in case were interested about you’re genereation and that’s “WIKI”
You really are one of those old timer saying boxing is dead? Don’t be a CRAB!
0
Just to inform you Mr. Evans as of this writing TIME MACHINE has not been invented, so keep on dreaming…
0
lol , yeah hearns probably could punish pacquiao, hears made his name at middleweight. Pac made his name at featherweight
0
None of the fighters you listed except for Henry Armstrong could have won the titles that Pacquiao won because they all started out at higher weight classes even if you take into account the weight range they did not win titles across the weight divisions that equal Pacquiao or else they would have.
0
hearns first title is welterweight and even fought later at cruiserweight. HOw can you compare? sure they both once fought at the same weight, but their respective best weights are not that close and thats what people forget. Pac should only be fightin as high as 140 but the names are at 147.
0
bottom line, if it’s so easy winning titles in different weight classes, then how come we dont see more fighters aren’t doing it?
0
ok first off saying manny could beat roberto duran is insane. freddie roach who is a dedicated duran fan stated that manny would have lost to him on espn. manny is great but you can’t compare ricky hatton to ken buchanaon and you can’t compare ray leonard to any of mannys opponents as ray would have cleaned house. other false statement was made by jonnyr who said none of the opponents listed would have won eight titles except armstrong. false because ray robinson started at lightweight 135 and rose all the way to light heavyweght which if you count all the weight classes today is 8 divisions. believe me when i say i have followed boxing for 30 years and ray robinson would have taken manny out in the first 5 rounds at welterweight of lightweight. i don’t need a time machine to tell you that.
0
What a stupid article,for one it is pointless to compare fighters of today to yesteryear,as we will never really know what the out come would have been.But just for arguments sake i think Pacquiao would have beaten all of those fighters mostly because modern day training techniques are far superior to the old ones.And if you like it or not the old ways are not as good as the new ways it’s called evolution.
0
simple is to say, “to see is to believe”,I believe as far my eyes can see saying so much things based on opinion are nothing but would always remain as just an opinion…forever and ever beyond any circumstances without any and the like solid facts.
Mr Will Evans you are entitled to your own opinion,Yes, but choose the right words of statement to keep away from heading us on to elsewhere – illusions.
0
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda, but didn’t. You talk about history but you fail to state Pac was a champion in 4 lineal weight classes. You are the one talking about hypotheticals.
0
i agree with francis. fighter and commentators say that boxing is diluted with abc belts but you don’t see many fighters doing what Pac is doing and to that extent.
0
Leave Your Comments Below
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Polls
Loading ...
Advertisments
Featured Articles
Matthysse Crushes Peterson; Mayweather Next? Alexander Wins and More [VIDEO]
Episode 6 of "Hit the Mitts" shows the highlights from the TKO victories that took place on May 18, 2013.
A great Saturday night of fights showcased Read MoreSugar Shane Mosley Tops Pablo Cesar Cano In Mexico
Shane Mosley, who will be 42 in September, had not won a fight in over three years coming into Saturday night's bout with Pablo Cesar Cano. Read MoreLucas Matthysse Crushes Lamont Peterson
Lucas Matthysse is known by many boxing enthusiasts as the best 140 pounder in the world. Most would say either he or Danny Garcia, but we will get to Read MoreOur Partners
Archives
Our Sponsors
You said “next fighters I list could have also won”….there’s your root word, “could have” they they couldn’t and they didn’t, did they? Yes or No?
Here’s food for thought for you and history, since Pacquiao jumped some weight classes and fought all the way to Light Middleweight, Pacquaio “could have won at least 10 weight divisions too”..how’s that?