Manny Pacquiao: 3 Reasons Why Pac-Man Is Not the Best Ever by Any Means

As Manny Pacquiao prepares to defend his WBO welterweight title against Timothy Bradley next month, the inevitable debate about his place in history will take place. While he's been a dominant force in recent years, he's simply not the greatest of all time.

Let's take a look at three reasons Pac-Man shouldn't be considered the best ever. It's common for fans to talk about current stars in a historical sense, but it's also important not to get carried away when doing so concerning a sport like boxing with a storied history.

Late Bloomer

Pacquiao wasn't always the unstoppable beast everybody knows now that often steamrolls his opponents while barely breaking a sweat. He didn't face serious competition until 2004, when he fought to a draw with Juan Manuel Marquez. The next year, he suffered a loss to Erik Morales.

It was only after that loss to Morales that Pacquiao's stock began to skyrocket. He started to pick up more key victories and looked like a true champion in doing so against marquee names like Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley.

When you consider he's been fighting for 17 years, but it wasn't until the last seven that he really started to assert himself as an elite boxer, that should give people pause when talking about the best ever. That's not even half of his career that he's been in his current state.

Lack of Competition

The biggest difference between Pacquiao and some of the all-time greats is the level of competition he has been forced to face. He hasn't picked up nearly as many huge wins as the boxers who used to dominate the sport during its peak.

Pacquiao's potential super fight with Floyd Mayweather still doesn't appear to have any legs, which makes matters worse. It's the only victory that would really boost his résumé, but neither side wants to do anything but play a public relations game.

You have to beat the best to be the best, as the old saying goes. Pacquiao hasn't defeated the other elite fighter of his era yet and his other wins aren't nearly enough to make up for it when you're talking about being the best ever.

Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali

When you are talking about the greatest boxers, Robinson and Ali are the two names you will hear the most and rightfully so. They both dominated during their respective careers, picking up big wins at every opportunity and showing off terrific longevity.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Robinson was his fight schedule. There were times where he was fighting twice per month, and he did so extremely successfully. Now elite boxers are lucky to fight twice per year, as Pacquiao has done since 2009.

Ali was known for the rivalry aspect of his run. Whether it was Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier or another star, every Ali fight was a must-see event. And more often than not he came out on top in convincing fashion, helping the sport grow in the process.

Pacquiao is a special boxer for sure, but he's isn't on the same level as these two legends. At least not yet.