Manny Pacquaio: The Exit Strategy

What Manny Pacquiao did on December 6 will go down in history as one of the greatest performances of the decade. To waltz up two weight classes and not only beat, but methodically dismantle and outclass boxing’s "Golden Boy," Oscar De La Hoya is an incredible feat. Combined with his previous accomplishments in lower weight classes and Pac-Man has to be one of the, if not the most dangerous fighter.

Why would anyone want to fight this man? Well actually, there are quite a few reasons. Pacquiao is the consensus pound-for-pound best fighter in the world and if anyone were to beat him they could stake a great claim to that intangible yet much-sought-after title.

Also, Pacquiao has become one of the sport’s true "mega-draws." The man has become more than just a sports star in his native Philippines; he’s now a bonafide Filipino Icon. And after wins against over Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, and De La Hoya, he’s on the brink of global stardom. Fighting him is a nice pay day for any opponent.

And, finally Pacquiao is now established into of the strongest weight divisions in boxing, lightweight and welterweight. The amount of world-class pugilists in these weights is bound to cause congestion, and some people can very easily get forgotten about. Enter Pacquiao, with a "name" like Manny’s an opponent could propel themselves into the title picture with a respectable, competitive loss and even join the division’s elite with a win.

Pac-Man’s ability to move between weight-classes means he’s got a lot of ways to go, so many fights available to him. But with his 30th birthday closing in and a new baby on the way, Pacquiao must start planning his exit strategy. With a ferocious pressure style he has, fighter’s can burn out overnight so Manny’s probably got about three fights left. He and Bob Arum have to pick them wisely. Here’s how I believe they should do it.

First up…Ricky Hatton (45—1). Hatton has already called out Pacquiao and rumours of a fight in Dubai have been swirling around internet forums for days now. A fight between these two would be huge, as they possess two of the most loyal followings in the world as well as being big draws.

The atmosphere would be incredible, Pacquiao’s fantastic Filipino fans along with Hatton’s mad Mancunian’s. It doesn’t get much better. And the in-ring action wouldn’t be bad either. Both men come forward and throw punches, and if their aggressive styles gel, we could witness a true classic.

Then…Juan Manuel Marquez (49—4—1). This probably the most demanded rubber match out there. The first fight was a draw and left many questions and the rematch didn’t give us any real answers. These two must fight again, it’s probably one of the most obvious fights to make right now. Pacquiao demolished David Diaz at 130lbs, and Marquez is The Ring champion at the same weight so it would be a true mega-fight.

After De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao, relations between Golden Boy and Top Rank have improved too, which means there shouldn’t be any problems putting this fight together. Rival vs. Rival, Mexico vs. Philippines, Pacquiao vs. Marquez, one more time!

And finally…Ricardo Torres (32—2). Pacquiao has always prided himself on being a man of the people, so it makes sense that he should give the people a great fight for his final bout. They could do it in Macau where the interest would be huge; it could literally bring the country to a stand still. And, Torres is probably the perfect opponent. He comes forward and is easy to hit but has good power in both hands.

The fight would almost certainly be a war. Torres is flawed enough for it to be a fight Pacquiao would most likely win, but his style means that it would be wildly entertaining. Pacquiao could go out with a bang and with a victory. It would be the perfect exclamation mark on what has been a near-perfect career.

The plan I have outlined may be challenging and it will certainly test Manny’s ability to the full. But he’s never been one to shy away from a challenge and the talent is there for him to overcome all of these obstacles. And then five years from the Torres fight would come the last step of the master plan. In Canastota, New York, the Filipino Icon will have a new title: Manny Pacquiao—Hall of Famer.