Manny Pacquiao and the Top 20 Historical Fighters We'd Love to See Him Face

Regardless of the outcome of his fight this Saturday with Antonio Margarito, there are two things about Manny Pacquiao of which are certainties:  First, is that Pacquiao is a fighter who would have been competitive in any era.  Second, is that he will, and deservedly so, be considered as one the all-time greats when he decides to hang it up.

When considering that Pacquiao has championships in seven weight classes and actually started his professional career at light flyweight and now regularly fights in and around the welterweight division along with already having beaten some of the top names in his era such as Marco Antonio Barrera, Eric Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya, it seems safe to assume that he will be a surefire, first-ballot hall-of-famer.

Amongst boxing aficionados, one guaranteed way to stir up some conversation, if not heated arguments, is to speculate on how fighters of different eras or whom may have just missed each other for some reason or another, would have fared against one another.  Pacquiao has earned his place in history and now it’s time to compare him to others. 

Here are 20 historic fighters, from featherweight to welterweight, that would have been fun to see Pacquiao matched against.

20. Sugar Ray Robinson

I would not give Pacquiao much of a shot in this one, but when you’re considered for all-time status, you must be compared to the all-time best, and that’s Robinson hands down.

19. Henry Armstrong

Armstrong is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time and one of the first to win titles in three divisions in an era when there were not nearly as many classifications as there are today and also when guys fought at least every month.  A fight with Armstrong and Pacquiao would’ve been great.

18. Ike Quartey

Quartey may not be considered an all-time great, but his quickness, his jab and his right hand which earned him the nickname of “Bazooka” would have made for a very interesting fight with the Pac Man.

17. Prince Naseem Hamed

Hamed also may be better known for being an all-time showman, but his speed and unorthodox style would’ve given Pacquiao some problems.  Also, Hamed represents a near miss for Pacquiao, having left boxing right at the time when Pacquiao was forging his reputation.

16. Sandy Saddler

Saddler, an all-time great featherweight who at the height of 5’8 1/2” was considered very tall for the division, would’ve been a great challenge for Pacquiao.  His length, toughness and rough house tactics may have been too much for Pacquiao at featherweight.

15. Willie Pep

You can’t mention Saddler without mentioning Pep.  A fight with Pep would be equally challenging for Pacquiao as a fight with Saddler would have been, but for much different reasons.  Pep was a defensive whiz and it would’ve been interesting to see how Pacquiao’s offense would’ve worked against his defense.

14. Arturo Gatti

May not have been an all-time great, but boy, wouldn’t you have loved to see the action between a prime Gatti and a prime Pacquiao?

13. Hector Camacho

Camacho may fall into the same category of the previous selection of Gatti, but he did fight and defeat many of the big-name fighters of his era.  The earlier, more aggressive incarnation of Camacho, as opposed to the older, more defensive fighter near the end of his career would’ve provided an exciting matchup with Pacquiao.

12. Alexis Arquello

Arquello was another tall, rangy fighter who was also a classic boxer-puncher and would’ve given Pacquiao fits. 

11. Kostya Tszyu

Tszyu is another fighter that just missed Pacquiao.  His right hand was an equalizer to any inequity he may have encountered while in the ring.

10. Felix Trinidad

Trinidad’s size and power relative to the welterweight and junior middleweight division made him formidable for anyone who stepped into the ring with him.

9. Azumah Nelson

Nelson was tough as nails and never stopped coming forward.  A fight with Pacquiao would’ve been a battle of wills for the ages.

8. Meldrick Taylor

Taylor was an ultra-fast, ultra-aggressive boxer puncher, who if not for his misfortune, could’ve been remembered as one of the best of his era.

7. Pernell Whitaker

Whitaker was one of the slickest all-time defensive fighters and one of the best counter-punchers.  Like the aforementioned Willie Pep, a fight with Pacquiao would have been a great study in contrasting styles.

6. Sugar Ray Leonard

Leonard against anyone was must see viewing.  He was the superstar of the ‘80s, much as Pacquiao is the superstar in boxing now.  A fight with these two wildly popular boxers would’ve undoubtedly sold out the largest stadium in the world.

5. Salvador Sanchez

One of the greatest Mexican fighters of all time, Sanchez was tenacious, tough and fought with power.  With Pacquiao’s history with Mexican fighters and a very similar style, this one would’ve been one for the ages.

4. Julio Cesar Chavez

If Sanchez was the one of the greatest Mexican fighters of all time, then Chavez was probably the greatest Mexican fighter of all time.  He was heavy-handed and his body attack was debilitating.  Would the body attack by Chavez have been enough to slow down Pacquiao?

3. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. 

The only fight on this list that actually can be made.  Isn’t it time to just do it already?

2. Roberto Duran

Duran is possibly the best lightweight fighter of all-time.  He was ferocious in the ring and packed dynamite in both hands.  A fight between Pacquiao and Duran is one of the best “fantasy matchups” that could be dreamed of between any two fighters of any two eras.  It would be that good.

1. Aaron Pryor

Although most people would put a fight between Pacquiao and Duran as their number one choice, a fight with between Pacquiao and Pryor would be explosive.  They are nearly mirror images of one another (stance aside) in the way they attack.  They’re about the same size and have the same attributes.  They both have fought with speed and power and an uncommon savagery.

Surely this compilation is highly debatable and surely there have been names left off of the list.  Feel free to come up with your own and debate with a fellow boxing fan.  It’s what we do.