Manny Pacquiao Reaffirms His Greatness: Mauls Margarito, Wins Eighth World Title

There is no doubt now.

Manny Pacquiao is indeed the greatest boxer on the planet and his mauling of Mexico’s disgraced champion only added to Pacquiao’s status. The one-sided beatdown the Filipino gave Margarito was a testament that Pacquiao is truly boxing’s greatest athlete.

In the process, Pacquiao achieved another boxing milestone, his record eighth world championship in as many weight classes, surpassing the previous record he himself had made when he bludgeoned Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto last year. This win carves Pacquiao’s name alongside the legends of the sport—Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong and Joe Louis to name a few.

It is also a record that is surely to stand the test of time, only surpassable if the powers that be in boxing create at least three more weight divisions. Doing so, of course, would be a travesty.

Another amazing achievement is how Pacquiao trashed Margarito and took everything the Mexican threw at him, despite at a huge disadvantage in terms of height, reach, size and weight.

The day before the fight, Pacquiao was almost six pounds below the contracted weight limit of 150, while Margarito was right on target. Immediately prior to the fight, Pacquiao re-hydrated to 148, whereas Margarito may have scaled 165—more than 15 pounds of weight disparity.

But Pacquiao effortlessly made the weight issue a non-issue.

Against a taller, bigger, heavier, and presumably stronger Margarito, Pacquiao danced, darted, sneaked and pranced with his combined deadly skills of speed, volume punching and accuracy. Everything Margarito had to offer was rendered useless by the smaller man, who he couldn't ever pin down and put his patented style of pressure fighting on.

Hell, even the vicious body shots that Margarito conjured Pacquiao took and brushed off as if they were nothing. Perhaps, to Pacquiao, they were really nothing. But Pacquiao returned the favor with the same vigor and fervor. Or maybe more. Pacquiao was beating Margarito like none of the Mexican’s last six conquerors could—to a pulp.

As reward for his courage to slug it out with the Pacman, the Tijuana Tornado has to walk the earth with a remodified face for some time. He has also been added to Pacquiao’s statistics of beaten Mexicans. Of course, there are the guaranteed millions of prize money as well. So much of it that Margarito can now retire if he wants to.

People now say, “Bring on Floyd Mayweather!”

Mayweather who? Didn’t he retire after seeing how Pacquiao smashed Margarito, a fighter Mayweather also ducked?

How about, “Bring on the Brothers Klitschkos!”?

Win or lose, a fight with either one should be enough to elevate Pacquiao to demigod status.

Now, wouldn’t that be a sight?

For more Filipino boxing news, go to Filipino Boxing Journal.