MANNY PACQUIAO: A LOOK BACK (PART I)
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 07 Mar 2015
LOS ANGELES ? The time was January 22, 1995, the place, Mindoro, Philippines.
Few people would have guessed they were looking at history when a skinny little boy with a left hook as a weapon, who had to put coins in his pocket to make it to the 106-pound weight limit, would march triumphantly with a unanimous decision over a certain Enting Ignacio in his debut as a professional fighter.
He followed this up with another point-victory, also in a four-rounder over Pinoy Montejo, again in Mindoro then winning all his next seven bouts, four of them via stoppage, ending his initial year campaign with a clean 10-0 sweep.
Pacquiao opened campaign in 1996 graduating as a flyweight disposing off Lito Torrejos via a technical decision over five rounds in Sjucat, Paranaque before meeting his match in Rustico Torrecampo, who sent him to dreamland in the third.
Pacquiao, who left his hometown General Santos City at 14 to seek fortune in the Big City, took that defeat as challenge rather than a setback bouncing back to score 11 consecutive victories in a span of two years, eight via knockouts, in the process, in the process, crowning himself as the Orient-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF)112-pound king.
In 1998, the Kibawe, Bukidnon-born lefty was already the World Boxing Council flyweight champion, knocking out Thai Chatchai Sasakul in the 8th of a scheduled 12-round showdown in the latter?s home turf.
Fighting overweight, he lost that crown jewel as fast, in yet another KO in the third, this time to another Thai Medgoen Lukchaopormasak.
Again, showing determination and ability to vault back from one adversity to another, the more mature Pacquiao fashioned out 11 straight KO win as against a pair of draws from year 2000 to 2003.
That was on the way of winning the WBC International super-bantamweight crown, defending it five times before adding the International Boxing Federation title of the same weight class at the expense of Lehlohonolo Ledwaba.
Among his victims in that victory streak were Jorge Julio, KO in second, Fabroakob Sithkweninm, TKO in first,Serikzan Eshmagambetoiv, TKO in five, Emmanuel Lucero, KO in third, Marco Antonnio Barrera, TKO in 11th and Fahsan Tawatschai, TKO in fourth.
A draw with Juan Manuel Marquez and a loss to fellow Mexican Erik Morales somewhat stalled his appointment to greatness.
The eight-division world titleholder split his pair of assignments in 2006, losing by points to Erik Morales and stopping Fahsan Thawatchiai in six.
From there, he hacked out a 15-0 series of triumphs, including an avenging pair of KOs over Morales, David Diaz to add the WBC lightweight plum, a TKO over Oscar DeLa Hoya in his first fight in the 147-pound level.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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