SPORTS SHORTS 203: MANNY PACQUIAO FROM WBA SUPER CHAMPION TO CHAMPION IN RECESS THEN CHAMPION FOR LIFE
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 26 Aug 2021
Manny Pacquiao got an even bigger accolade than the Super World welterweight title he lost to Yordenis Ugas. Just before the match against the Cuban on Saturday, August 21, Pacquiao got the commendation he is truly worthy of from the World Boxing Association, who sanctioned the title fight in Las Vegas.
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Moments before their 12-round championship battle, Pacquiao was surprisingly visited by WBA president Gilberto Mendoza, who assured that the eight-division world champion will be bestowed the honor as "Champion for Life" whatever will be the result of his fight with Ugas.
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Mendoza also posted an Instagram video on Tuesday showing him personally apologizing to Pacquiao regarding the chaos on the WBA (Super) welterweight title whom the senator was being stripped of and declared "Champion in recess." The belt was then given to Ugas who was WBA regular world champion that time.
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The WBA executive said that this is part of the WBA's centennial celebration. "This is a hundred years of the WBA, centennial year, you're gonna be a champion for life. I have a belt made, and we'll come with a resolution after," he said.
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"I was fooled, I'm sorry about it," said Mendoza about the sanctioning body's decision to strip Pacquiao of the title due to inactivity. Pacquiao's career was stagnant for two years because of the pandemic.
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“No it’s okay,” responded Pacquiao. “You don’t need to say sorry, you’re doing a good job.”
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Mendoza was in great admiration for Pacquiao who didn't make a problem out of it. "You have behaved like a real gentleman and you teach lessons to others," he said.
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MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons arranged the meeting hours before the fight. "I hope to see you soon in Manila with the belt and everything else," said Mendoza.
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The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), is the oldest and one of four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, together with the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).
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Founded in the United States in 1921 by 13 state representatives as the NBA, in 1962 it changed its name to WBA in acknowledgement to boxing's rising popularity worldwide and began to accept other countries as members.
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The first bout the NBA recognized was the Jack Dempsey–Georges Carpentier heavyweight championship bout. It was one of the fights named the "Fight of the Century". The title fight took place on Saturday, July 2, 1921, at Boyle's Thirty Acres in Jersey City, New Jersey.
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Since 2015, the WBA awards a specially made of their WBA Super champion belt to very important fights involving a WBA championship. The WBA called this the Man of Triumph belt, and was first awarded to the winner of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight.
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On the plate of the belt were engraved the images of the two boxers fighting. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was awarded the first gold-plated version of the belt while Manny Pacquiao was awarded a one-time rhodium-plated type of the belt.
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Other awardees of the customized gold-plated belt are Anthony Joshua, Vasyl Lomachenko, Oleksandr Usyk, Canelo Álvarez and Callum Smith.
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After the Ugas upset, coach Freddie Roach wants Pacquiao to retire. "You know, I'm a little bit worried about it, yes," Roach told Boxing Scene about boxing without Pacquiao.
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"He's boxed a long, long time, and he's boxed with me for a long time," Roach added. "You know, I hate to see that day when he retire but this could be it. He didn't have a great performance — but we'll see what Manny decides."
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“Manny has had an incredible career and he doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone,” tweeted Leonard Ellerbe, head of Premier Boxing Champions that promotes the Pacquiao fight. “You can’t continue to push that envelope when you’re an older fighter. Hope he does the right thing, he will always be a legend.”
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"You don't let a legendary career end just like that," trusted friend and trainer Buboy Fernandez said. "Losing to someone who's hardly known. If that's the case, all your hard work would go for naught. Your being world champion [is] gone."
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But the Polangui, Albay vice mayor leaves it up to Pacquiao to resolve. "But still it will be up to the senator to decide."
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Pacquiao admitted that he was very eager to face Juan Manuel Marquez for a fifth time. From 2004 to 2012, Pacquiao fought Marquez a total of four times.
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On May 8, 2004 they fought to a split draw at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, where Pacquiao retained his The Ring featherweight title.
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On March 15, 2008 the second bout resulted in a split decision win for Pacquiao at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada where he won the WBC and The Ring super featherweight titles.
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In the third encounter, Pacquiao won by a majority decision on November 12, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, where he retained the WBO welterweight title.
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In the fourth meeting, Pacquiao fought Marquez on December 8, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada. The fight was for the WBO's "Champion of the Decade" belt. Marquez knocked down Pacquiao in the third round with a powerful right hook. In round five, Pacquiao retaliated by knocking down Marquez.
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Pacquiao battered Marquez in the sixth round. The Mexican was behind in the judges' scorecards and with just one second left in the sixth round, Marquez countered Pacquiao with a sweeping right hand flooring Pacquiao face first to the canvas in a clear knockout.
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It was Pacquiao's first knockout loss in more than 13 years since his second career knockout loss to Medgoen Singsurat in 1999 and he remained unconscious for several minutes on the floor. The match was declared The Ring magazine's "Fight of the Year" and "Knockout of the Year".
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After suffering the shocking loss, Pacquiao tried as much as he can to convince Marquez to engage in another fight with him. Marquez wanted a too much money for a fifth fight, but in the end refused to fight, even for a huge sum.
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"I was begging my promoter to get me another [fight with Marquez], I wanted another, but he [Marquez] withdrew [from the discussions]," Pacquiao told ESPN Deportes.
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Some fans thought he was risking too much in facing Marquez for a fourth time. But Pacquiao answered he did not regret the loss. "I don't feel bad because I feel like that was a great experience in my career. This is boxing, you cannot always keep winning, sometimes you lose," said Pacquiao.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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