Pacquiao Beats the Weight Bullies and the Travesty of Day Before the Fight Weighin
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 23 Apr 2024
Pacquiao takes on all the weight bullies.
The recent Devin Haney-Ryan Garcia much celebrated bout demonstrated once again how far one party will go to cheat at the weighin and the travesty of the day before the fight weighin that resulted in virtual middleweights fighting in a supposed super lightweight fight!
This reminded me of how Manny Pacquiao beat the weight bullies as he overcame the travesty of the day before the fight weighin regime in achieving a record eight division world championships, the last four above 130 lbs.
Moving up and suffering his first defeat in years, Manny Pacquiao learned well from the folly of overlooking Erik Morales at weighin that allowed the Mexican to come at fight night as a virtual jr welterweight.
Morales coming as heavy and strong as a super lightweight at fight time had been complained about by archrival Marco Antonio Barrera when they were still fighting as featherweight or 126 lbs.
Getting wise to this strategy of Morales, Pacquiao stipulated a fine of $100,000 for every pound Erik would come above the agreed upon 130 lbs limit at weighin for their rematch.
As history has it, Pacquiao stopped Morales in the late rounds of their rematch and knocked him out in the early rounds of their rubber match.
In his succeeding bouts above 130 lbs., Pacquiao would be exposed to the travesty of the day before the fight weighin which allowed his opponents to weigh as heavy as two weight classes above the stipulated weight class after meeting the weight limit almost 48 hours earlier.
Manny fought a virtual welterweight in David Diaz at lightweight but no problemo. He outclassed Diaz in every department before knocking him out in the eighth round to win his WBC lightweight crown.
Pacquiao fought middleweight Oscar de la Hoya at agreed catchweight of 147 lbs or the welterweight limit. Oscar met the limit at a day before the fight weighin but we did not know how heavy Golden Boy actual was by fight time. No problemo. Manny mauled him to quitting in his stool by the eighth round.
In Ricky Hatton, Pacquiao faced an opponent who was a weight bully that took advantage of the day before the fight weighin. After meeting the 140 lbs limit with Manny the morning before, Ricky ballooned to 165 lbs by fight night. It was good Manny was well advised and he himself came in at his highest at 154 lbs.
Despite the added weight, Manny never lost his speed and quick reflexes. In fact, it could have even ramp up his power. He knocked Ricky unconscious in the second round in one of the most brutal knockouts in boxing history. Hatton laid there as if a dead man. One writer described Ricky as if "a man shot dead by a high powered gun".
When he moved up to the welterweights, Manny had resigned himself and prepared his body to fighting virtual middleweights, with few exceptions like Tim Bradley perhaps, Juan Manuel Marquez and Chris Algieri.
The man he beat for the WBO welterweight crown, Miguel Cotto was as big as a middleweight. But Manny stopped him in the 12th and last round.
Joshua Clottey his first title challenger was as big as a middleweight but Manny intimidated him into defending himself with his antennae defense from the first round to the last. Such was Pacquiao's power and reputation as knockout artist.
Pacquiao's biggest challenge with weight bullies taking advantage of the day before the fight regime was when he take on Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC super welterweight or junior middleweight crown in 2010. Both met 154 lbs limit the day before with Manny even scaling at 149 lbs. But on fight night, Margarito was 165 lbs distributed in his nearly six foot frame. Again Manny used his speed to elude the Mexican giant and outgun him almost four to one, some landing on the orbital bone of his right eye which was so damaged Manny was begging the referee to stop the fight already. Margarito despite his pitiful state managed to hear the final bell and the unanimous decision verdict for Manny.
Ironically, Manny had to contend with a weight bully in his final fight - a loss to Cuban Yurdenis Ugas who ringside announcer said looked every inch like a middleweight, noting his length and reach.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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