The Unnecessity of Being Undisputed (Part 1)
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 23 May 2024
Somebody asked me why I thought prime Manny Pacquiao never aspired for undisputed championship in any of the eight divisions where he became world champion.
I said, and I believe Manny and Bob Arum will agree with me: it was not necessary to prove dominance.
Note that from featherweight up, Manny, and Bob later, only targeted the best, most credible champions.
Even when he was going for his first world title at flyweight, Manny fought the best and most credible, WBC titlist Chatchai Sasakul of Thailand who was acknowledged by the Ring as lineal world champion.
When he moved up to junior featherweight, being no longer world titlist, Manny cannot be chooser and yet he grabbed the opportunity despite short notice to fight the then best champion at 122, IBF titlist Lehlo Lebwaba of South Africa. Having disposed of Lebwaba and chalked up successful defenses all by KO or TKO, Manny was obviously unmotivated when he was forced to meet WBO champion Agapito Sanchez in a unification bout that ended in a technical draw.
But when he was called to sub for a title challenge against then WBC and lineal world featherweight champion Antonio Antonio Barrera, we saw a motivated Pacquiao forcing an 11th round brutal stoppage. Somehow the organizer had the fight reduced to a non-title bout though the Ring still recognized Manny as the lineal world champion.
Denied of what was due him, Manny next fought another credible world champion, Juan Manuel Marquez for his WBA crown. But once again, he was robbed of victory when one judge erred in scoring causing the fight to be declared as draw despite Manny scoring three knockdowns in the very first round.
Marquez would lose his WBA crown in Indonesia to Chris John.
But Manny and Arum did not care to fight for any of the title, deeming the then champions as not credible and therefore not worth the trouble.
Manny decided to move up to junior lightweight where he had a trilogy with Erik Morales, another worthy and credible foe though in non title bouts. Manny lost the first but won the next two by knockout.
When Marquez became WBC and lineal world junior lightweight champion, Manny and Bob lost no time and arranged a title challenge.
Manny scored another knockdown on the way to pounding a split decision victory over Marquez to win essentially his fourth weight division world championship.
(To be continued)
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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