Pacquiao talks about Legacy and Mayweather
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 28 Mar 2012
He is the only man on planet earth to have won eight world crowns in as many weight divisions as well as in four lineal levels. Ring Magazine Pound-for-Pound King for five years, Four times Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year, BWAA Fighter of the Decade, two-time ESPY Awardee, five-time Philippine Sports Association Athlete of the Year, etc.
He was in Time Magazine?s list of 100 Most Influential People in 2009, the same year he graced its cover, He was in Forbes Magazine?s list of 100 Richest Athletes in 2009. Along with New York Yankee?s Alex Rodriguez, he was the ESPN Magazine?s co-Highest Paid Athletes in 2010 and in 2011 the Highest Paid Athlete.
He was elected Congressman of the lone district of Sarangani Province and one of the very few athletes to have been given audience by a United States President at the White House.
Indeed World Boxing Organization reigning welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao cannot ask for more to keep his legacy intact if and when he decides to hang his boxing gloves.
Not even a fight with bad-mouthing arch-rival, undefeated American World Boxing Council 147-pound belt-owner Floyd Mayweather Jr., planned but aborted as many times as it was negotiated the past three years.
?Wala na nga. Ano pa ba ang mahihiling ko. Nagawa ko nang lahat ang dapat kong gawin sa boksing na maiiwan ko sa panahon ng aking pargre-retiro (No more really could I ask more. I have already done everything that I must do in boxing to keep my legacy),? Pacquiao told this writer Sunday during the 12th Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde Awards Night where he received the ?Man For Others? recognition.
Pacquiao ever a humble man as he has been, wouldn?t say it but just nodded when asked whether he still wants the fight realized or if he still needs sit before finally ending his colorful and successful boxing career now in its 18 years.
?Nandyan naman ang records ko to speak for themselves. Siguro naman kapag-nag-retiro na ako matagal na panahon nang maalaala ng international boxing community ang mga nagawa ko. They will be remembering the Philippines, my country and the Filipino, my race,? Pacquiao quipped.
?But, yes, ending my career would be better kung mag-materialize ang laban. Better for boxing. Yun ang gusto ng boxing fans all over the world, so gusto ko rin. Everybody knows that I am willing to fight anybody, Wala tayong kinatatakutan. Kaso wala sa akin ang problema,? he added.
Indeed, the 33-year-old lawmaker and entertainer hardly need to face Mayweather atop the square ring if only to leave the sport that gave him the popularity and luxury he now and his family enjoy with a legacy intact.
It is Mayweather who needs the much-awaited, multi-million dollar encounter to push through in order to bequeath the boxing world, in particular, and sports, in general with a bigger, greater legacy.
Bigger and greater than the undefeated record he probably wants preserved as reason for continuously ducking the Filipino boxing icon. A record he would be sharing with some 50 other fighters, including legendary Rocky Marciano, who ended their career without suffering a single defeat.
Facing Pacquiao, in fact, would help him attain immortality like heavyweight greats Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, to mention a few.
Shortly after having been appointed Bible Ambassador by the Catholic hierarchy and transforming himself into his present Bible-preaching status, Pacquiao accepted the fact that Mayweather is one of the greatest fighters of this generation and that he will be praying that the American gains he immortality he ought to be.
?By fighting each other, who knows, we both could attain the status Ali and Frazier enjoy now. Ali and Frazier last fought 37 years ago and up to now that fight and the two other previous to that, are still being talked about,? Pacquiao recalled in reference to the duo?s classic and historic trilogy capped by the ?Thrilla In Manila? in 1975.
?Eh yun bang undefeated record ni Rocky Marciano, napaguusapan pa? Paminsan-minsan na lang, di ba? Pero si Ali and Frazier lagi na lang naaalaala,? he said.
?If ever the fight is realized, a fight between the two fighters acknowledged as the bests and the finest in this generation which neither of us needs to win. Just the fact that we fight, like when Ali and Frazier did, that would be history. Kasaysayang masusulat at mababasa sa buong mundo at maaalaala ng lahat sa mahabang panahon,? Pacquiao said grinning and with spark in his eyes.
?But, as I have been saying, hindi ito matutuloy if both of us won?t agree that it should take place,? he said.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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