The world’s only eight-division world champion, Fighter of the Decade for 2000 to 2009, or perhaps pound for pound king.
Trainer Freddie Roach feels his prized ward deserves a more encompassing accolade.
“Pacquiao is the greatest fighter of his era thus far,” Roach said in an interview after the second press conference of Pacquiao versus Timothy Bradley III at Madison Square Garden Thursday afternoon.
Roach may be biased, but certainly Pacquiao’s reign starting in the flyweight division up to the junior middleweight class will be beyond reach of any of his contemporaries or other rising stars.
In an illustrious career spanning 21 years, Pacquiao also won the super-feather, lightweight, super welterweight, super-welterweight (WBC), super-bantam (International Boxing Federation), feather, super-lightweight and welterweight titles.
Pacquiao’s record went 24-1-2 during the decade, winning six of his eight world titles, while emerging as the pound-for-pound king.
In addition, Pacquiao became a box-office sensation, (raking in millions of dollars) in gate receipts and pay-per-view buys.
That was Pacquiao at the top for a long time.
He was so dominant that whenever he fights, Roach will always predict a knockout victory.
And Pacquiao, almost always, will deliver.
He knocked out David Diaz, Oscar dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14, 2009.
Since then, however, Pacquiao has failed to stop 10 of his last opponents and even incurred three losses, including a disputed split-decision loss to Bradley on June 9, 2012.
That’s why, Roach, a seven-time trainer of the year, isn’t announcing a knockout prediction yet on Pacquiao-Bradley III on Aprl 9 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Roach told Manila-based sportswriters, however, that for the first time it was Manny who first talked about knocking out Bradley this time.
For his part, Roach would settle for any form of farewell victory.
“A win is a win, but I expect Manny to be at his best this time,” Roach added.
Roach, however, wouldn’t stand in the way of Pacquiao’s retirement plants, which he reiterated in the second stop for their two-city promotional tour that kicked off at Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.
“It’s really hard to be a boxer and senator at the same time,” added Roach. “There are more responsibilities than being a congressman.”
source: sports.inquirer.net
