[New post] Manny Pacquiao named Greatest Boxer of the 21st Century, Mayweather ranked 2nd
Markus Castro posted: "Manny Pacquiao Named 21st Century's Greatest Boxer Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr are two sensational fighters who made their marks in boxing history. In the Philippines, Pacquiao or "PacMan" is nicknamed "The People's Champ," known for his impre" Viral Buzz Makers
Manny Pacquiao Named 21st Century's Greatest Boxer
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr are two sensational fighters who made their marks in boxing history. In the Philippines, Pacquiao or "PacMan" is nicknamed "The People's Champ," known for his impressive speed, footwork, and devastating power punches. Meanwhile, many praise Mayweather for his undefeated record. Therefore, boxing fans and analysts worldwide can't help but compare the two boxers for their undeniable power and greatness.
But on December 22, 2020, a list of the top 50 fighters worldwide from all weight divisions was released based on the choices of Give Me Sport, an A-list sports media outlet, and Ranker's combined highest votes. Pacquiao was named the 21st Century's Greatest Boxer, the only fighter in the world who bagged the 8-division championship. Despite being undefeated, Pacquiao defeated Mayweather on the ranking, landing 2nd spot on the list.
Manny Pacquiao named Greatest Boxer of the 21st Century
Now, you may be wondering how they come up with the ranking. How did Pacquiao become the greatest boxer instead of the unbeaten American boxer, Mayweather? To answer your queries, read on as we discuss how Pacquiao ranked better than Mayweather.
Pacquiao vs Mayweather
Once or thrice a year, a helpless contender or overpowered boxer is dispatched in the ring. But spectators' attention remains focused on the only fight that is noteworthy - Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. As one of the most legendary boxers in history, the two have garnered millions of dollars of pay-per-view revenue, proving their bout is truly sensational.
On the far side of economics, these two fighters showed their brilliance and prowess at the peak of their boxing careers. However, Pacquiao and Mayweather are significantly different fighters in their boxing style. Pacquiao is famed for his brutal persona and persistent attacks, resulting in his eagerness to fight to provide a living for himself and his family.
On the contrary, Mayweather is the ultimate defensive fighter - a prodigy and gifted scion from a boxing family. Thus, it's no wonder why Pacquiao is brutally aggressive in the ring since he's a product of a culture. Mayweather is an artist who blocks any assault with ease and a calm demeanor. But how exactly did Pacquiao defeat Mayweather in the global ranking?
According to Sam Righton of Give Me Sports, ranking their top 10 picks is tricky since these legendary fighters have exceptional longevity. Nonetheless, the Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao rose to the top for his remarkable record and presence in the ring.
As per Ranker, Pacquiao is also the only boxer who has held belts in four decades, making him the Greatest Boxer of the 21st Century. The undefeated Mayweather came second, and completing the top five of the list are Gennady Golovkin, Roy Jones Jr, and Wladimir Klitschko.
In 2019, Pacquiao defended his WBA Welterweight title and won the WBA Welterweight Super Championship. Moreover, CBS Sports ranked Pacquiao as the 3rd World's Greatest Welterweight Boxer and dubbed the Asia Game Changer of the Year.
Pacquiao was nominated by the Boxing Writers Association of America as the Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year. With all the titles and recognition Pacquiao received, it's no surprise he bagged the top honor of being the 21st Century's Greatest Boxer. Combined with his exceptional record and presence in the ring, we agree that Pacquiao deserves the top spot.
Manny Pacquiao: The Greatest Boxer of the 21st Century
In his 72 fights, Pacquiao won 62 bouts, and 39 were won thru knockout. Manny Pacquiao is the only fighter in boxing history who has bagged twelve major world titles in eight weight divisions. In addition, Pacquiao is the first boxer to triumph lineal championship in five weight divisions. What's more? Pacquiao is also the first boxer to victoriously obtain four world titles in boxing's Original Eight weight divisions.
In 2019, Pacquiao defeated Keith Thurman, bagging the WBA title, and became the oldest Welterweight Champion at 40. Aside from that, Pacquiao was named the Fighter of the Year, Fighter of the Decade, and other recognitions. For boxing historians, Pacquiao is one of the greatest professional boxers to exist, doing nothing but the best he can, deserving praise worldwide.
Many sports fans consider Pacquiao the greatest boxer of all time, leaving an endless legacy deep-rooted in boxing history. Thus, whether we agree or not, the record and recognition Pacquiao has received throughout his boxing career is enough reason for him to be considered one of the top boxers worldwide and of all time.
Floyd Mayweather: Ranked 2nd
Now, let's discuss how Mayweather ranked 2nd spot.
Nicknamed "Pretty Boy" and the "Money," Mayweather is one of the legendary boxers, boasting a remarkable record, remaining undefeated throughout his boxing career. In his 21 years in the ring, Mayweather fought 50 bouts. He was victorious in all his fights, and 27 of those were won via knockout. With his consistent dominance, Mayweather has bagged fifteen major world championships, including super featherweight to light middleweight.
He won five weight-class world titles and the lineal championship in four weight classes, winning twice at welterweight. Furthermore, Mayweather won the Ring magazine title in five weight classes. Since Compubox, Mayweather is still considered the most accurate puncher and the top defensive boxer in boxing history worldwide. Mayweather retired in 2017 after conquering the notorious UFC star, Conor McGregor.
Afterward, he returned to the ring for exhibition fights. In 2018, he fought against the unbeaten professional kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa, where Mayweather once again triumphant. He also fought with the YouTuber Logan Paul in 2021, but no winner was declared. However, according to CompuBox punch stats, Mayweather landed 43 out of 107 punches, while Paul only landed 28 out of 217 thrown. So Mayweather still remains undefeated.
At present, Mayweather remains the boxer with the highest pay-per-view revenue of all time, deserving him nicknamed the "Money." That's why we can say Mayweather deserves the second spot in the ranking despite his undefeated boxing record.
Pay-Per-View Numbers
If you're still unconvinced about how Pacquiao and Mayweather got their designated rankings, let's dive into the pay-per-view revenue each fighter brought into the arena.
Mayweather has generated total pay-per-view buys of $24 million and revenue of $1.6 billion, making him the leading pay-per-view attraction. Meanwhile, Pacquiao ranked as the 2nd pay-per-view attraction, generating total pay-per-view buys of $20.1 million and revenue of $1.2 billion. So if we're talking about economics, these two legends still ranked at the top.
According to Jack Slack, the historian, and author of Elementary Striking, during the height of their careers, Pacquiao came in overpowered, like he was the best in the world. As for Mayweather, he made it seem like boxing was just another ordinary day in his life, keeping his calm in every bout. But these two fighters are contradicting.
Pacquiao is fighting against terrible opponents and constantly aiming for knockout wins. On the other hand, Mayweather only cares about his undefeated boxing record, so he refuses any match where his at a disadvantage. For instance, he refused to fight against Marcos Maidana and offered him a clinic partnership alternatively.
The bout between the two fighters is also considered the biggest sporting event of the year since they're perfectly matched for their age, skills, and size. But the endless politics in boxing only delayed their bout, which the fans have been clamoring for years that is sure to set box office records and thrill sports fans and the likes globally.
As years have passed, the clamor and cries of the public will be granted. After defeating Chris Algieri, Pacquiao is soon to face Mayweather. According to Connor Ruebusch, host of the Heavy Hands podcast and striking analyst, Pacquiao and Mayweather became a bit slower as they were near 40. So their bout is about to happen in no time.
Billed as the Fight of the Century, Pacquiao and Mayweather finally faced in the ring; a dream come true for many - the most awaited match in boxing history. But before the fight, Pacquiao suffered a shoulder injury, which required surgery, affecting his overall performance. Therefore, although Mayweather won against Pacquiao by unanimous decision, spectators were dissatisfied with the fight due to the latter condition.
Best Pound-for-Pound
With a record of 50 wins, 0 losses, and 27 knockouts, it's undeniable that Mayweather is one of the greatest fighters of all time. Nonetheless, Pacquiao's realistic record set him apart from Mayweather, with 62 wins, eight losses, and 39 knockouts. Although it's hard to pick between the two, Pacquiao bested Mayweather due to his aggressiveness and brutality.
Mayweather is a pure tactician, not a strategist. Unlike tacticians who focus on how to do things, Mayweather is only obsessed with beating his opponent. He's focused on figuring out how to defeat his opponent better than they could, so fighting against Mayweather is demoralizing. Sometimes, Mayweather will fight his opponents the way they want to fight and surpass them.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao's fighting differs a lot from Mayweather's. He fights the way he wants to and is always on the aggressive side. Thus, if you're into lively and thrilling bouts, Pacquiao will not disappoint. But if we're talking about tactics, Mayweather surely bested his opponents.
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