Pacquiao, Fighter of the Year ng Ring Magazine

Pinagtibay ng isang pamosong boxing magazine ang pagiging 2006 Fighter of the Year ni Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao.

Pormal na kinilala kahapon ng Ring Magazine ang 28-anyos na si Pacquiao bilang kanilang 2006 Fighter of the Year matapos rin ang kanyang dalawang beses na pagpapabagsak kay Mexican great Erik Morales sa nasabing taon.

"Pacquiao's two fights with Morales in '06 generated more than 700,000 pay-per-view buys, and the live attendance for their third encounter was 18,276, the fifth-best of all-time among fights held in Las Vegas," sabi ng Ring.

Sa kanilang rematch noong Enero, isang 10th-round stoppage ang kinuha ni Pacquiao kay Morales bago umiskor ng isang third-round knockdown sa kanilang "Grand Finale" noong Nobyembre.

Sapul nang ilunsad ang pagbibigay ng Ring Magazine ng karangalan noong 1928, anim boksingero pa lamang sa mas mababang lightweight division ang kinilalang Fighter of the Year bago si Pacquiao.

Ang mga ito ay sina Henry Armstrong (1937), Willie Pep (1945), Carlos Zarate (1977), Salvador Sanchez (1981), Michael Carbajal (1993) at Paulie Ayala (1999).  

"His incredible rags-to-riches story is one that resonates with the down trodden everywhere. Pacquiao carries the hopes and dreams of his fellow Filipinos into the ring with him everytime he fights, but he has never allowed it to weigh him down once the bell rings," wika ng naturang boxing magazine.

Bukod sa dalawang ulit na pagpapabagsak kay Morales, umiskor rin si Pacquiao ng isang unanimous decision kay dating world super bantamweight titlist Oscar Larios noong Hulyo 2 sa Araneta Coliseum.

Ito ang kanyang unang pagsubok bilang isang fight promoter mula sa kanyang MP Promotions.

"With (Marco Antonio) Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez and Edwin Valero all being talked about as possible opponents in 2007, Manny has a fighting chance of being back here again next year," sabi ng Ring. (Russell Cadayona)