Manny hailed as boxing Messiah

Manny Pacquiao isn’t only a hero in the Philippines. Now, he’s being hailed as the savior of world boxing and the fighter who can bring back the luster in the fight game.

In the cover story of the Summer 2006 issue of World Boxing Magazine, writer Eric Raskin said Pacquiao speaks the international language: action, is a guaranteed Hall of Famer at 27 and "might be on the brink of becoming that go-to guy for the pay-per-view industry."

Raskin titled his story "Pac-Man to the Rescue: Can a 130-pound Filipino carry boxing on his back?"

More than a third Erik Morales match, Raskin said the fight the fans covet is a return bout between Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera. He speculated the rematch will surpass 500,000 pay-per-view hits and at $50 a shot, that’s a gross of $25 Million.

"If ever there was a junior lightweight bout that could smash the 500,000 PPV-buy mark, this is it," said Raskin. "And if Pacquiao wins again, it would put him atop pound-for-pound lists and make him the star in the sport once (Oscar) de la Hoya steps down. How many fighters have guaranteed themselves Hall of Fame induction at just 27 years of age? It’s a short list but Pacquiao’s on it. He didn’t just beat future Hall of Famers Barrera and Morales–he knocked them both out. He’s scored seven knockdowns against the Mexican triumvirate of Barrera, Morales and (Juan Manuel) Marquez. He’s won alphabet titles at flyweight and junior featherweight, won the universally-recognized world championship at featherweight and is in position to possibly do the same at junior lightweight."

Pacquiao halted Barrera in the 11th round of their brawl in San Antonio in 2003.

But what is intriguing in Raskin’s story is his choice of Pacquiao as the next boxing Messiah. With no exciting heavyweights in the horizon, it is Pacquiao who has emerged as the man of the moment in ringdom.

"To look at Pacquiao, or to hear him talk, you wouldn’t think he could be the guy to carry on the legacy of Ali, Leonard, Tyson and de la Hoya," commented Raskin. "But to watch him fight is to understand why Manny just might be the man."

It was Pacquiao’s 10th round knockout of Morales last January that drew comparisons to the ring legends.

"Over the last three decades, the torch has been passed from Ali to Leonard to Tyson to de la Hoya," wrote Raskin. "Boxing has seemingly always had a go-to guy, a superstar who could keep the turnstiles spinning, who could consistently guarantee magazine sales no matter how many times you put him on the cover. At first glance, Pacquiao’s name seems woefully out of place among the crowd. Could a 130-pound Filipino really be our sport’s savior? If you’re a boxing fan, Pacquiao is must-see TV at this point. He’s never in a boring fight and with his performance against Morales, he guaranteed his inclusion in a serious Fight of the Year contender for the third consecutive year. If you spend $45 to $50 to watch Pacquiao on pay-per-view, you’ll get your money’s worth every time out."

Raskin said the scary thing about Pacquiao is he’s still learning. "We haven’t even seen the best of Pacquiao yet," he continued. "He’s adding dimensions to his game, still improving his defense and his balance. A fighter who knocks out Morales without having reached his ceiling is a scary fighter indeed."

In the same magazine, several readers wrote to laud Pacquiao. Will Sibert of Galveston, Texas, said Pacquiao is the world’s best superfeatherweight and will regain the featherweight title if he drops back down to 126. Carlos Cordoba of Riverside, California, said Pacquiao is the world’s most exciting fighter and "when Pac-Man is part of PPV, I never hesitate to cough up the money." Bert Dewhurst of Concord, New Hampshire, imagined how healthy the sport would be if Pacquiao was a heavyweight.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao and confidante Rex (Wakee) Salud are scheduled to leave for Los Angeles tomorrow night (Sunday) to confer with manager Shelly Finkel on the progress of negotiations to lock in an opponent for the Manila fight on June 24 or July 2.

ABS-CBN, the giant network that won the world rights to televise the fight, is expected to announce on Monday when the bout will be held after completing a survey on the pay-per-view market in the US.

Salud said at the moment, former world superbantamweight champion Oscar Larios is at the top of the candidates’ list for Pacquiao’s opponent. He said the talks with Finkel will also take up the undercard which may include Bobby Pacquiao, Gerry Peñalosa, Randy Suico, Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista and Jimrex Jaca.

Pacquiao and Salud are expected back after five days.