Manny cited in list of greatest fights

LONDON – The world’s oldest boxing publication has issued a bookazine listing the 100 greatest fights of all-time. Boxing News was born in 1909 and rolls out of London every Thursday. It is owned by Newsquest Specialist Media whose parent company Gannett Corp. produces USA Today.

Boxing News editor Tris Dixon said, “From Las Vegas to London, from Northampton to New York and from Manchester to Manila, we are the must-have magazine in boxing.” As a weekly publication, Boxing News beats other fight game publications in terms of timeliness, global coverage, expert analysis, big-fight previews and insightful commentaries.

Aside from the weekly magazine, Boxing News publishes a yearbook and special editions which are called bookazines. Last year, it produced a bookazine on the 100 greatest boxers of all-time. This year, Boxing News issued a bookazine on the 100 greatest fights of all-time and Manny Pacquiao was cited in two bouts, both against Juan Manuel Marquez. Fights where Filipinos beat Britishers were not surprisingly excluded in the list, like Pacquiao over Ricky Hatton, Frank Cedeno over Charlie Magri, Eric Jamili over Mickey Cantwell, Pancho Villa over Jimmy Wilde and Frankie Ash and Dado Marino against Terry Allen. Fights were Britishers beat Filipinos were also excluded like Benny Lynch over Small Montana, Duke McKenzie over Rolando Bohol and Dave McAuley over Dodie Boy Peñalosa.

The greatest fight of all-time had a Philippine connection – the rubber match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at the Araneta Coliseum in 1975. The “Thrilla In Manila” was promoted by Don King with the participation of Bob Arum. British referee Harry Gibbs and American judges Zach Clayton and Jay Edson were flown in to work the fight but in the end, the Philippine government prevailed on boxing authorities to appoint three Filipino officials instead – referee Carlos (Sonny) Padilla and judges Larry Nadayag and Alfredo Quiazon. Then-President Marcos instructed Games and Amusements Board chairman Louie Tabuena to make the switch in order to show the world the capacity and competence of Filipino officials. Padilla’s performance opened the doors to a long career as a top-caliber boxing referee.

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The purses were a far cry from what Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. earn today in the ring. Ali was guaranteed $4.4 Million or 43 percent of gross revenues while Frazier took $2.2 Million or 23 percent of gross revenues. Ali won the fight after trainer Eddie Futch refused to allow Frazier to continue at the end of the 14th round. Ali later said the battle was the closest thing to death he had ever experienced. “All those in the crowd (28,000) and millions watching on TV around the world (staged late morning in Manila to air live on prime time in the US) knew they were experiencing a fight that would be talked about for as long as people are interested in boxing,” said Boxing News. “Having staged (George) Foreman-Ali in Africa, King continued his overseas theme by holding Ali-Frazier III in the Philippines with television pictures beamed back to the US and closed-circuit showings held in cinemas in the UK where it would be shown in the early hours of a Wednesday morning.”

No. 30 in the list of 100 was Marquez’ sixth round knockout over Pacquiao in Las Vegas last year. The fight ended with Pacquiao leading on all three judges scorecards, 47-46, courtesy of Adalaide Byrd, Steve Weisfeld and John Keane. Attendance was 16,348 with gross receipts of $10.5 Million. Pacquiao was guaranteed $23 Million and Marquez, $6 Million. On the day of the fight (Dec. 8), the man who promoted the fight, Arum, turned 81.

“No title was at stake in the welterweight 12-rounder yet such was the quality of the action that no sooner had the count been completed over Pacquiao with one second left in the sixth than there were immediate calls for a fifth instalment,” said Boxing News.

“It had everything: big hitting and superb boxing plus stunning knockdowns. Pacquiao was down in round three from a long right hand but returned the compliment two sessions later with a countering left. For the rest of round five, Manny busted up Marquez’ face and it was the same in round six – until Pacquiao, seeking the finish, walked onto a perfect short right hand that sent him pitching down face-first into the canvas. The Filipino hero could not have arisen by the count of 100, let alone 10. Cue pandemonium from fans that had just witnessed a battle to compare with the Jimmy McLarnin-Barney Ross-Henry Armstrong welterweight glory days of the 1930s. The fight was over but not the rivalry as these well-matched warriors seem set to battle again.”

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The first Pacquiao-Marquez fight also made it to the top 100 at No. 55. It wound up a split 12-round draw although Pacquiao should’ve won by a split decision as judge Burt Clements made a mistake in scoring it 113-all. Clements scored the first round 10-7 when it should have been 10-6 because Marquez went down thrice. The two other judges John Stewart and Guy Jutras had it 10-6 for Pacquiao in the first round.

“After 12 breathless rounds that left both fighters bloodied and bruised, the contest ended in a split draw,” wrote Boxing News. “Clements later declared he would have marked the first round 10-6 if he had been aware that this was allowed, this extra point would have given Manny the victory. Nevertheless as promoter Arum said, ‘The way these guys fought, there was poetic justice calling it a draw.”

Other Asians cited in the bookazine were Thailand’s Somsak Sithchatchawal who halted France’s Mahyar Monshipour to wrest the WBA superbantamweight title in 2006, Korea’s Park Chan Hee who knocked out Mexico’s Guty Espadas to retain the WBC flyweight crown in 1979, Thailand’s Chartchai Chionoi who stopped Mexico’s Efren (Alacran) Torres for the WBC flyweight diadem in 1968, Korea’s Chang Jung Koo who blasted Japan’s Katsuo Tokashiki into submission to retain the WBC lightflyweight championship in 1984, Thailand’s Venice Borkorsor who was outpointed by Mexico’s Rafael Herrera for the WBC bantamweight plum in 1973, Japan’s Jiro Watanabe who decisioned Thailand’s Payao Poontarat to take the WBC superflyweight belt in 1984 and Thailand’s Saman Sorjaturong who disposed of Mexico’s Humberto Gonzalez for the WBC and IBF lightflyweight titles in 1995.

None of Flash Elorde’s fights was acknowledged in the list of 100. The top five greatest bouts were Ali-Frazier in 1975, Marvelous Marvin Hagler’s third round knockout over Tommy Hearns in 1985, Erik Morales’ win by split decision over Marco Antonio Barrera in 2000, Tony Zale’s sixth round dismissal of Rocky Graziano in 1946 and Mickey Ward’s victory by majority decision over Arturo Gatti in 2002.