I remember how nobody gave Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao a shot to defeat the “Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya at 147-pounds.
Boxing fans and pundits thought it was merely a cash grab and criticized De La Hoya for calling up a super featherweight fighter all the way up to welterweight.
The story before the fight was Pacquiao would likely get knocked out and go back down to lightweight to defend his WBC world title and that the fight would be a one and done at the welterweight division.
The event billed as the “Dream Fight” shocked the world as we saw the former featherweight champion box circles around naturally bigger De La Hoya and forced the Pay-Per-View star to quit on his stool and retire from the sport of boxing for good.
After he beat De La Hoya, the naysayers said he beat up a washed up drained shell of a fighter. So when Pacquiao went into the Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton fight he felt he had something to prove. He dropped down to the light welterweight division and shocked the world again with a vicious one punch KO of Ricky Hatton at the end of the second round.
Pacquiao would go on to defeat Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey, and then go up to junior middleweight to defeat the much bigger “Tijuana Tornado” Antonio Margarito capturing the vacant WBC belt, and his 8th weight division world title.
When he went to junior middleweight to fight Margarito he came into the fight weighing less than the agreed catchweight of 150 pounds. Margarito weighed around 170-pounds on fight night and Pacquiao was under the welterweight limit of 147.
Pacquiao’s speed and movement was too much and he destroyed the eye of Margarito in a brutal twelve round brawl.
Back in 2015, I wrote an article dreaming up a fight between Pacquiao and then undefeated middleweight champion Golovkin, it’s 2020 and it seems the fight could be a reality.
Pacquiao has done it all in boxing, and no matter what he does win or lose his legacy is solidified, but knowing the competitor in him, I believe Pacquiao would welcome a fight with IBF middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin.
Trainer Freddie Roach recently told Chris Mannix on his DAZN podcast that Pacquiao would be willing to fight Golovkin.
I think the fight could get made and if they do fight it would sell big on PPV, they will tune in to see if Pacquiao can break his own record and go for his 9th division title against a fearsome puncher. The fight will be one of those freakshow matches that the casual fans would pay to see.
The fight would likely have to be at a catchweight of anywhere between 155 to 157-pounds, and Pacquiao would probably weigh 146-pounds at the weigh in and on fight night, while Golovkin would be around the 170s.
Golovkin and Pacquiao are at the tail end of their careers and around the same age bracket so the fight would also be a good way for both fighters to cash out.
I think Pacquiao can win the fight, but I would still give GGG the 60-40 edge. Golovkin didn’t look great when he fought Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Pacquiao looked stellar against a young undefeated Keith Thurman.
Pacquiao will need to make GGG miss and tire him out and apply punches in bunches from all angles, but all Golovkin will need is one punch and that is what makes the fight thrilling.
If Pacquiao wins you would have to consider him for the Top 10 All Time Great boxers list.
