On boxing: Pac-Man's quest for greatness

BY MIKE HOUSER

Appeal Sports Writer

Following his ninth-round demolition job of former WBC lightweight titlist David Diaz on Saturday, Manny Pacquiao has boxing fans everywhere asking themselves, "Floyd who?"

Forget the not-so-insignificant fact that Pacquiao has now irrefutably proven himself the most dominant Asian boxer in the history of the game; put aside the fact that "Pac-Man" has now officially won world titles in four separate weight divisions (five if you regard his dominance at 126 pounds and give a fig less about what the sanctioning bodies say); the Fighting Filipino has stepped in the recently retired Floyd Mayweather's spot as boxing's pound-for-pound champion.

So impressive was Pacquiao that he is now on the cusp of stepping over the threshold to all-time greatness. With a couple more wins against top opposition, he'd look good in a black-and-white photo alongside such legends as Henry Armstrong, Barney Ross and Tony Canzonari, fighters, who like Pacquiao have won world titles in several different weight classes.

Pacquiao's performance against a game, bigger but outgunned Diaz was so impressive that it can cause an otherwise rational cynic to openly question if the Fightin' Filipino could pull off the seemingly impossible.

Having started his career as a light flyweight, Pacquiao, now 47-3-2 with 36 knockouts, won his first title at 112 before adding championship belts at 122, 130 and now 135.

Though none of the four sanctioning bodies ever recognized him as a 126-pound champion, the Pac-Man chewed his way through the featherweight ranks convincingly enough that he was considered in many circles as being the best in that division as well.

Other magnificent multi-divisional champions such as Wilfredo Gomez and Alexis Arguello lost their power as they moved into heavier weight divisions. Even though Gomez eventually added 126- and 130-pound titles to his WBC super bantamweight (which he defended 17 times, all by knockout) he was never as frightening at featherweight and junior lightweight.

Arguello won championships at 126, 130 and 135 pounds, but he could never get past Aaron Pryor at 140 pounds. As unlikely as it seems, the 29-year-old Pacquiao -- as evidenced by his nuking of Diaz " still has power to spare, and even exhibited improved speed and mobility at 135 pounds.

If he can defend his newly won title in November or December against an opponent to be determined, Pacquiao may elect to move up yet another five pounds for a superfight with junior welterweight champ Ricky Hatton, should the "Hitman" pound his way past slick-punching Paulie Malinaggi in November.

Though Hatton and Pacquiao would weigh the same, the aggressive and hard-punching Hatton is a natural 140-pounder and should be too strong for his naturally smaller opponent.

But what if he's not?

If the Pac-Man could find a way to devour Hatton, what would've seemed like lunacy before " moving up to 147 pounds " would become a distinct possibility. A meeting with the soon-to-be departing Oscar De La Hoya would shatter all-time gate receipts and pay-per-view buys.

A seemingly impossible victory against the "Golden Boy" would bring a buzz to the sport of previously unprecedented proportions and open the gates to another megabuck bout with WBC welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto if he can beat Antonio Margarito. A Pacquiao win there would undoubtedly threaten Mayweather enough to induce him to come out of retirement for the mother of all superbouts.

These four prospective bouts would garner the Filipino at least $100 million and secure an even surer spot in Canastota, N.Y., the home of the boxing Hall of Fame. But victories in these nearly unimaginable matchups would garner him mention with the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson as the sport's all-time greatest fighter and a place in boxing's immortal mythology.

It's nearly comical to even entertain such possibilities, but that's what happens when someone is able to do what Pacquiao has done.

Reality would seem to say this scenario is a ridiculous impossibility. Diaz, after all, isn't even the best fighter at 135 pounds and Hatton, De La Hoya, Cotto and Mayweather are on another level entirely.

De La Hoya holds the record with titles in six different weight divisions, followed by Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns with five. That said, none of them " not even Robinson or Armstrong " could cause criminals to stop their felonious activities long enough to watch them instead.

Pacquiao is able to do that in his native Philippines. And it goes even further: When Pacquiao climbs into the ring, the Filipino army and armed militants lay down their arms to watch their hero.

That's what so special about Pacquiao. He's sui generis, a once-in-a-lifetime character that makes even the impossible seem possible. While Pacquiao has nothing to lose with this proposed undertaking " one that seems destined to fail " we, on the other hand, have everything to gain by watching the Pac-Man pursue his quest for boxing immortality.