Manny Pacquiao: Chronicling the past 10 years of boxing

Manny Pacquiao: Chronicling the past 10 years of boxing
by

Dennis dSource Guillermo
http://www.examiner.com

"Introduction"

Around 10 years ago in September of 1999, Manny Pacquiao was at a crossroads of his career. He had just lost his WBC flyweight belt to Medgoen Singsurat in Thailand after getting knocked out by a body shot. Pacquiao had stayed too long at the 112 division and was dehydrated and struggled to make weight for his title defense. It was Pacquiao’s last campaign below 120 pounds as he jumped 10 pounds for his next fight and captured the WBC international super bantamweight belt. It was a wise career decision for Pacquiao as it marked the beginning of what would be boxing’s most impressive run in the past decade. Pacquiao would go on to make five successful defenses of his title until he got his big break in 2001.

Pacquiao and Roach (AP Photo)

Enter Freddie Roach.

When Pacquiao first came to America in 2001 and knocked on the boxing gyms looking for someone to take him in, he received the cold shoulder most Filipino boxers before him got from trying to crack into the American boxing scene. Let’s be real, there was little to no interest from this side of the globe when it came to boxers from that other side of the globe at that time. You just didn’t see too many Asians, especially Filipino boxers with much success here in the states back then. For whatever reason, that was the case. Manny saw more shut doors than the Jehovah’s Witnesses… well maybe not more but you know what I mean. But one fateful day, Manny walked inside the now hallowed doors of 1123 Vine Street in Hollywood- address of what is more known to the boxing world as the gym of the Wild Card Boxing Club- and the rest is history. I guess it’s just as they say. “If you want to be a star, come to Hollywood.”

It was supposedly Manny’s second to the last stop before he goes back to Manila and bid his American dreams goodbye. It’s then when Freddie Roach first saw Manny Pacquiao’s potential. He must’ve seen something that the rest did not have, for him to want to take on trainer number one, two, six and thirty six’s sloppy seconds. He saw a diamond in the rough. He gave the unknown kid from General Santos city Philippines a home. And now General Paulino Santos must be rolling in his grave in fears of his name getting permanently deleted from the map of the Philippines because as all Filipinos know, General Santos City, Philippines is really Manny Pacquiao City, Philippines.

From that point on, Freddie and Manny built a solid trainer-boxer relationship. Manny worked his tail off from day one, and Freddie responded by sharing and giving his all to help the boy reach his potential. And boy did he reach and surpass his potential! Can you imagine now, how things would’ve been without a Manny Pacquiao? Think about it. What if Freddie Roach overslept that day or got his car towed or something and that meeting never happened? I’m pretty sure Juan Manuel Marquez has thought of a world without a Manny Pacquiao a few times before but let’s get real. I know Halloween is a ways away but do I really have to put on my Larry Merchant costume to stress out how big of an impact Manny Pacquiao has made for the sport of boxing? He singlehandedly resuscitated a sport gasping for air. He not only kicked the door open for Filipinos and Asian boxers alike, he also helped reacquaint the boxing public to the lower weight classes- not to mention spawning a newfound passionate boxing fan base that is the Filipino boxing fans.

Pacquiao's break came not too long from the fateful day when Pacquiao and Roach first met. Just a few months after, Pacquiao would jump in as a replacement to fight the then oft-avoided IBF super bantamweight champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba at the MGM in Las Vegas. It was Pacquiao’s first ever taste of the big time, fighting for the first time under the bright Vegas lights. Nobody really knew who Pacquiao was nor did they have reason to, but from the get go, Pacquiao relished and took full advantage of his opportunity as he destroyed Ledwaba in sensational fashion, knocking out the champ in the sixth round and introducing his name to boxing fans around the world in the process.

Manny Pacquiao has definitely come far from where he started. Check back tomorrow for part two of this article as I chronicle the next few years of Manny Pacquiao's career, from his boxing exploits, his managerial and personal conflicts to his emergence as a national figure in his home country, the Philippines.

"The Exodus"

Five months after Manny Pacquiao burst in the American boxing scene by annihilating Lehlohonolo Ledwaba at the MGM in Las Vegas and capturing the IBF super bantamweight belt, Pacquiao faced the rugged and game WBO super bantamweight champion Agapito Sanchez at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California. It was the Bay Area’s first live glimpse of the Pac Man who is now beloved and has throngs of fans in the area as evidenced by the massive crowd that showed up and cheered Pacquiao just a little over a month ago when Pacquiao threw the ceremonial pitch at the San Francisco Giants’ game against the San Diego Padres.

RELATED STORY: PART 1 OF THIS ARTICLE

Pacquiao entered the ring with his now signature smile and joyful demeanor and although it pales in comparison to his current fan base, there were already some Filipino fans that came out with their Philippine flags in support of Pacquiao at that time. Speaking of the Bay Area, if you watch the old videos of this fight, Pacquiao’s body and frame reminded me so much of Nonito Donaire Jr. who is from the bay area and also has Filipino blood running through his veins. He was skinnier and obviously a lot smaller and younger than he is today. Reasons why comparing the old Pacquiao to the current one is not only unrealistic in terms of his skill set, but his physical level as well. It's just like comparing a picture of LeBron James from high school compared to today.

Visible in the Pacquiao entourage was his then promoter Murad Muhammad whom I will be discussing more later on. And speaking of Donaire and promoters, Pacquiao and Donaire actually share another similarity that seems to have been forgotten by a lot of people. Both fighters were once promoted by Gary Shaw. Of course most people that followed Donaire are aware of his bitter break-up with Shaw in 2007, but in 2005, Gary Shaw inked Pacquiao to a promotional contract replacing Muhammad.

Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire Jr. from San Leandro, CA (AP Photo)

Pacquiao started strong in his fight against Sanchez but definitely struggled with Agapito’s roughing tactics. Pacquiao’s defense and boxing skills were definitely light years from what it is today but his tenacity, explosiveness and his willingness to trade blows and take his opponent’s head off definitely caught the eyes of a lot of boxing fans. Despite lacking defense, Pacquiao’s perpetual movement proved to be a quagmire for the Dominican as Sanchez resorted to some dirty tactics to keep Pacquiao at bay during moments where the Filipino seemed to be turning the tide in his favor. At the end of the first round, Pacquiao landed one of his patented vicious left cross on Sanchez’s jaw that almost floored Sanchez similar to Pacquiao’s devastating KO punch over Hatton.

In round 2, Pacquiao sensing blood, jumped out the gates but suffered a nasty cut on his right eye in what was ruled as an accidental head butt when he tried to swoop in on Sanchez. The cut bothered Pacquiao for a little bit although he would not be denied as he kept laboring on and landing big shot after big shot. Sanchez started resorting to some dirty tactics however as he tagged Pacquiao with a low blow in the 3rd round and was roughing Pacquiao up. In the 4th, Sanchez would again hit Pacquiao with a couple of low blows that floored Pacquiao for a few seconds. Pacquiao was given time to rest by the referee but to his credit, kept his composure and kept fighting on.

More than anything, the class Pacquiao displayed and the fighting spirit for bouncing back and not playing into his opponent’s dirty tactics truly symbolized how he has won over fans from all over the globe with not only his courage and skill but also his heart, determination and the fact that he is a clean fighter. Pacquiao is definitely a rare breed, not just in terms of his greatness as a boxer but also his character as a person.

Sanchez kept applying his rough tactics on Pacquiao as the ref could not see a lot of it. In the 6th round however, the cut Pacquiao suffered in the 2nd round got worse to the point that the ringside doctor has to stop the bout. The fight was called a draw to the dismay of the crowd and amid boos as both fighters retained their respective belts. It wasn’t the sensational follow-up performance most of his fans had hoped for coming from the Ledwaba victory, but Pacquiao definitely won over a lot of fans and boxing experts and analysts as well for the way he conducted himself and fought til’ the end. A signature highlight from this bout was when Pacquiao started licking his own blood from his gloves caused by the cut eye on his eye.

An African-American friend of mine who saw the fight with me on TV remarked, "Damn! I Wouldn't want to fight that guy. He's crazy, look at him licking his own blood from his gloves!" I shot back at him and replied "If you fought him, that would be your blood!" And he just shook his head. It was somewhat of a moral victory for Pacquiao as he earned the respect of a lot of people for the heart he displayed and class despite being placed in an unfavorable position.

After the tough draw with Sanchez, Pacquiao went on a roll. He defended his title 3 times against the likes of Jorge Eliecer Julio, Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym and Emmanuel Lucero and another victory in his home country against Serikzhan Yeshmagambetov. All victories ended in either a KO or a TKO. None of it though would compare to the next challenge Pacquiao would have to overcome. About two years after his fight against Sanchez, Pacquiao would again step in the ring with another boxer who also had a reputation of using dirty tactics. That boxer was Marco Antonio Barrera. Barrera’s skills and accomplishments were far beyond Sanchez can ever wish to become though and almost everyone outside Pacquiao’s camp were already writing Pacquiao off. Justifiably so, Barrera was already considered one of the greatest boxers to ever come out of Mexico at that time. It would be Pacquiao’s biggest challenge and Barrera would be the best he’d ever had to face at that stage of his career.

Manny Pacquiao has definitely come far from where he started. Check back tomorrow for part three of this article as I chronicle the next few years of Manny Pacquiao's career, from looking back at his epic battles against 3 Mexican legends to his managerial and personal conflicts and his emergence as a “National Treasure” In his homeland.

Quotes:

"From General Santos City Philippines, the reigning, defending IBF junior featherweight champion of the world, Manny "The Destroyer" Pacquiao!!!" -- Michael Buffer (Pacquiao vs. Julio)

(When Jim Lampley discussed Pacquiao's previous fight against Sanchez, his co-commentator responded) "I can't imagine anybody fouling me, when I was fighting, that many times without getting one back. He must be a really good kid."

"This is some prospect Bobby. To me he's just every bit as exciting as Prince Naseem Hamed." -- Jim Lampley (Pacquiao vs. Julio)

"Defining Moment"

After Manny Pacquiao’s four impressive knockout victories since the draw against Agapito Sanchez in San Francisco, Pacquiao was not only starting to make boxing fans look, he was also starting to catch the attention of big names in the sport. One of those big names was Marco Antonio Barrera. Barrera noticed Pacquiao and said to have seen something in the explosive Filipino that reminded him of himself. The only difference was that Pacquiao isn’t Mexican. Barrera at that time had just signed with Golden Boy Promotions had requested Richard Shaeffer to arrange a fight against Pacquiao as the Mexican legend did not enjoy watching Pacquiao demolish his Mexican countryman Emmanuel Lucero.

At the time, Pacquiao was being promoted by Murad Muhammad. Muhammad had lofty goals for Pacquiao as he had envisioned for “The Destroyer” to run through the best Mexico and the weight class had to offer and become a household name. Although in hindsight the plan might have been too hasty and ambitious, it proved indeed beneficial for Pacquiao’s career since not only did it give him recognition, it also gave him valuable experience that pushed him to become the fighter he is today. And so the Barrera fight was set for November 15, 2003 in San Antonio, Texas.

Pacquiao entered the ring donning a San Antonio Spurs home Tim Duncan jersey as Pacquiao is a big basketball fanatic. The predominantly Mexican crowd in any case wasn’t having any of it as the numbers dramatically favored Barrera. Pacquiao started the first round focused and determined as he should for the biggest fight of his career yet. It’s hard to stress enough how significant this fight was for Pacquiao’s career. His determination however would be quickly put to test as he fell victim to another bad case of officiating when he slipped in the beginning of the first round but was ruled a knock down. Pacquiao knew coming in that he was going against the odds and his camp did not expect him to win a decision in Barrera’s backyard. The knockdown ruling only amplified what Pacquiao already knew he was up against as he knew he needed to get a knockout victory in order for him to come out of San Antonio with a win. And that he did.

As if sensing his opportunity quickly slipping away from him before he can even taste it, Pacquiao put forth an inspired effort since the slip. He went for the jugular and laid everything on the line and made no secret of his intentions. He was going to knock Barrera out. Pacquiao constantly attacked Barrera with his right jab and left straight combinations. Pacquiao landed 31 out of 63 power shots in round 2 as his reach, speed and constant motion seemed to have been bothersome for Barrera. Pacquiao’s punches, as skinny as he was then, had that devastating pop usually reserved only for fighters in the heavyweight division. He was throwing haymakers, crosses and straights at Barrera like he was Roger Clemens throwing fast balls in his prime- without the juice of course.

In round 3 Pacquiao carried his momentum from the previous rounds and was able to even the playing field when he floored Barrera with a spine busting hard left straight on the button. Barrera had that befuddled look as he sat on the canvas that seemed to say “what the hell did I get myself into?” As Jim Lampley commented, it was the most desperate he had ever seen Barrera look but the way the fight played out, Pacquiao kept fighting like the desperate man in total disregard of the scorecards. He just kept going after Barrera as if Barrera was the person who ate his dog as a child. (All kidding aside, one of the incidents that allegedly got Pacquiao into boxing was when he ran away from home back when he was young kid because his father ate his dog) Pacquiao grew up in poverty with challenges and struggles not a lot of people have had to go through. Floyd Mayweather Jr. asked what Pacquiao was doing during the times he was dominating the sport in his teens, well my answer to that would probably be that he was in Manila just trying to find ways to put food in his belly while trying to sustain a career in boxing. The fact that Pacquiao did not have the tools and head start most boxers here in America get just makes his accomplishments all the more impressive.

Pacquiao relentlessly continued his assault on Barrera. He was marking Barrera similar to the way he was reconfiguring oscar De la Hoya’s face last December. Round after round, Pacquiao was looking more and more like the sport’s next superstar. He was throwing combinations straight from a Bruce Lee movie and smiling in the process like he was dealing with a sparring partner. And round after round, Barrera was looking older by the minute. Although Barrera would see better days after this fight like his victory over Morales in the third installment of their trilogy and climbing up as the linear champ of the 130 division, as well as being one of the pound for pound best of the sport, against Pacquiao that night in 2003 however, he looked like a man who needed to hang it up.

Barrera kept fighting though, exposing some chinks in Pacquiao’s armor in the process like leaving himself open whenever he goes for the kill as Barrera tagged him with several good counters. Barrera tried every trick in the book and resorted to some rough tactics when he tried to head butt Pacquiao, but the man from the Philippines was simply too strong, too fast and too good for him that night. He went to war with his AK-47 against a soldier who carried Optimus Prime’s artillery on his back. Barrera was simply outgunned. The end came in round 11 as Pacquiao kept fighting like he wanted to go 30 more rounds, bombarding Barrera with punches from all angles that seemed to hit every single time. Pacquiao threw jabs, devastating left crosses, straights, upper cuts and the kitchen sink at Barrera. Barrera’s corner in return had to throw in the towel. The night belonged to Pacquiao. From that night on, Pacquiao’s star was born.

Manny Pacquiao has definitely come far from where he started. Check back tomorrow for part four of this article as I chronicle the next few years of Manny Pacquiao's career, as he struggles through adversity fighting the other 2 Mexican legends on top of personal and managerial conflicts that almost destroyed his career.

"The Republica Strikes Back"

After shocking the boxing world and making his name known especially among the Mexican fight fans, Manny Pacquiao was on cloud nine. He went back home and was greeted like a conquering hero in the Philippines as he was honored by the Phillipine government for his accomplishment. The Mexican fight community also honored Pacquiao by giving him the distinction of being hailed as the nation's "Republica Enemy No.1" for destroying Barrera the way he did in November of 2003.

Pacquiao definitely became a marked man among the Mexican boxing community which boasted the best the lower weight classes had to offer and hailed Barrera as one of their most revered fighters for his exploits inside the ring. The way Pacquiao manhandled the future Hall of Famer left a bitter taste in Mexico's mouth but at the same time, Pacquiao's come-forward and fighting nature also earned their respect. It is after all why they love Barrera so much and is the trademark "Mexican Warrior" fighting style- because he comes in and fights and leaves everything in the ring the way the likes of Julio Caesar Chavez did before him.

Pacquiao became a hot commodity overnight. Everybody wanted a piece of Pacquiao, and Pacquiao promoter Murad Muhammad was more than ambitious and eager enough to take on all comers and cash in on his newfound pot of gold. Muhammad announced that Pacquiao will be coming for Mexico's two other greats in Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales. During that time, the three Mexicans including Barrera, had a chokehold on the division and were considered the cream of the crop. And so they went on their quest to slay Mexico's three-headed monster.

Next in line was Juan Manuel Marquez. At that time, Marquez was the lesser known of the three Mexican legends and was also said to have been the most avoided because of his skill but did not have that star power and Mexican following like Barrera and Morales to lure opponents with a big payday. Muhammad and Pacquiao however were on a mission and Marquez was simply the next challenge in their quest.

The fight was held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 8, 2004. A raucous crowd of more than 7,000 showed up attributing to Pacquiao's rising popularity. People came, hoping for different results but one thing they expected after seeing the little tiger from the Philippines fight was that there would be a lot of action. And from the get-go, Pacquiao did not disappoint.

Pacquiao came out of the gates like a house on fire. HBO commentator Jim Lampley narrated how Pacquiao's aura has been surrounded by much fanfare the way only last seen from figthers like Mike Tyson. Stories of sparring partners coming home with broken ribs, knockouts coming day after day at the Wild Card Gym where Pacquiao trained started spreading like wildfire adding to Pacquiao's mystique. And as if on cue, after Lampley's elaborate description of the mythology that surrounded the Filipino slugger, Pacquiao floored Marquez in the 1:31 mark of the opening round. A second knockdown would follow shortly as Marquez seemed beffudled and did not know what hit him. Pacquiao's killer left was landing at will as if it had a homing device to Marquez's face. Whatever skill Marquez boasted off prior to the fight seemed to have been lost in his dazed and confused state as the only thing he did well in the ring at that moment was to block Pacquiao's punches with his face.

A third knockdown came at the 35 second mark and at this point, people were just wondering how Marquez was still able to get up and survive the onslought Pacquiao was putting on him. The round ended with Marquez still eating Pacquiao's punches and willing his body to stay up while back pedalling until the bell sounded. Marquez showed a tremendous amount of heart and resolve just to survive the round. A lesser man would've definitely quit. Looking back, Pacquiao seemed the smaller man against Marquez on this night. It's amazing in a sense because today Pacquiao has fought a lot of bigger fighters like Oscar De la Hoya and Ricky Hatton and to see not too long ago he was fighting with a much smaller frame is mind boggling.

Marquez would slowly bounce back after the first round as he was starting to get familiar with Pacquiao's assault. Pacquiao was looking more and more predictable and towards the late rounds, Marquez was starting to read him like an open book. Amazingly, Marquez was able to regroup and make the fight competitive as the rounds went on and what seemed to have been a one-sided affair in the beginning, was turning out to be a hellacious back-and-forth blood bath between two gladiators. Pacquiao was still edging Marquez out for most of the rounds but the dramatic comeback Marquez displayed made an impression everyone who witnessed it. How could it not? The fight displayed the best of both spectrums boxing can offer. Pacquiao showed the ferocious and violent side of a beat down while Marquez displayed the technical brilliance of the sweet science.

The fight went the full 12 rounds and ended in a disappointing draw. One of the judges would issue an apology and admission of error in scoring when he inappropriately scored the first round 10-7 instead of 10-6 because of the three knockdowns Pacquiao had on Marquez. The point would've given Pacquiao a split-decision victory. Personally I felt Pacquiao did deserve the win although a draw wasn't such a travesty either. I can't say Marquez won that fight however contrary to some people say. I think the dramatic comeback Marquez put on and the impressive way he was able to stay up and mount a comeback gave him a moral victory and earned the respect of any person who saw the fight. If you try to look closer though round by round, it's hard to find enough rounds for Marquez to clearly win the fight. There were a lot of rounds that can go either way but I felt Pacquiao still had the edge but because of the way Pacquiao dominated in the beginning and how Marquez was performing better may have swung people's favor to Marquez direction. It's unfair to judge something because of a replay though, but then again, I have the luxury to review it so I'm just calling it how I saw it. Hindsight is 50/50 however so ultimately, the draw I think was for the best. Pacquiao and Marquez would just have to do it again if they truly wanted to prove who was the better man.

After the fight Pacquiao and Marquez were quoted in an article by USA Today,

"I thought I won and I didn't think it was close," Pacquiao said. "I thought I took his fight away from him. If they want a rematch, no problem."

Said Marquez, "I think he won the first round and maybe one another round. I thought I won the fight. I don't need a rematch but if everybody wants it, let's go."

The fight would be hailed as 2004's Fight of the Year. After the draw, Pacquiao returned to the Philippines and was greeted by more fans and bigger motorcades. The draw and the perception of being "robbed" of a victory endeared Pacquiao more to his countrymen who themselves know how it is to be handed the shorter end of the stick on a daily basis. The sensational performance did not make Pacquiao any more beloved in Mexico however as his notoriety grew and added to his label as the nation's "Republica Enemy No.1".

There was still another Mexican legend waiting in the sidelines however and he was indeed paying attention. Erik Morales would be next, and he would give Pacquiao the biggest challenge and put him to the test. Manny Pacquiao has definitely come far from where he started. Check back tomorrow for part five of this article as I chronicle the next few years of Manny Pacquiao's career, as he struggles through adversity and meeting the man who would make him taste defeat in "El Tirreible" on top of personal and managerial conflicts that almost destroyed his career.

Manny Pacquiao's Past Ten Years: "The Republica Strikes Back"

Seven months after Manny Pacquiao's controversial draw against Juan Manuel Marquez in 2004, Pacquiao fought in Manila and TKOed Fashan 3K Battery in the 4th round. Three months after that victory, Pacquiao would complete the last leg of what his promoter Murad Muhammad proclaimed as their quest to slay the three headed Mexican monster in the lower weight classes.

Pacquiao moved up in weight from the 126 division to 130 lbs. to face Erik "El Terrible" Morales on March 19, 2005 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the same site of Pacquiao most recent conquest of Ricky Hatton. Pacquiao was more and more becoming a household name after his sensational performances against the other two Mexican greats in Barrera and Marquez and was tagged the monicker of "The Mexican Assassin".

Filipino and Mexican fight fans came in full force to watch the bout and the two gladiators did not disappoint from the get go. Morales was coming off a loss in the third fight of his epic trilogy against nemesis and fellow Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera and was motivated to defeat Pacquiao in hopes of redeeming the loss by beating the man who gave his arch-enemy the worst beating of his life. Pacquiao on the other hand came in trying to shake off the disappointing and controversial outcome of his last big fight against Marquez and was on a mission to prove to the world that he was the real deal and definitely deserved the victory that was wrongfully taken away from him due to an error in one of the judges' scoring.

Both men traded punches early and were both looking to engage, but Morales' gameplan was obvious from the start. He would not fall into the same trap both his countrymen did before him coming out the gates. Morales was applying the counter-punching tactic Marquez used after the initial rounds that proved successful against Pacquiao. Not only that, Morales who was the bigger man during the fight, was imposing his size effectively against the smaller Filipino who was fighting at 130 for the first time in his career. Pacquiao was getting tagged with counters every time he came in to try and land his right jab-left straight combinations. HBO Jim Lampley commented in the early rounds of the fight:

"For a guy who has seldom backed down in his whole career, Morales is playing the role of the counter-puncher here. He didn't just watch that Morales film, he has adopted it."

And adopted it he did, as Morales looked as if he was simply toying with Pacquiao and reading and checking his attacks and countering it successfully as if Pacquiao was an open book. Pacquiao to his credit did not stop trying, although everytime he would land a couple of good shots, it seemed as if he was eating four or five solid ones in return. Morales circled around Pacquiao to avoid his killer left and placed some major doubt in Pacquiao's head. The fight almost seemed like a mismatch as "El Terrible" put on a boxing clinic and played the part of teacher and Pacquiao the pupil.

Things went from bad to worse when Morales opened up a cut above Pacquiao's right eye with an inadvertent head butt in the 5th round and further tagged it with his left hooks. Pacquiao's eye was going to shut soon and sensing blood- his own in this case- Pacquiao went for the kill. Roy Jones Jr. who was a commentator for the fight gave Pacquiao credit for the heart he displayed and the fact that he kept on coming, but also pointed out what everyone was seeing- Morales was in command of the fight and was simply too good and too smart for Pacquiao that night. Morales was able to stave off and strafe whatever assault Pacquiao would mount. He perfectly executed the proper gameplan against Pacquiao's style and mixed up the right amount of counter-punching, defense and controlled aggression.

In the final round however, Pacquiao would get somewhat of a moral victory as Morales decided to engage him against his corner's advice and completely doing a 180 from his original strategy. Morales switched from orthodox to southpaw and seemed to have been daring Pacquiao to come and try to get the knock out he needed to beat Morales. It was by all means, not one of the smartest things to do as Morales seemed to have had the fight in the bag at that point. But Morales is also a showman on top of being a fierce fighter. It's what made him one of the most popular Mexican boxers in history. He always made sure he gave fans what they wanted and as smart as he was fighting that night, something inside him must have told him that it wasn't the typical Erik Morales people came to see that usually brought the fireworks. And on that 12th and final round, fireworks indeed went off. Pacquiao was able to land a lot of his left bombs and rocked Morales a few times. There were points that Morales seemed wobbled by Pacquiao's punches and was about to go down.

Roy Jones Jr. remarked,

"I don't know why Morales is fighting Pacquiao southpaw. That seems dumb to me. I don't understand that."

Jim Lampley added,

"His father told him don't do anything stupid. Please be cautious. He switched southpaw and got hit by a massive left hand. I think Morales wants to fight! Oh my gosh! Talk about going into the jaws of a lion."

Veteran HBO commentator Larry Merchant topped it off saying,

"This is a picture that doesn't need any captions."

And for the final minutes of the epic fight, Pacquiao and Morales went at it and just let their hands go, to the deafening cheers and appreciation of the overjoyed crowd. Both men gave the audience what they came in and paid for. Nobody was indeed going to ask for their money back. The fight ended as both men raised their fists and rightfully so- it's the type of fight that even the loser can be proud to be part of.

As ring announcer Michael Buffer put it when he announced the scorecards,

"Ladies and gentlemen, here at the MGM Grand we saw two of the best fighters, not just in this division but pound for pound in the world today, have the courage to face each other. A round of applause for both these gladiators."

All three judges scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Morales for the unanimous decision win to the delight of the Mexican crowd in the arena. Finally somebody had put down the man that had tormented them, and that man was "El Terrible".

After the fight, controversy within Pacquiao's camp involving his promoter Muhammad was made public. There was also the stipulation that Pacquiao's manager set him up for failure when he signed a contract that had Pacquiao wear "Winning Gloves" which have a more protective padding that benefits boxers instead of his accustomed "Cleto Reyes" gloves which favor punchers because of the type of material used. Here some of the issues and conflicts that were discussed at the time as reported by Eric Rineer of East Side Boxing.

--- Pacquiao and Morales each made $1.75 million for the fight according to figures released by the Nevada Athletic Commission on Thursday.

-- Pacquiao has alleged that Muhammad now owes him a percentage of pay-per-view revenues. Pacquiao reportedly will file a case against Muhammad seeking his share. Shelly Finkel, Pacquiao’s manager, did not offer a timetable.

-- Pacquiao earned the biggest purse of his career on March 19.

-- Finkel and Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach are irate about Muhammad’s decision to allow the fighters to use Winning gloves, which are favored by Morales. Pacquiao prefers to wear Reyes gloves, which have less padding. Roach said his fighter was never consulted about the gloves before the contract was signed.

I spoke to Finkel and Muhammad several times over the past week and here are excerpts from those interviews:

Finkel:

“Manny got $1.75 million but none of the pay-per-view revenues. Based on our calculations, Murad made more than Pacquiao. It’s ridiculous.

“There’s no place in the promoter’s contract for him to decide which gloves (a fighter) wears.

“Manny is a puncher. That’s his big advantage. Reyes are puncher’s gloves. He lost on all three cards 115-113. Don’t you think if he would have used his (normal) gloves, he could have won one more round? If he’d have won one more round it’s a draw.

“People can say what they want, but the fact is Manny’s taxes have not been paid for years… I was not involved with Manny when most of this began. I came into the picture on Feb. 1.”

Muhammad:

“Manny’s a millionaire as I promised him. We lost but we put up a magnificent fight that shows I’m a good promoter. If you look at Manny Pacquiao’s Web site, they’re slaying me!

“There was no 40-percent verbal contract that was offered to the boxers.

“We (Muhammad and Bob Arum) were working in the dark. We had no blueprint… HBO gave us $2.7 million the night of the fight as a courtesy. That’s for our expenses. HBO advanced us the money but we have to reimburse them if we don’t make over $2.7 million (in pay-per-view revenue).”

“Pay-per-view takes 30 to 60 days before we even see (the money). We don’t have the figures nor do we have any money.”

“They’re going to sue me? Sue me for what? They have no jurisdiction, no paperwork, no verbal contract. It’s all trickery, all con.”

“Freddie Roach made a thing about the gloves on national TV. They cried about the gloves. Do you really think the gloves were a difference to me?”

“Freddie Roach was so egotistical (during the fight). He didn’t even move out of the way of the cutman.”

“Up until 25 minutes before the fight, Freddie’s friends, cousins and other people were coming into Manny’s locker room asking him for autographs.”

It would just be the beginning of probably the toughest fights Pacquiao has had in boxing- his outside the ring battles. Check back tomorrow for part six of this article as I chronicle the next few years of Manny Pacquiao's career, as he struggles through adversity and top of personal and managerial conflicts that almost destroyed his career. As Pacquiao's star grew, so were the criticisms and controversies that usually comes with fame.

“Picking up the pieces”

After Manny Pacquiao suffered a demoralizing defeat at the hands of Mexican legend Erik “El Terrible” Morales on March of 2005, Pacquiao’s career was put on a tailspin. Not only did he not come out as the winner of his two most recent fights against two of the sport’s best little men, controversy regarding his promotional team surfaced and threatened to derail Pacquiao’s career further.

Pacquiao claimed that his then promoter Murad Muhammad owed him a percentage of pay-per-view revenues and had been shortchanging the Filipino slugger since he rose to fame. Pacquiao filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against Muhammad seeking his share. Also, issues regarding the contract Muhammad signed for Pacquiao when he faces Morales, went under intensive scrutiny from the media and fight fans. Muhammad signed a contract that stipulated both fighters to use Winning gloves, which are favored by Morales. Pacquiao had been wearing and prefers to wear Cleto Reyes gloves, which have less padding and favors a puncher. Pacquiao nor his trainer Freddie Roach were aware nor informed of the matter when Muhammad signed the contract.

Pacquiao and Muhammad would eventually settle off-court, releasing Pacquiao of any contractual obligations with Muhammad and prompting him to pay Pacquiao what he is due. In a report published in back in June of 2005 by Filipino writer Salven Lagumbay,

Aside from preventing Muhammad from getting away with the TV pay-per-view proceeds from Pacquiao’s losing fight with Eric Morales recently, the American’s so-called airtight promotional grip on Pacquiao which started in 2001 has been voided.

M&M Sports, which Muhammad heads, also agreed to dismiss the suit it filed against Pacquiao’s new management team which included Keith Davidson, Shelly Finkel, Nicholas Khan and trainer Freddie Roach.
Muhammad, however, saw the result under a different light.

“The case was settled amicably. I decided (there’s) no need to fight. Manny will go his way, we (Rod Nazario and Murad) will go ours. We will go on with our lives. We will find another Pacquiao or even better. I will continue to build another Pacquiao, continue to help Filipino boxers and all Asian boxers if they want my help. I wish Manny all the luck. I feel he should go on to be as successful as he can and represent the Philippines with honor. May God be with him,” he said.

It should also be noted that after his misdealings with Pacquiao, Muhammad was accused of the similar wrongdoings by former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield when Muhammad promoted Holyfield.

After the saga with Muhammad, Pacquiao jumped back into the ring in against Hector Velasquez in September of 2005 for the vacant WBC International superfeatherwieght crown. The card was promoted by Top Rank and called "Double Trouble" and was held at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. Pacquiao was the co-main event for that card and Erik Morales faced Zahir Raheem in the main event in what was geared to create more interest for a Pacquiao-Morales rematch. Pacquiao took care of business and pummeled the game but overmatched Velasquez to submission in the 6th round and won via TKO. Morales on the other hand lost to Raheem via unanimous decision. Many noted all the wars Morales have been in were finally catching up to him. Some people said Morales did not take Reheem seriously and did not train properly for the fight hence the lackluster performance.

How would the Morales loss affect his rematch with Pacquiao?

It would just be the beginning of probably the toughest fights Pacquiao has had in boxing- his outside the ring battles. Check back tomorrow for part seven of this article as I chronicle the next few years of Manny Pacquiao's career, as he aims to redeem himself against "El Terrible" and how he struggled to overcome adversity from personal to managerial conflicts that almost destroyed his career. As Pacquiao's star grew, so were the criticisms and controversies that usually comes with fame.

(AP Photo) Pacquiao-Morales 2

“Confirmation”

With the managerial distractions that came from his former promoter Murad Muhammad behind him, Pacquiao was determined to pick up where he left off after being derailed somewhat by the loss to Erik Morales on March of 2005. Morales’ loss to Zahir Raheem in the double-header that also featured Pacquiao knock-out Hector Velasquez for the WBC International super featherweight title did little to curb boxing fans’ interest for a rematch between the two aggressive fighters.

In January 2006, almost a year after their first match, Pacquiao and Morales would do it again. This time there was no gloves stipulation and on Morales’ side, his father and trainer Jose was also no longer in his corner. For the first time in his career Morales fought without his father by his side as “El Terrible” fired his dad in the wake of the Raheem loss. Its happened before, Shane Mosley fired his dad after losses and Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Roy Jones Jr. parted ways with his dads and trainers on their way to superstardom. It’s ironic really, how a lot these great fighters were trained by their fathers. You can add Joe Calzaghe and Nonito Donaire Jr. to that list of current boxers who were groomed by their fathers. It’s unfortunate though that a lot of these boxers tend to look elsewhere after losses, and in this case, it was Jose Morales who took the boot for the loss. Morales replaced his father with Jose Luis Lopez Sr. who had no previous big time fight credentials.

The fight was met with tremendous interest. There was no love lost either between Pacquiao and Morales as both camps traded verbal jabs and haymakers months before fight. Morales called Pacquiao out saying the Filipino was making childish excuses for losing to him. Morales also traded insults with Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach which only helped stir up the anticipation for the fight. Pacquiao is regarded as the good guy, but in this fight against Morales, he scrapped his “nothing personal, I’m just doing my job” persona for an angrier and hungry fighter similar to a kid in school waiting for his shot to get back at a bully.

At the time of the fight Morales was 29 years old while Pacquiao was 27. Both men were around their prime ages as pugilists and what makes both boxers special is the fight inside both men. With a war looming, people came out to the Thomas & Mack arena on January 21, 2006 in anticipation of witnessing greatness. HBO commentator Jim Lampley likened the crowd inside the Thomas & Mack arena on fight night as one that can rival any fevered soccer stadium environment in Europe. And from the get-go when the National Anthems were sung, the atmosphere truly indicated that something special was about to unfold. Jennifer Bautista may not have been the best among the Philippine national anthem singers for Pacquiao’s fight but she surely gave one of the most inspired and spirited renditions of the anthem that got the Filipino crowd more amped up. International recording artist John Secada sang both the Mexican and American national anthems and received a tremendous reaction from the Mexican crowd as well.

Hall of Fame Trainer Emmanuel Steward who was also part of the HBO play-by-play crew remarked before the fight

“I’m just so impressed with this crowd here. I never thought I’d see this type of a crowd after Morales loss decisively in his last fight.”

Something definitely was in the air. This was as personal as it could get for any two great fighters in the ring and any two fan bases in the sport. The fight embodied what great rivalries were made of.

Since there were no titles on the line, Morales entered the ring first by virtue of losing a coin-toss. The Mexican crowd greeted their fighter with deafening cheers and applause while the Filipino crowd booed “El Terrible” the way Yankees fans boo David Ortiz whenever he goes up to bat. Pacquiao received the same type of ovation from his fans when he entered the ring while the Mexican crowd reacted to him as if he invented “Swine Flu”.

"Thrilla back in Manila"

After Manny Pacquiao finally avenged his defeat at the hands of Erik Morales in their epic rematch, his star reached greater heights. It was no more evident than in his home country the Philippines wherein he was greeted by thousands upon thousands of people who flocked the streets just to catch a glimpse of their conquering hero during the motorcades that followed his return home. People were starting to call him “National Treasure” for the honor and distinction he has given the otherwise impoverished and struggling country. Perhaps the people saw hope in Pacquiao in the sense that if one of theirs whom started out from nothing, can rise from poverty to become a global figure, then anything is indeed possible.

There was a buzz in the air brought about by Pacman’s conquest. A sudden burst in nationalism captivated Filipinos from around the world because finally, someone has given them a face amongst the crowd. Pacquiao gave the Philippines a role model and an ambassador that definitely embodied the greatness Filipinos are capable of. Because of Pacquiao, Filipinos who followed his saga were walking with their chins a little bit higher. Pacquaio successfully transcended a sport into something more and gave his nation a positive identity.

Capitalizing on his skyrocketing popularity, Pacquiao was scheduled to face Oscar Larios in Manila a few months after his victory over Morales. They were going to bring the “Thrilla” back in Manila. The venue of Pacquiao’s next fight would be the Mecca of Philippine boxing, the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. It’s the exact same arena where arguably the biggest boxing spectacle ever took place, Ali vs Frazier 3 or more popularly known as “The Thrilla in Manila”.

The fight took place on July 2nd of 2006 and was dubbed “Mano-a-Mano” with Pacquiao’s WBC International super featherweight belt as stake. Boxing fever gripped the Philippines in the lead-up to the fight as the fighters did their rounds of promotions. Larios whom analysts were predicting to fall in the early rounds to Pacquiao was a hit in Manila. “El Chololo”, Larios’ nickname, came in determined, prepared and respectful towards Pacquiao and the Philippines. Larios took extra time to get in shape and train in Japan in hopes to avenge his countrymen’s losses to Pacquiao and take advantage of the break given to him. Pacquiao on the other hand split time training at the Wild Card Gym in LA and the Philippines.

The Araneta Coliseum was packed on fight night. The fight took place at noon time in Manila and was televised live through PPV in the United States. The card featured local talents from the Philippines against Mexican fighters as the theme carried on the Philippines vs. Mexico rivalry which was quickly getting notoriety after Pacquiao’s victories over the best fighters from Mexico.

Coming to the ring, Pacquiao walked amidst an elaborate production of lights and fireworks that reminded me of New Years Eve back in the Philippines. Pacquiao as always, sported his signature smile and joy that he carries every time he steps in the ring for a fight. I can’t remember a happier fighter than Pacquiao is in the history of boxing. I can recall a lot of confident fighters like Roy Jones Jr. who walks with that swagger. And who can forget Prince Naseem Hamed’s lengthy but entertaining ring entrances? Most fighters, even the best ones, usually come in with that determined and serious look that’s normal for somebody who is about to get in a situation wherein serious injuries and pain can be inflicted. Pacquiao though acts as if he’s on his way to a party.

“He was born to be a prize fighter” as HBO analyst and Hall of Fame trainer Emmanuel Steward remarked about Pacquiao in his most recent fight against Ricky Hatton. You can tell it in Pacquiao’s body language, outside the money, the fame and everything else that comes with being a prize fighter that there is no place he’d rather be than center stage boxing in front of the world.

Loving what you do and dedicating yourself to it are the main ingredients for success. Pacquiao’s ascension as the best in the world is a good blueprint for people who are trying to make it in life. Nothing beats doing what you love to do because win or lose, you’re happiness is something that no amount of money can buy.

“Icon”

After putting on a show for his countrymen back home in the Philippines when he defeated Oscar Larios, Manny Pacquiao had some unfinished business to take care of with his nemesis Erik Morales. The rubber-match was set for the 18th of November in 2006 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, the same venue of their blockbuster rematch.

After losing to Pacquiao in January of that year, Morales like Pacquiao before him, had his own set of reasons he attributed the loss to. Morales claimed he was exhausted from trying to make the weight limit for their bout and that Pacquiao did not hurt him at all and that he simply went down due to fatigue. Pacquiao took exception to Morales’ claims and promised that he would definitely make sure Morales felt his power in their rubber match.

The bad-blood between the Pacquiao and Morales camps was also coming to a boil. Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach also got into the action when he told Morales “We took you lightly the first time.” Roach said Morales responded to him saying “Shut the f*^k up and sit down. Stop crying.”

To understand Erik Morales, one must appreciate the pride and ferocity “El Terrible” possessed. Not a lot of boxers fight with the same amount of fire inside them like the Mexican legend from Tijuana. It was what drove Morales to be great; and at times, it was also what made him to be looked upon as a pompous and arrogant person. Morales embodied Mexican pride the way his counterpart Marco Antonio Barrera did. Add Juan Manuel Marquez to the equation who is somewhat a different breed but still great in his own right because of his skill, intelligence and technique, and you got, in my opinion, the greatest quartet of fighters in the same division and in the same era ever.

Morales brought back his father Jose as his trainer for his third match against Pacquiao. He also did a lot or cardio training with a fitness trainer to scientifically cut down his weight. Pacquiao on the other hand was digging his own holes and was being bombarded with distractions left and right. With his continued rise to fame, Pacquiao’s vices and commitments outside boxing grew as well. His gambling and hobbies like shooting pool all night and drinking beer were starting to gain more publicity than his ring exploits. Being a big fish in a small pond living in his hometown in General Santos city seemed like it was finally catching up to the Filipino icon.

But none of those vices and distractions would jeopardize Pacquiao’s career more than his next blunder. That blunder was when Pacquiao signed a seven-fight contract with Golden Boy Promotions while he was still under Top Rank Promotions. Top Rank boss Bob Arum cried foul and threatened to take the necessary legal actions that potentially would’ve been extremely damaging to Pacquiao’s career. As Freddie Roach put it at the time “the future is not really bright, unless we win this fight.”

After a much-anticipated wait, November 18 finally came. 18,276 fans packed the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas that made up for one of the most frenzied and maniacal crowds in boxing history. It was a clash of two modern-day legends and two feverishly loyal fan bases. It was a battle of two countries that had a lot of pride meeting in the Mecca of prizefighting amidst the climax of one of the sport’s most epic conflicts. Mexican and Phillipine flags colored the jam-packed stadium. It was a fight for the ages, and in this day and age, watching Pacquiao versus Morales was the closest thing to being in the middle of a crossfire between two warring countries.

HBO analyst Jim Lampley commented before the fight,

“I have been calling fights for twenty years. I’ve been to a lot of boxing fights before that. This could be as raucous, as noisy as any boxing crowd as I’ve ever seen.”

And rightfully so, there hasn’t been a lot of pairings at the highest level of the game that engages their opponents and come to fight more than Pacquiao and Morales did.

After the singing of the national anthems, it was clear who the crowd came to see- chants of “Manny! Manny! Manny!” filled the air. The Mexican crowd was not to be outdone however as they shot back with chants of “Mexico! Mexico! Mexico!”
Morales walked into the ring first to traditional mariachi background music accompanied by a Mexican vocalist in the ring. Also visible was a “Luchador” (Mexican wrestler) that donned a mask ala WWE superstar Rey Mysterio and Jack Black’s character that was popular at that time, Nacho Libre, waving the Mexican flag in the ring. Morales was greeted with cheers by his loyal and adoring fans.

Pacquiao’s entrance was next. He walked to the ring to his own track he recorded with the late great Filipino rapper Francis M. to the delight of all the Pacman fans in the arena. Watching the entrance today adds a sentimental feel to the scene for a Filipino who grew up in the Philippines such as myself. Francis M. was the most influential rapper ever in the Philippines and he was carrying the torch of nationalism long before Pacquiao inspired a boom of Filipino pride back home. It’s befitting that the two men collaborated for a song and symbolic that Pacquiao entered the ring with it playing in the background in one of the most significant fights of his career.

After the pre-fight pageantries, Pacquiao and Morales finally touched gloves and began to write the end of their saga together as HBO analyst Larry Merchant remarked,

“Hide the women and the children, if any of them are still awake.”

Lost in the excitement of the atmosphere was one of the funniest wisecracks I’ve ever heard from a boxing fight as Jim Lampley responded,

“I don’t know about you Larry, but the kind of women I know love this stuff.”

After about 30 seconds of feeling each other out, Pacquiao landed a couple of good counter punches after Morales who seemingly was looking more to lead-off compared to his previous fights with Pacquiao, left himself open after throwing some long right jabs. Morales was able to land a few good punches while Pacquiao was able to hit him with some solid body punches of his own.

At the one minute mark, Pacquiao staggers Morales with his newest weapon, the right hook he unleashed so conveniently in his fight against Larios. Pacquiao followed it up with another solid right hook as Morales tried to counter and pin Pacquiao to the ropes. It was a different Manny Pacquiao from the first time they fought however as Pacquiao showcased his improved defense- ducking, slipping and strafing his way out of trouble to the delight of his fans. Pacquiao was using his footwork, creating and closing gaps like never before. Morales seemed befuddled with the new and improved fighter that stood before him as the round ended with Pacquiao getting the edge for his ring generalship and for landing more telling blows.

As Larry Merchant pointed out in-between rounds,

“Once upon a time Manny Pacquiao only had the left stuff, he’s got the right stuff behind it now.” Referring to the right hook Pacquiao added to his arsenal.

The second round got off to a much quicker start as both men traded turns with their backs against the ropes. Both Morales and Pacquiao landed good combinations. Around the 2:14 mark of the round, Morales looked as if he had Pacquiao in trouble as he connected with a solid left hook right on Pacquiao’s jaw and was backing down the Filipino superstar. Pacquiao would respond by pounding his fists as if telling Morales he wanted some more. Morales obliged as he stalked Pacquiao even further and connected with a couple more shots. Pacquiao would bounce back utilizing his speed and aggression and at the 1:10 mark of the round, just when Morales seemed like he had Pacquiao reeling once again, Pacquiao was able to time Morales as he was leaning back on the ropes and drilled “El Terrible” with his money shot, the left cross. Morales went down on one knee and looked dazed while referee Vic Drakulich gave him his standing 8-count. Amazingly however, despite looking wobbly and weary, Morales was able to bounce back and land some good shots as soon as he got up from the knockdown. At the sound of the final ten seconds mark, both men let their fists go, in a classic display of courage, will and determination. Morales, never to back down from a fight, was running towards the eye of the Pacquiao storm and was getting some success out of it. He let it be known that if he was going down, he was going down swinging. As the bell sounded the end of the round, Morales stared Pacquiao down and had some choice words for the Filipino slugger as if he was telling him his best wouldn’t be enough against the Mexican legend. The flurry highlighted vintage Morales and displayed his courage and his never back down attitude.

After Morales’ late burst in the second round, the third round started as if Morales had spent all that he had left in him. His legs looked tired and he seemed ready to go. He did not relent though, as he kept trying to bring the fight to Pacquiao. On this night though, he simply was outclassed and outgunned by a younger, stronger and fresher fighter. Around the two minute mark, Pacquiao would commence the destruction of Morales. Pacquiao shifted gears and went on another level as he hit Morales with pretty much every punch in the book. He tagged him with body shots, left crosses, straights, right hooks, jabs, counters, you name it, Pacquiao had it. Still, Morales would not back down. But whatever will and heart he still had left in him that kept him up, Pacquiao ultimately took it away for good with a vicious right hook at the 1:34 mark. The shot shook Morales up and had the Mexican legend vulnerable looking like he was seeing stars. Sensing blood, Pacquiao in signature Pacquiao fashion, jumped on Morales and unleashed all sorts hell on his bewildered opponent. With Morales obviously staggered, Pacquiao finished off his flurry with another one of his signature left crosses sending the Mexican violently crashing down the canvas. Any good fighter would have not been able to get back up from such a devastating beat down, but this is why Morales is great. He just wouldn't stay down.

Unbelievably, Morales was again able to land a bunch of good shots of his own after he got up from the mat. What guts and courage Morales displayed as he kept swinging, still trying to get the best of his opponent. But on a night where he simply went-up against a far better fighter, Morales would do what he has never done his whole career. Morales had to hold on to Pacquiao to stay up. What happened next was academic. Pacquiao continued his relentless assault on Morales and finished him off at the 13 second mark of the 3rd round, knocking Morales down for good. Morales sat on the canvas with the look of defeat as if acknowledging to himself that he has done everything he could possibly do, and that he simply did not have enough to beat his opponent. Morales shook his head in resignation. He had enough.

Pacquiao had conquered the biggest foe in his career yet. In beating Morales decisively and sealing their trilogy with the upper hand, Pacquiao solidified his stake as one of the best boxers in the sport. In a great display of sportsmanship, the gallant and proud Morales raised Pacquiao’s hand after the fight, finally acknowledging his conqueror and sealing what was a great trilogy with class. Indeed, Pacquiao and Morales were destined to fight each other. Both men would later on become good friends even filming a commercial together in the Philippines. Morales became a household name in the Philippines as he won the hearts of millions of Filipinos with the way he fought against Pacquiao. Morales has visited the Philippines multiple times after his battles with Pacquiao and remain good friends with the Pacman. Pacquiao in his part saw his legend grow even bigger not only in his home country, but around the world and Mexico as well. He was fastly becoming the most popular and revered non-Mexican boxer in Mexico.

Despite the win, Pacquiao still had a lot of things to take care of like his contract dispute with Golden Boy and Top Rank. Check back in the next couple of days for part ten of this article as I chronicle the next few years of Manny Pacquiao's career as he deals with his newfound fame and dives into politics in his home country. As Pacquiao's star grew, so were the criticisms and controversies that usually comes with fame. Don't miss the next chapter of our 10 year look back at Manny Pacquiao's career!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Looking back, the loss to Morales was probably one of the best things that happened to Pacquiao's career. The lost humbled Pacquiao and pushed him to be better. All props go to him and his trainer Freddie Roach. It's never easy to bounce back and be better after a loss. A lot of fighters bounce back but don't really show as much improvement as Pacquiao did. In life, something bad is bound to happen. There will always be negative people who will try to bring you down or steal something away from you regardless of how honest and good you live your life. That's life! I guess all I can say is, as much as it sounds so cliche', we should take our downs like our ups. There's much to be learned from a mistake or a loss. As long as you stay positive and try to better yourself, things will usually turn out well in the end.