Saturday, May 2, 2009

May 03, 2009: Pacquiao vs Hatton Fight

They look around at the fighters in recent times collecting belts in an assortment of weight classes and say, “It’s not the same as it used to be.” While the idea that titles were once always undisputed is flawed, the term “World Champion” still meant one guy more often than not prior to the 1960s and into today.

This weekend, what Manny Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KO) will attempt to do in pursuing a lineal crown in a fourth weight division, a title in a sixth division overall, is one of those times.Over the last two months, this corner has examined the title reigns of Manny Pacquiao as well as the men who have held title claims in four, five and six divisions, identifying their various title claims to understand where each fell short, including Pacquiao so far, of becoming the first man in the sport’s history to capture four lineal World titles.

What Pacquiao has done to date is already special no matter the outcome against World Jr. Welterweight champion Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32 KO). In staking a claim to three lineal World championships so far at Flyweight (112), Featherweight (126) and Jr. Lightweight (130), he went through the hardest roads available.

In winning the first two crowns (against Chatchai Sasakul and Marco Antonio Barrera), he defeated not only the champion established by historical lineage but also the consensus choices at the time for best fighter in the division when he met them. In winning the third crown, vacant prior to the bout, he had to get by the easy choice for ‘other’ top contender in class, Juan Manuel Marquez.Winning titles in just four divisions, lineal or otherwise, has been a mountain too high for some outstanding practitioners of the sweet science.

Nowhere is that more the case than in the biggest historical names which are likely to can be used as comparison points should Pacquiao topple Hatton this weekend.

The first is the most obvious, bandied about freely since Pacquiao’s win over De La Hoya last December even if their circumstances are wildly different. Henry Armstrong (149-21-10, 101 KO) didn’t just win three lineal titles in three divisions; he held three of them at the same time. In a savvy move intended to move Armstrong out from under the shadow on the Heavyweight division, Armstrong defeated Petey Sarron to win the honors at Featherweight in October 1937, leapt all the way to Welterweight to knock off Barney Ross for the championship in May of the following year, and then three months later dropped to Lightweight to defeat Lou Ambers for a one-of-a-kind triple crown.

Pacquiao is attempting this weekend to bridge 112 to 140, coming up a few pounds short at a span of 28. Pacquiao moved from those small points on the scale to post a victory over the former Welterweight champion De La Hoya in the now retired Golden Boy’s final fight.

None of this analysis means a Pacquiao win automatically puts Pacquiao on a pedestal next to the Armstrong’s and Canzoneri’s of history. Those are debates for after the fight, and for all time, if it happens.None of this even should be taken to mean Pacquiao is certain to succeed. Hatton will have a ton to say about it on Saturday night. He’ll come to win and if history has anything to say about it, the odds are in his favor to do so (or at least draw). Have no doubt about it though. This is one of the really special occasions, a moment when one of the men of our time will try for one of the truly remarkable accomplishments. This is the chance for real history and Saturday can’t get here soon enough.