Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao no longer has anything to prove to boxing, neither to the fans, nor to his rivals. His prolonged activity and boxing is the spitting image of the warrior, of whom he does not seek a victory, but a KO. He is admired for his way of going to seek combat, the constant exchange knowing how risky it can be and triumph over many adversities. But as if that were not enough, his entire career full of titles, records and unforgettable fights, he now closes with a flourish by being world champion at 42 years of age.
In my opinion it would have been a good ending to end his career with the Mayweather fight. That was a long-postponed fight and we didn't get to see prime Pacman versus prime Mayweather. Each one on his side starred high-level fights, without avoiding rivals, at the top and increasing the hype for the long-awaited confrontation between the Filipino and the American. The only bad thing I see in this business is that they dragged that fight too long, but if they hadn't, it might not have generated the income it generated.
For boxing fans, we will always have the "what would have been" if the fight took place earlier. The legendary clash between defense and offense would have been an excellent closing for both. Money went on the money side, but the killer Manny still had that spark that never goes out inside a warrior. He did not worry about how his record would be, nor about money, nor did he lower the level of his rivals due to his age, he simply continued with his path, showing that no matter how old he is, Pacquiao is at a much higher level. than that of today's professional boxers.
This age of him is something that puts them almost at the same level, since if he can stay on a roll at 42 of him, I don't even want to imagine what he would do against the current champions at the best of his time. As an expression used in video games, Pacquiao is "nerfed" right now. If he no longer has anything to prove, what is his position in boxing today ?, whose side would the bets be against names like Ugas, Crawford, Spence, Garcia ?, And against the lightweight? The reality is that by the time the champions and their youth go through, they have a clear advantage against a boxer of the same level but older.
Still, we all know that Pacquiao and his experience make him at a very dangerous level for anyone. The path the Pacman has chosen is one that goes beyond legacy. Perhaps that is an important factor why Mayweather was not fully accepted, because people often recognize the effort deep down, beyond statistics and results. That Manny can continue boxing the way he does, at the age that he does, gives him a different place among the legends. The legend that haunts champions.
If someday someone gives him a resounding defeat, or when we no longer see the same man in the ring, it will be the end of a beautiful era. Who knows, we might be surprised how Foreman and Hopkins did. We have to enjoy in all the splendor of him, while we can, one of the last great legends in boxing history.
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