Bob Arum Hails Pacquiao: 'The greatest of all greats'

CEBU, Philippines - Highly-esteemed Top Rank big boss Bob Arum extolled Manny Pacquiao as the 'greatest' of all great men in boxing history whose steadfast desire to scale far greater heights despite his already superlative achievement and legendary status is worth emulating for by the rest of the world-class athletes.

"He (Pacquiao) is the greatest fighter that ever lived," blurted out Arum after Pacman brutally dismantled Briton "Hitman" Ricky Hatton in less than six minutes yesterday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. "This young man is getting better and keeps on improving. That's what other world-class athletes should do."

Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37KOs) flattened Hatton (45-2, 32KOs) twice in round one and then sent the hapless Briton into the dreamland for good with a powerful left hook to the chin with a second remaining in round two.

Pacquiao, thus, snatched Hatton's IBO light welterweight title and etched his name in stone as one of the very few fighters to collect six world titles in different weight divisions. He once reigned as the WBC flyweight, IBF super bantamweight, IBF featherweight, WBC super featherweight, and WBC lightweight champion. Overall, Pacquiao moved up in 10 weight categories since debuting as a light flyweight in 1995.

So lethal was Pacquiao that even referee Kenny Bayless said that he nearly stopped the bout when Hatton went down for the second time in the opening round.

“I thought he was okay after the two knockdowns but I nearly stopped the fight in the first round when I sensed he was already hurt,” said Bayless in a report by philboxing.com

Back home, Pacquiao was showered with praise and adulation for coming up with another extraordinary performance that further galvanized his status as the world's pound-for-pound king.

"Awesome! Pacquiao's win shamed all the experts who still do not believe in him. He is not only a pride to the Filipino people but to all the human race," said Cebu boxing patron Antonio "Bidoy" L. Aldeguer of the ALA Promotions. "He is so humble in victory. What an athlete."

Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) chairman and president Manny V. Pangilinan said Pacquiao's stirring triumph will truly serve as an inspiration in their quest for that elusive gold medal in the Olympics.

"The joy and inspiration Pacquiao has given the Filipino people, without a doubt, made everyone of us prouder as a people and as a nation. With his example, faith in God and help, I am hopeful we will get our Olympic gold," said Pangilinan in a joint statement with ABAP vice president Ricky Vargas.

For Cebuano trainer Jun Ablaca, Pacquiao's earth-shaking win did not come as a surprise to him. "As what I've always said, Hatton's style was really tailor-made for Pacquiao. I even predicted Hatton will not last more than seven rounds against Pacquiao."

Ablaca was right as even Pacman's trainer Freddie Roach said after the whirlwind match that "this is no shock at all."

"This fight was no surprise to me. Hatton pumps his hands before he throws a punch. He is a sucker for the right hook and this is what we worked on. He cocks back before he throws his punches. He fights the same way over and over. I studied tapes of all his fights for the last two months and I know him as well as I know my own fighter," said Roach. – THE FREEMAN