MANILA, Philippines — If there’s one thing that 2010 have shaped up for boxing, that certainly would be the thrill and explosion that the Philippines’ “lethal duo” of Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire, Jr. brought in each of their respective bouts last year.Pacquiao dominated the headlines late last year when he scored a unanimous decision victory over the comebacking Antonio Margarito in a brutal contest at the Cowboys Stadium last November, en route to notching a historic feat by being the first fighter ever to win eight world titles in as many divisions.
Donaire, on the other hand, capped his brilliant season with a masterful demolition of Wladimir Sidorenko early last December, paving the way to what boxing experts note could be 2011’s biggest smash down: a much anticipated February 19 showdown with unified bantamweight titlist Fernando Montiel.
With these things being said of what these two gentleman have done in the last year that passed, they were earlier named into the Top 5 of The Ring Blog’s (of The Ring Magazine website) 100 finest boxers of 2010, with Pacquiao comfortably ranked at No. 1 and Donaire finding his place at No. 5.
Pacquiao actually maintained his spot on the top of the list, which he also lorded in 2009. Donaire, meanwhile, advanced a spot higher after finishing at No.6 in the previous list.
“As most of us expected, Pacquiao made mincemeat out of Antonio Margarito, who not so long ago everyone was calling the most feared fighter in the world,” wrote the Ring Blog’s William Dettloff. “It wasn’t Pacquiao’s most impressive achievement of the past year; the bludgeoning of Miguel Cotto (KO 12) in November of 2009 gets the nod there, and getting points too is the shutout he pitched against the highly competent if reluctant Joshua Clottey (W 12).”
The pound-for-pound king, who also plays a dual role as congressman of the Sarangani province in Mindanao, is scheduled to return to the ring on May 7 in Las Vegas against Shane Mosley — a fight which gained the disapproval of boxing fans and critics alike.
“Along with everyone else we would have preferred the year ended with a superfight against the next guy on this list (Floyd Mayweather, Jr.), but you can’t have everything,” Dettloff noted.
The unbeatean Floyd Mayweather, Jr., surprisingly, finished at No. 2 despite only fighting once last year against Mosley. Hobbled by legal charges left and right, Mayweather decided to “hibernate” for the rest of the year after allegedly nudging offers by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank to figure in a megabuck bout with Pacquiao.
“It’s hard to maintain a ranking as high as this fighting just once in all of 2010, but Mayweather did it. How? By completely out-classing Shane Mosley,” Dettloff writes. “And he did it by standing right in Mosley’s grill, more or less, and out-fighting him. That Mayweather was rocked in the second round and came back to dominate every second of every round thereafter — as easily as he did against Juan Manuel Marquez — is proof enough that Mayweather remains at worst the second best fighter on the planet.”
Donaire, for his part, is beginning to relish the recognition and respect that have been coming his way right after his victory against the Ukranian Sidorenko. Recognized as the next biggest name in boxing after Pacquiao, Donaire have waited too long to get a big break despite emerging with a bang after knocking out Armenian-born brawler Vic Darchinyan more than three years ago.The spotlight on Donaire came about after his fifth round demolition of Armenian-born brawler Vic Darchinyan in July 2007, earning for himself the “Knockout of the Year” and the “Upset of the Year” distinction from The Ring Magazine, considered as the Bible of Boxing.
“I’m really flattered by THE RING’s ranking,” Donaire said, referring to him being recognized as the world's fifth top pound-for-pound boxer, as quoted in an earlier interview with The Ring’s Doug Fishcher. “I’m honored by it and by any other website or magazine that ranks me with the best in the sport, but I don’t think I deserve it yet. I have to fight more elite fighters to deserve it.”
“So far, I’ve got one guy (Darchinyan) on my record. I need more. In my opinion, I have the ability and the skills to be ranked that high, but I want to prove it to fans, and I want to see it for myself. I have to show my potential in fights against the best,” said the 28-year-old Donaire.
“I want to be more entertaining,” he said. “I need to be a busier fighter. I enjoy a strategic fight, but I’ve begun to realize that boxing is not just an art, it’s entertainment,” Donaire reveals. “I’ve got to go out and entertain fans the way Marquez and (Michael) Katsidis did...”
His next big test comes next month when he squares off against Montiel, arguably the best bantamweight fighter in the world today who ranks No. 7 in The Ring’s list.
“Montiel probably qualifies as the best fighter Donaire has ever faced and what happens when they meet will go a long way toward determining where Donaire appears on this list next year,” Dettloff concludes. (report from Erickson Beco, Manila Bulletin)
