Pacquiao: Is he the best boxer of all time?

Dear Filipino,

Do you think Manny Pacquiao is the best boxer that ever lived?

Boxing Fan

Dear Boxing Fan,

I think he is, but admittedly, there are several issues with my answer.

One: I'm biased, and I'm not even a boxing historian.

Two: It's difficult to compare boxers (a) from different weight classes, (b) from different eras, and (c) who faced different opponents.

Three: The standards are fuzzy. What should we look at? Stats? Ability to knock out opponents? Speed? Power? Flair inside the ring? Fighting style? Ability to generate excitement? Ability to handle high pressure? Length of reign at the top? Conduct outside the ring? (What about mercifulness and compassion, as Pacquiao has shown when he pulled his punches in the last rounds against a totally beaten Margarito?)

There are two clips which can help me make my case for Pacquiao. Watch them and decide for yourself.

First: Here, again, is the CBS 60 Minutes feature on Pacquiao. But note that this was shown about a week before his latest fight for which he won his 8th title in 8 weight divisions (against Margarito who had a 4.5-inch height advantage and almost 17 pounds weight advantage).



Second: Here's a YouTube clip I found with some highlights of his past fights.



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