• Ten Time World Champion in Eight Different Weight Classes
• First to Win the Lineal Championship in Four Different Weight Classes
• Regarded as the Number One Best Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World
•The Ring & BWAA 06’, 08’ & 09’ Fighter of the Year / Best Fighter ESPY Award in 09’ & 11’
• BWAA, HBO, WBO & WBA Fighter of the Decade
• Forbes 5thWorld’s Highest-Paid Athletes of 2012 / TIME 100 Most Influential People of 2009
• Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserve Force of the Philippine Army
• Congressman in the Provincial Capital of Sarangani
GREATEST ASSETS
• Powerful Straight Left Hand
• Fast Hands and Feet
Manny Pacquiao’s straight left hand is notorious for its destructive power, mainly due to its blistering speed. It has put many fighters down and out. As his career progressed, he has improved his right hooks but it doesn’t come close to the effect his straight left has on his opponents.
A natural southpaw, Pacquiao’s footwork is so unorthodox that it puts him into positions where he can punch at the most awkward angles which befuddles his opponents.
HOW?
Manny Pacquiao’s ascent through the weight classes is nothing short of spectacular. From Flyweight to Light Middleweight, he faced some of the best fighters in the world and destroyed many of them in the process.
However, his name will forever be linked to another all-time great, Floyd Mayweather Jr, and the question as to who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in their era will forever be debated as long as they never fight each other. His high work rate,
• lightning speed, devastating power and killer instinct has made him one of the greatest fighters of all time.
• Stays in shape all year round and loves to play basketball to improve his coordination, agility as well as maintain his stamina.
• Has six meals and six protein shakes a day when in training for a fight.
• Does a lot of plyometric exercises, most notably throwing medicine balls and hitting a heavy bag continuously with a baseball bat.
• Performs 1400 crunches everyday during training.
• Gets hit around the entire body with a bamboo stick to strengthen his body to absorb punches.
Pacquiao is very well known for his hard work ethic, and it shows in his machine like performances. It’s not unusual for his trainer Freddie Roach, to tell him to slow down or stop to let his body rest.
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• First Boxer to Earn More than $100 Million in Purses
GREATEST ASSETS
• Fast Hands
• Great Movement
• Ability to Brawl or Box
Sugar Ray Leonard effectively utilizes his very fast hands and excellent foot movement to quickly attack and get out of trouble. These attributes were honed from his days as a very successful amateur boxer. His assets often allowed him to dictate the pace of the fight and if necessary, Leonard could brawl as well as box.
HOW?
One of the greatest boxers ever, Sugar Ray Leonard had a number of legendary fights against all-time greats which includes wins over Wilfred Benitez, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler.
It was Leonard’s speed and foot movement that gave even his toughest opponents a very difficult time finding him. He could attribute his best assets to his training methods.
• Ran 4-5 miles everyday in preparation for the Olympics where he won a gold medal.
• Ran backwards and sideways to try and imitate every movement that goes on inside the ring, most applicably, boxing on the backfoot.
• Wore combat boots for his runs to condition his legs.
Leonard retired from boxing from 3 years and took everyone by surprise when he announced he was making a comeback against the great Middleweight, Marvin Hagler. Inactivity and eye injuries led the general public and media believe that Leonard was no match for the heavy favourite, Hagler.
Unbeknown to Hagler, let alone the public, Leonard had actually engaged in several real boxing fights behind closed doors to shake off any ring rust. It was this preparation that allowed Leonard to jump straight back into the elite level of boxing after such a long layoff.
Victor Ortiz is a strong and aggressive fighter with power in both hands. Although he has good speed, punching power and physical strength, Ortiz lacks any outstanding qualities. His best weapon is his right hand when he gets on the inside and throws short and accurate hook and uppercut combinations to the head.
HOW?
A successful amateur boxing career followed by capturing the USBA & NABO titles made Ortiz the 2008 ESPN Prospect of the Year. An upset loss to Marcos Maidana damaged Ortiz’ reputation but he mended it when he beat Andre Berto to become the WBC Welterweight World Champion.
Subsequent losses has further hurt Ortiz’s career but nonetheless, he remains a fan friendly and entertaining fighter.
• Trains 3 times a day for 7 days a week during training camp. In between fights he keeps in shape by following the same training regimen minus sparring.
• Performs many outdoor activities to maintain his athleticism including road biking, mountain biking, surfing, skateboarding, swimming and triathlons.
• When doing pad work and shadow boxing, Ortiz would often jab upwards, reaching high. This can be attributed to the conditioning of his right side and getting used to fighting against taller opponents.
Victor Ortiz’ physical strength is noticeable just by looking at the width of his back. This is usually used to his advantage by adopting a style that allows him to bully his opponents around the ring.
Unfortunately, this can and has backfired on him before. Nonetheless, due to Ortiz’ speed and punching power combined, his style is effective against many fighters who either cannot match him for the same qualities, or isn’t skilled enough to outbox him.