(L-R) Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez exchange blows during their welterweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 8, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines—Manny Pacquiao has fought 69 times as a professional that spanned across three different decades.
The Filipino boxing icon championed different eras and was at one point the best boxer in the world, regardless of weight class, and this longevity saw him go up against the Sweet Science’s best.
Pacquiao, though, narrowed down the greatest fighters he’s fought to seven names.
“I think my top opponents are Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Erik Morales, and Ricky Hatton,” said Pacquiao in a report by BoxingNewsOnline.net.
Pacquiao (60-7-2) burst into the scene in 2001 when he beat Lehlo Ledwaba senseless for the IBF world super bantamweight title and it was, coincidentally, in the undercard of De La Hoya’s fight against Javier Castillejo for the WBC World super welterweight championship.
It was the fight that catapulted a blonde-dyed Pacquiao to the American consciousness and everything that followed was history.
Pacquiao had a thrilling trilogy with Morales, with him winning 2-1, a four-fight epic with Marquez, and a couple of wins against Barrera.
Boxing’s only eight-division champion forced De La Hoya into retirement, knocked out a prime Hatton, pummeled Cotto, and had one of the most memorable rivalries in boxing history with Mayweather.
Despite wrestling the title of best pound-for-pound boxer for almost 10 years, Mayweather and Pacquiao only fought once in a dud of a bout in 2015 that ended in a unanimous decision win for the Pretty Boy.
Pacquiao is currently preparing for his defense of the WBA World welterweight title against Adrien Broner on January 19.