Manny Pacquiao reacts after defeating Keith Thurman by split decision in a welterweight title fight Saturday, July 20, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
MANILA, Philippines—There are boxers who defined decades like Muhammad Ali in the 1960s and 1970s, or the Four Kings Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, and Marvin Hagler in the 1980s.
Of course, there was Mike Tyson who became the “Baddest Man on the Planet” during the 1990s.
Then there’s Manny Pacquiao.
The Filipino sporting icon already made history in 2010 when he became boxing’s only eight-division World champion when he defeated Antonio Margarito for the WBC World super welterweight championship.
Then 10 years later he once again took another proverbial belt in the pantheon of the sport.
When all the calendars on the planet turned to January 1, 2020, Pacquiao became the first boxer in history to hold a World title in four decades.
Since defeating Chatchai Sasakul in 1998 for the WBC World flyweight title, Pacquiao has since racked up every belt imaginable and his continuing reign with the WBA Super World welterweight championship that he got from Keith Thurman in July meant that he’s been a champion, in one form or another, for two generations.
Pacquiao (62-7-2), overall, won 12 World titles and was named the Lineal Champion in five weight classes—flyweight, featherweight, super featherweight, light welterweight, and welterweight—the most of any boxer in history.
From 1998, Pacquiao won the WBC World flyweight, IBF World junior featherweight, The Ring featherweight, WBC, World super featherweight, The Ring junior lightweight, WBC World lightweight, The Ring junior welterweight, WBO, World welterweight (three times), WBA Super World welterweight, and WBC World super welterweight titles.