FURTHER boosting his clout and credibility after his impressive comeback outing against American World Boxing Council welterweight champion Mario Barrios, Manny Pacquiao has earned the No. 1 WBC rating in the weight division in the latest ratings released by the Mexico-based ring body.
“After being neck and neck with WBC titleholder Mario Barrios on the scorecards last month, Manny Pacquiao now sits just behind Barrios in the sanctioning body’s rankings,” writer David Greisman reported on the American boxingscene.com yesterday.
Emerging from a four-year layoff at the ripe age of 46, a rejuvenated Pacquiao showed spring in his steps and power in punches to battle Barrios to a majority draw in front of an appreciative pro-Pacquiao crowd on July 19 (July 20 in Manila) at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
In his record-breaking 16th appearance at the famed arena, the popular Filipino prizefighter and recent Hall of Fame inductee underscored that he was once again a force to reckon with in the welterweight division, and was ready to take on all comers with his newly-minted official top ranking – the first time in four years that he has merited one.
“That performance means Pacquiao, 62-8-3 (39 KOs), is back in the rankings, supplanting the previous No. 1, Souleymane Cissokho, 18-0 (9 KOs), who topped Egidijus Kavaliauskas by unanimous decision in May,” the report said.
Credit WBC president Mauricio Sulayman for gambling on the aging boxer, earlier awarding a No. 5 rating in the WBC rankings to Pacquiao that some quarters questioned was unfair to those who had established their ratings the hard and right way.
But in an age-defying feat, Pacquiao showed that he was more than a worthy contender against “El Azteca,” who looked poised to be the dethroned if not for some last-minute scrambling in the last three rounds to narrowly cling to his crown.
“Of course, Pacquiao doesn’t need a high rating to land a fight, given his longtime box office allure, marketability that is amplified by the hook of him fighting again at such an advanced age,” the report said.
“All Pacquiao otherwise needs is to be in the top 15 to be allowed to fight for a world title.”
Back in the country after a vacation in Italy with wife Jinkee, the “Pambansang Kamao” reportedly will return to the ring in December, with his MP Promotions chief and veteran promoter Sean Gibbons looking at a raft of potential protagonists for his boss.Among those earlier mentioned are World Boxing Association welterweight king Rolly Romero and WBA lightweight titleholder Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who are young and exciting American boxers compared to the bland and cautious style of Barrios, who is also just as keen on a rematch.
