By Charlie Knoxville
The testament of a true champion is not determined by how much he wins but how well he reacts to adversity. A fighter like Manny Pacquiao has been through so much adversity in life, his ultimate rags to riches story had inspired millions all over the globe to keep fighting regardless of their circumstances, and to always keep hope alive.
When Pacquiao was knocked out by his chief rival Juan Manuel Marquez in a fourth encounter that proved to be the most brutal knockout in recent history, many who witnessed it were left in shock that the little iron chinned Filipino warrior who had been known to eat punches and gobble his larger opponents would fall to a man he had previously fought multiple times and couldn’t put him on the canvas before.
What we witnessed was a great moment in boxing history. Marquez pulled off one of the biggest KO’s ever, and he did it over a man who had given him hell for three fights. Manny Pacquiao was the most fearsome fighter in boxing, his style alone put fear into fighters like Floyd Mayweather Jr. who was never willing to step in the ring with him, and it made fighters fight cautiously as proven by Shane Mosley, Joshua Clottey and Timothy Bradley. We have to give Marquez credit for achieving what he did, remember unlike Floyd Mayweather Jr. who talked a big game but never backed it up — Marquez actually had the balls to step into the ring with the Pacman four times.
People have already written Manny Pacquiao off. They say he will never be the same or he will never comeback from that type of knockout loss because history shows that fighters who get put to sleep with one punch are never the same. What separates Manny Pacquiao from any other fighter is his drive and will to win. This same drive is what helped him survive the dangerous slums of General Santos City, Philippines, it also helped him win an unprecedented 8 world titles in 8 different weight classes, and because of this special trait he will rise again and make us remember why he is so special.
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I am an avid fan of boxing and video games. My first fight of memory was watching Prince Naseem Hamed destroy Kevin Kelly. I enjoy all aspects of the sport. My favorite current boxer is Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. My favorite boxing match is Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo 1. I love watching boxing on Pay-Per-View more than being there live because you can really enjoy and watch the action from the best view.