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Manny Pacquiao, over the course of his storied career, has managed to fight his way to the top of the food chain. Having made his professional debut at the age of 16, 'Pac-Man' has been a mainstay in the pugilistic circle since 1995.
In addition to 72 professional bouts over the course of his career, Manny Pacquiao has etched his name in boxing folklore. He became the first boxer to win championship titles across eight divisions. In addition, he has held 12 major world titles over the course of his career.
Furthermore, Manny Pacquiao's triumph against Keith Thurman back in 2019 earned him recognition as the oldest fighter to have held the welterweight title. However, he was stripped of the belt due to inactivity in 2021.
The legendary welterweight recently hung his gloves up for good in a bid to focus on his political career. Manny Pacquiao initially decided to test political waters with a failed congressional run back in 2007 as a candidate for the Liberal Party.
Pacquiao has since split his time between being a pro-boxer and a politician. However, he now feels that it is time to draw the curtains on his career in combat sports and focus on politics completely. Pacquiao has grand plans to run for the presidency in the 2022 elections in the Philippines.
His upcoming presidential run will most certainly be the toughest fight of his political career. However, in this article we will take a look at the toughest fights that Manny Pacquiao participated in over the course of his career inside the squared circle.
#5. Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Admittedly, the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya was incredibly one-sided. However, Pacquiao performed incredibly after moving up two weight classes to butt heads with a much bigger fighter. That warrants the fight's position on this list.
Pitted against each other back in 2008, the fight between Pacquiao and De La Hoya was billed as 'The Dream Match' between two of the most highly regarded fighters.
It is often viewed as the fight that brought Oscar De La Hoya's career to an end. This fight marked the time when The Golden Boy' passed the proverbial torch to the next generation of fighters. After a constant onslaught that lasted eight rounds, the fight was brought to an end after De La Hoya's corner intervened as an act of mercy.
#4. Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III
Manny Pacquiao walked away with a win against Juan Manuel Marquez in the third installment of their trilogy saga in November 2012. In what is a rarity, every round was extremely competitive regardless of who walked into the frame with the edge and momentum.
Although Pacquiao walked away from the fight with yet another win under his belt, the result and his performance were anything but decisive. Pacquiao looked incredibly human. What's more, a faction of fans claimed that Marquez had been robbed of a victory, with Marquez himself leading the way.
#3. Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar Larios
Billed as 'Thrilla in Manilla 2' back in 2006, the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar Larios thoroughly impressed. The former WBC super bantamweight champion moved up two weight classes to butt heads with Manny Pacquiao. However, the size difference, contrary to what one would imagine, was not too much.
Larios posed a decent challenge to Pacquiao, to the point where Pacquiao seemed in trouble at some moments of the fight. The third round saw Larios settle into the fight and push Pacquiao up against the ropes.
In what was a rare occurrence, Manny Pacquiao seemed slightly out of sorts after having suffered a barrage of strikes. However, the result was as expected, with Manny Pacquiao walking away from the fight as the victor by way of a unanimous decision.
#2. Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito
Manny Pacquiao walked into his fight against Antonio Margarito as the people's choice. The November 2010 fight saw Pacquiao move up weight classes to clash with his Mexican contemporary.
The fight was dubbed 'The Eighth Wonder of the World' as a tip of the hat to the eighth title that Manny Pacquiao was gunning for. Although he went toe-to-toe against a significantly bigger fighter in Margarito, he managed to put on a striking masterclass and emerge triumphant against all odds.
#1. Manny Pacquiao vs. Agapito Sanchez
Perhaps one of the dirtiest fights that Manny Pacquiao has participated in, his fight against Agapito Sanchez truly stunned fans. Having thrown a myriad of illegal shots, Sanchez should have been disqualified from the fight. However, the fight continues, as did Sanchez's transgressions.
Pacquiao was certainly fighting an uphill battle. However, he remained undeterred. Sanchez's reckless demeanor forced the referee to deduct two points, which marked the difference between their scores at the end of the fight. The fight ended in a draw after the fight was scored 55-57 (Sanchez), 58-54 (Pacquiao) and 56-56. Both fighters retained their titles.
