By Andrew Morrow: For as long as I can remember I have been reading comments on this site from Floyd and Manny fans basically ripping each other to pieces and insulting the opposite fighter. This led me to question whether Manny is really one of the greatest ever or just another overrated fighter.

Obviously Manny is a shoo-in for the hall of fame. He is a champion in 8 different weight classes after all. To the casual fan this makes him one of the greatest, a fighter to be mentioned in the same breath as guys like Ali, the two sugar Rays, the late Joe Frazier etc. However this article will attempt to decide whether Manny deserves to be mentioned in this company. Please bear in mind while posting comments that I am a neutral, I am not a Manny or a Floyd fan.

In order to answer this question I shall analyze Pacquiao’s opponents. In this writer’s opinion Manny’s best wins have come against the following:

• Morales (Three times)
• Cotto
• Hatton
• Barrera (Twice)

In my opinion these were superb wins against superb opposition. Hatton was widely regarded as being one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world at the time. He was the leading light welter at the time (hence the ring title) Hatton was even KO of the year for Manny. Cotto is a superstar of the sport. Morales (all be it a little battle worn) and Barrera are quite simply two of the great Mexican fighters and future hall of famers.

However, the educated observer may ask, why Margarito, De La Hoya, Clottey, Mosley, and Marquez are absent from the list. In my opinion the fights against these fighters have somewhat taken the shine of Manny’s legacy as the victories are not as impressive as they seem when taken at face value. Allow me to explain….

Margarito: Manny’s fans point to this as one of Manny’s finest fights. I’m not so sure. Manny fought Antonio at a catchweight of 150 lbs for the WBC super welter (junior middle) title. This left Antonio slightly weight drained. Also, Margarito is a limited fighter who relies on a huge punch output and an iron chin to win fights. Also his power is questionable since the Mosley fight. In short, he was a one dimensional fighter who Manny easily beat. I would have enjoyed seeing Manny fight another of the top guys at junior middle

Mosley: Come on, the guy was way past his prime at 39 years old

De La Hoya: Manny made Oscar come down to 147 lbs for the fight. Oscar’s natural weight was 154 lbs. Therefore Oscar was weight drained in a huge way. Oscar was also a “shot” fighter, Roach even said so

Clottey: A solid welter but hardly a hall of famer is he?

Marquez: The trilogy with Marquez is extremely controversial. Many feel that Manny lost the last two fights. This writer believes that Manny was handed a gift decision in the last outing. I had Marquez winning by four rounds despite the late Manny rally. Even Amir Khan scored the bout for Marquez and he even stated on primetime that HE WANTED TO FIGHT MARQUEZ. The fact that Floyd handled him so easily is a point that many Mayweather fans continually refer to.

So to conclude. I for one feel that Manny is a great fighter and a supreme athlete. He has achieved so much. He has beaten some truly magnificent fighters. The Cotto fight stands out for me. However I also believe that Manny’s record has been padded with old guys who were past their prime. Catchweights are also a controversial issue which give Manny an edge in many of his fights, none more so than in the De La Hoya fight. I believe that if Manny is to be remembered as one of the greatest ever he has to step it up against guys like Alvarez, Martinez, Berto, and especially Mayweather. If he beats some of these guys he deserves to remembered as one of the greatest.