Column: Pacquiao not yet the greatest boxer ever

Margarito was beaten so badly in the fight that he had to go to the hospital directly afterward, where they found him to have suffered a fractured orbital bone. Margarito is scheduled for surgery Tuesday.

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, believed the injury could have been prevented. “I was surprised by how tough [Margarito] was. He has the worst corner,” Roach said. “They probably ruined his career by not stopping the fight.”

Nevertheless, Pacquiao’s dominant win over Margarito in Cowboys Stadium in Texas grants him his eighth boxing championship, having also won titles in WBC flyweight (112 pounds), International Boxing Federation super bantamweight (122 pounds), The Ring featherwight (126 pounds), WBC super feather-weight (130 pounds), The Ring junior lightweight (130 pounds), WBC lightweight (135 pounds), The Ring junior welterweight (140 pounds) and World Boxing Organization welterweight (147 pounds).

Pacquiao’s career has featured wins over several prominent boxers, including Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya. Pacquiao’s success has prompted The Ring magazine to name him the world’s current best pound-for-pound boxer, which is a comparison of fighters’ boxing abilities regardless of their weight class. Pacquiao was also named to Sports Illustrated’s list of top 20 male athletes of the decade, and he was named Fighter of the Year in 2006, 2008 and 2009 by the Boxing Writers Association of America, ESPN and The Ring. Given his successes, it is clear why many have argued that Pacquiao is the greatest boxer of all time.

Despite this success, boxing fanatics and enthusiasts all over the world discuss the need for a fight between Pacquiao and the undefeated Floyd Mayweather (41-0-0) — pitting the No. 1 and No. 2 pound-for-pound boxers in the world. Pacquiao and Mayweather have tried to arrange a fight in the past, but when Mayweather asked Pacquiao to submit to an Olympic-style drug testing process to check for steroids or other illegal substances, Pacquiao withdrew from the dialogue.

Pacquiao’s unwillingness to take a drug test is certainly not an admission of guilt, but one can see where Mayweather’s suspicions are coming from. Pacquiao rose in weight classes to his latest bout of 154 pounds from fighting at 112 pounds, and Mayweather wants to make sure that Pacquiao’s weight gain coupled with a gain in speed are not due to banned substances.

Pacquiao has yet to hint that he will agree to the drug testing, and in all honesty, he may be content with the fight never occurring. He said: “If the fight happens, that’s good, and if not, I’m OK because I’m happy with what I have done in boxing.”

The elite boxer has more to be happy with than just his exploits in the ring. On May 13, 2010, Pacquiao won a seat in the Philippines Congress. Pacquiao also flew to Nevada to appear at a campaign rally for Democratic Sen. Harry Reid.

Pacquiao’s exploits in America are not limited to the boxing ring and politics. He has also enjoyed the spotlight in American pop culture. Pacquiao has been named an honorary member of the Boston Celtics and has appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to sing John Lennon’s “Imagine” in a duet with Will Ferrell. Pacquiao’s popularity has grown tremendously throughout the world, and Nike has even featured him in its global commercials.

At the moment, Pacquiao seems content, but the world will not be satisfied until we see Pacquiao go toe-to-toe in the ring against Mayweather. Without a convincing performance against Mayweather, Pacquiao will likely go down as one of the greatest boxers of all time, not the greatest.