Boxing Icons Pacquiao, Roach Celebrate Triumphant 2008

In a battle between Oscar De La Hoya, boxing’s top attraction, and Manny Pacquiao, the sport’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, Pacquiao, a 2 -1 underdog, emerged victorious on December 6, stopping De La Hoya at the end of round eight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on a pay-per-view broadcast seen by over 1.25 million viewers. Since that triumphant year-end finale, accolades from media around the world have been heaping praise on both Pacquiao and his trainer, world-famous Freddie Roach!

While securing his claim as 2008’s Fighter of the Year, Pacquiao, 48-3-2 (36), also capped off a Henry Armstongesque year, winning three fights in three different weight divisions – two of them for world titles.

Armstrong, the Hall of Fame fighter, is the only man to hold three world championships simultaneously, a feat he accomplished 70 years ago, capturing world titles at featherweight, welterweight and lightweight (in that order) during a nine-month span between November 1937 and August 1938.

Pacquiao, officially proclaimed a National Treasure by the Philippines, captured the WBC super featherweight title in February by defeating Juan Manuel Marquez and the WBC lightweight title in June by knocking out defending champion David Diaz. He completed his personal trifecta by stopping De La Hoya in a welterweight battle. It should be noted that Pacquiao’s last two victories were his debut in each weight division with the latter two full divisions above his previous fight.

And let’s not forget Roach, a shoo-in for Trainer of the Year, and the architect of Pacquiao’s victories, who confidently predicted that Pacquiao would knock out De La Hoya in the ninth round. Roach was the man who not only convinced Pacquiao to take the
fight, but that he would win the fight. Roach virtually guaranteed a Pacquiao victory with the boldest prediction this side of Joe Namath on the even of Super Bowl III.