Manny, Manny, Manny…
Pacman stole the show Saturday and the buzz from his handling of Keith Thurman at MGM Grand lingers into the start of the week. The name “Manny” was heard far and wide, even the casuals were asking me about the scrap at the grocery store…
One can’t presume that all of the NYF Squad will tab Manny for top honors in our weekly Who Won the Weekend poll…so let’s have it play out…Talk to me, NYF Squad, who won the weekend?
“PBC and Fox won the weekend,” said Abe Gonzalez. “The fight had a heavy buzz going into the weekend and was covered by a ton of domestic, international and non-traditional media. The event was a sellout, no merch avilable at the booths after the fight and the MGM Grand Garden Arena was electric all night long. This was a huge win for PBC and Fox and I would expect a 400-500k PPV buy when the numbers roll out later in the week.”
“Manny Pacquiao did something very rare in this series, because he’s responsible for so many different aspects of winners this weekend,” said John Gatling. “He definitely won it in as much as Keith Thurman lost it; but boxing won, Premiere Boxing Champions won, Al Haymon won, Mayweather Promotions won, Errol Spence Jr Vs Shawn Porter won… The fans won. They saw a lawmaker lay down the law with a sense of justice. Him and Tom Brady should share a magazine cover this year in a new 40/40 Club.”
“The winner of the week has to be the Pac Man,” said David Phillips. “Keith Thurman is bigger, stronger, and a full decade younger. What he wasn’t was better. Despite a third card that incredulously found Thurman up by a point after the end of 12 rounds (scoring in Pacquiao fights is often a complete fucking mystery), Pac further cemented his legacy as at least a top 15 all-time fighter. To think of how many weight classes he’s come up and the names notched on his belt simply boggles the mind. Yes, there was some smart matchmaking along the way, and a couple of tough losses too. But think of what he had done for the last decade. Often he’s entered the ring against men who rehydrated to a weight 15-20 pounds heavier than he. And most of them were at least very good fighters. Ponder it. Let it sink in. Because we may never see it again!”
“That Manny Pacquiao could turn back the clock at age 40 to defeat the previously undefeated 30-year-old champ Keith Thurman easily gives Pacquiao the nod this week in my opinion,” stated Kelsey McCarson. “What an amazing performance by one of the best and most accomplished fighters in boxing history.”
“Hard to look past Manny Pacquiao, but on the other side of the globe an initiative called Ultimate Boxxer emerged with a sensational cruiserweight one night tournament which saw Sauerland prospect Mikael Lawal emerge as a future star,” said Chris Glover. “Ultimate Boxxer got rave reviews on BT Sport in the U.K. and had the likes of Paulie Malignaggi endorsing the promotion, so for me they won the weekend, narrowly.”
“Hard to argue with a victory against Father Time,” said Jonathan Leir. “Will try to add a name off the radar of those most focusing on Vegas this weekend. O’Shaquie Foster had a highlight reel KO that immediately caught the eye of everyone at 130 pounds, emphatically moving his way to the cusp of a top 10 in an extremely talented class and providing a legitimate knockout of the year candidate. That right hand is lethal. And a winner for me this long boxing weekend.”
“You would be hard pressed to say Senator Manny Pacquiao didn’t win the weekend but how about this, THE FANS! For once, a PPV lived up to the hype and fans were treated to an action packed main event,” said Johnny Wilds.
“Only one winner this weekend and unlike the judges’ verdict, I expect this one to be unanimous across the board – Manny Pacquiao,” said Hamza Ahmed. “The Filipino icon continues to defy mind and time following a throwback performance against undefeated Keith Thurman. There’s not much more superlatives left to describe Pacquiao but I’m curious as to where he goes from here, given Father Time is undefeated and will eventually catch Manny. Spence is too big and Crawford is a no-go. The winner of Danny V Mikey might be an option, as could Thurman II or even Mayweather II. Personally would prefer Thurman II but whatever Pacman picks, I hope it’s not Amir Khan.”
“It was Manny Pacquiao’s weekend,” said Jeremy Herriges. “Some were surprised by his age-defying performance, but he’s proving to be a mythical figure in boxing. His age showed several times throughout the fight, but Pacquiao’s heart and skill set allowed him to survive several rounds where he could have wilted. He was showered by love and admiration from the crowd during his ring walk, and they collectively cheered for him the entire fight. Pacquiao is beloved by so many and proved his value as an iconic figure in boxing. With every win he accumulates at this point, Pacquiao adds to the power of his legacy.”
“The ageless wonder, Manny Pacquiao, who else,” answered Anson Wainwright. “He won the month never mind the weekend. He is likely the leader of the clubhouse for Fighter of the Year at this point. Thurman got a good start but that shot that dropped him gave Manny a nice 10-8 opener and from there he continued and did a lot of good work, much of it the first half of the fight and although Thurman came on in the mid rounds, Manny closed well. A really good performance. After losing the great Pernell Whitaker it was nice to have reason to smile.”
“Manny Pacquiao not only won the weekend, but he won back the imagination of those, including myself, who thought the overachieving Filipino icon couldn’t keep topping himself,” said Alden Chodash. “But the Pac Man did it again, and not just against a Keith Thurman who only fought once in the last two years, but against a Thurman who clearly brought his A-game and looked nearly as good as he had before his injury. Pacquiao displayed tremendous athleticism, speed, and durability for his age, but perhaps most impressively was his insurmountable will to win, something that never allowed “One Time” to sustain the momentum against him. Pacquiao’s victory puts him right back up there in the mix of elite welterweights, and while the 40 year old senator would have a mountain to climb if he were to face Spence, his victory over Thurman should be remembered as one of his most notable achievements.”
What do you say, Tommy “Razor” Rainone? “Pacquiao…He still beats anyone in a deep welter division not named Spence or Crawford.”
