That Congressman Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao deserves that hoariest of boxing honours – best pound-for-pound fighter in the world – is surely indisputable.
The Pacman, the great hero of the Philippines, has won 10 world titles in eight different divisions, and since his last defeat back in March 2005 to Erik Morales has smashed past the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez, as well as avenging – twice – his defeat to Morales.
Yet there remains a lingering doubt that Manny Pacquiao is the best there is, simply because he has not faced the other man with a genuine claim to that title, America's Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pacquiao has won titles in divisions ranging from flyweight (51kg) to light middleweight (69.9kg), even though his own weight has rarely matched that of his opponents. In his last fight, against Antonio Margarito, Pacquiao spotted his opponent 7.7kg, but still battered Margarito to the point where he was taken to hospital with a fractured eye socket.
Mayweather, for his part, has won world titles in five divisions and is unbeaten in 41 bouts, but he has fought only twice in the past three years. Like Pacquiao, he has victories over De La Hoya, Hatton and Marquez. Like Pacquiao, he needs just one more match-up to secure his place among boxing's immortals.
But will it ever happen?
For years the boxers' respective camps have been dancing around the issue like a couple of heavyweights in the first round of a title fight – plenty of bluff and bluster, but not a punch hitting the target.
A deal was struck for Pacquiao and Mayweather to meet in a $US50 million match in March this year, but it was called off when the Pacman objected to stringent drug testing demanded by Mayweather.
He wanted Pacquiao to submit to random testing under the auspices of the US Anti-Doping Agency right up to the day of the fight, but the Filipino would not consent to testing within 30 days of the fight, arguing that blood testing would weaken him.
The camps went to mediation, at which Mayweather agreed to waive testing within 14 days of the fight, but Pacquiao held out for a 24-day no-testing window. In the end, it all proved too hard and the proposed fight was cancelled.
Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, later announced that negotiations had led to an agreement for a fight in November, with Pacquiao reportedly agreeing to a full blood and urine testing regime. All that was needed was Mayweather's signature.
It never came, and the American's camp said negotiations had never even begun. The saga of claim and counter-claim continued.
If the fight is ever to happen, it will have to be in 2011. Both fighters are arguably past their peaks, and Pacquiao's election to the Philippines Congress earlier this year means much of his energy has been directed towards his political work. He has said he will run for the vice-presidency at the next elections, with a view for the presidency later on.
Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach went public before his charge's latest fight with his concern that the Pacman's congressional duties were causing a distraction from his training, and that concern will only grow. Unusually for the celebrity-heavy Philippines political scene, Pacquiao actually seems determined to work hard for his constituents.
Mayweather has had his own distractions – an appearance on Dancing with the Stars, plus the more pressing concern of domestic violence and theft charges laid in September by a former girlfriend Josie Harris, who also laid and then withdrew assault charges in 2005.
The last word from the American, mid-year, was that he was in no rush to fight Pacquiao and wasn't particularly interested in boxing at all at the time. Given that the Pacman has thrown up to 1231 punches in a fight, that might be a sensible thing. Good for him, but bad for boxing.
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