Pacquiao wins 4th title, rewrites Asian Boxing History

Manny Pacquiao, of the Philippines, trades punches with David Diaz
during the sixth round of their WBC lightweight championship boxing
match Saturday, June 28, 2008, in Las Vegas. Pacquiao won by knockout
in the ninth round.
(AP Photo/Eric Jamison)

The National Fist of the Philippines strikes again.

With lightning fast punching speed, Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao, the pride of Philippine boxing brutally dethroned WBC lightweight king David Diaz in the 9th round of their World Title bout a few hours ago to become the only Asian boxer to win World titles in 4 different weight divisions, cementing his other “title” as Ring Magazine’s no. 1 pound for pound fighter in the word today following Floyd Mayweather’s retirement from boxing.

Pacquiao came out with all guns blazing, displaying a wide array of punches, superb footwork and defensive maneuvers to completely dominate Diaz from the first round onwards. One look at him and you would know his superb conditioning  prior to climbing the ring. Pacquiao threw 788 punches to Diaz’s 463, also landing 10 percent more of his blows. Pacquiao also jabbed well with remarkable discipline for an instinctual brawler, but Diaz was hurt most by Pacquiao’s 180 power shots that connected, each one of those enough to send lesser mortals to dreamland.

Diaz was no pushover, however. He took some of the best punches Pacquiao had ever thrown throughout the match and yet he continued to take his chances. He was not called “Dangerous” for nothing, having won some of his best fights in the latter rounds owing to this uncanny endurance and stamina. By the fourth round the doctor flagged him as his face was a bloody mask of pain but he says it didn’t bother him, if the post fight interview is to be believed since “getting cut is second nature” to him. By the 8th round however, things took a turn for the worse after a binding flurry of punches wobbled him. With his defenses almost non-existent, he became an easy target to Pacquiao.

By the 9th round, history was made.

Still, true champions are not defined merely by their accomplishments. It’s their character that sets them apart from the rest. As for Pacquiao, he tried to get Diaz up to his feet before he was waved away and hoisted by people from his corner. Later he can be seen kneeling on one corner of the ring by his lonesome, thanking God for his hard-earned victory. I’m not a religious person but in this age of self-worship and godlessness, these simple acts mean a lot.

And that’s what makes our very own People’s Champion a class act.
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click on these links to check out Yahoo! news stories regarding this match:

Pacquiao stops Diaz in 9th, wins lightweight crown

Pacquiao dominates Diaz in showdown of champions