Manny Pacquiao Wins Lightweight Belt With KO Over Diaz
Published: Sunday - June 29, 2008
Words by Randall Stevens
Manny Pacquiao connecting with a right uppercut on David Diaz during Saturday's title fight at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. (Photo: Reuters)
Filipino boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao, earned yet another title in a fourth weight class on Saturday (June 28) when he KOed Mexican fighter David Diaz is a stunning show of speed and power.
So far, Pacquiao has been able to do no wrong in his career. Packing on another five pounds to move up to the lightweight division to face champ Diaz did not slow him at all. In fact, Pacman looked as fast and sharp as ever, and put on an action-packed fight from start to finish.
Unlike his last bout, in which he went the distance in a close split decision over Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny was on-point, pounding Diaz's face with vicious power punches throughout, before landing a short left hook, dropping a bloodied Diaz to the canvas.
Diaz was an underdog even before the bout, 4-to-1 odds to be exact, but proved he had a chin. Through nine rounds, Diaz withstood an unstoppable barrage of hooks, uppercuts and straights right on the button.
The beginning of the end was the second round, when Diaz's eye and nose were split open. Those cuts became targets for Pacman, who restlessly went after them.
"Before the fight, I watched tapes of him and thought 'I can handle that speed,' but after getting in the ring with Manny, he's was just too f***in' fast," Diaz said following the fight.
While Diaz showed a heart of a lion by enduring all the punishment, it was only a matter of time before the bout was either called by the ref or a merciful KO took place, as he face gushed blood every round after the second.
Referee Vic Drakulich stopped the bout before even counting to 10 once Diaz hit the floor in the ninth, and Pacquiao tugged on Diaz's arm in support before leaping onto the ropes in celebration.
"I feel much, much stronger and more powerful at 135," Pacquiao said, according to the Associated Press. "This is where I plan to stay. I did real well. I was really surprised it wasn't stopped sooner."
With a very convincing victory over Diaz Saturday, and Mayweather announcing his retirement recently, the spot for best pound-for-pound fighter in the world is open. While one could say Miguel Cotto or Joe Calzaghe are also possible candidates for the position, Manny Pacquiao has arguably beaten them to it.
Pacquiao started fighting at the age of 16, then a scrawny kid, but has grown into one of the most exciting draws in the sport today. He's won world titles at 112, 122 and 130 pounds, and KOed famed Mexican fighters, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, along the way.
As for the future, Pacman has quite a few options. Some thought he'd bulk up even further for a lucrative fight with England fighter Ricky Hatton. But, it seems as though Pacman is likely to stick around at lightweight, in which he'd possibly fight in a rematch with Marquez, or fight Humberto Soto, who lost a curious disqualification on Saturday in an undercard bout.
On the flipside, despite the loss, Diaz is sure to have earned some respect among Pacman fans for showing his bravery amidst the adversity. He earned his highest payday to date on Saturday, a reported $800,000. Only time will tell where we'll see him next.
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