Pacquiao ranks 7th in poll for TIME’s 100 Most Influential People

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao’s compatriots and legions of fans continue to work overtime to make sure the world’s best pound for pound fighter would get his deserved spot in TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list for 2009. A week into the online voting, Pacquiao ranked a high 7th with 268, 099 total votes and an average rating of 24. As of Monday morning, the 30-year-old Pacquiao stood tallest among sports superstars, outranking NBA MVP Kobe Bryant (22nd), Olympic swimming hero Michael Phelps (51st), top netter Rafael Nadal (63rd), baseball star Alex Rodriguez (81st), many-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong (165th) and golf ace Tiger Woods (182nd). Interestingly, early results installed Pacquiao above headliners and policymakers like Twilight author Stephanie Meyer, Russian PM Vladimir Putin, US President Barack Obama, Pope Benedict XVI and the Dalai Lama, among others. Outranking the Filipino ring idol so far were 4chan.org founder and owner moot, the top vote getter, as well as Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Korean pop star/actor Rain, American comedian/satirist Stephen Colbert, Cisco Systems chairman and CEO John Chambers and American congressman Ron Paul. TIME’s annual 100 list aims to see how the world's leading personalities in government, science, technology and the arts stack up against one another. The respected magazine has named 203 candidates for its 2009 roster and Pacquiao was the only one from the Philippines and the sport of boxing to make it to the list of finalists. TIME has recognized Pacquiao’s stunning demolition of Oscar De La Hoya last year and how he makes the entire Philippines stop – and the crime rate down – every time he fights. Pacquiao’s downside, according to TIME, has been his planned entry into politics, a move that displeases lots of fans. Pacquiao is set to lock mitts with Ricky Hatton on May 2 in Las Vegas. –GMANews.TV