Pacquiao is int'l sports Web sites' top boxer

Awards have started pouring in for Manny Pacquiao after his two knockout triumphs against Ricky Hatton (second round) and Miguel Cotto (12th round). Unmindful of the accusations of steroids use, several US-based sports Web sites named the Filipino boxing icon as the 2009 Boxer of the Year in their year-end boxing awards. Sports Web sites SportsIllustrated.com, AssociatedContent.com, Boxingtalk.com, Boxingscene.com, FightHype.com – in an online poll – and Boxingtalk.com named Pacquiao as their boxer or fighter of the year for his historic twin wins in 2009. ESPN.com, the official Web site of an American cable television network that is dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming, then named Pacquiao’s quick second-round demolition of Britain’s Hatton as the knockout of the year. ESPN.com’s Dan Raphael said Pacquiao remained humble despite of his achievements and even praised the Pinoy ring icon for making his home country proud. Boxingscene.com, Boxingtalk.com and Fightype.com also made Pacquiao’s second-round win over Hatton as the KO of the Year. Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, joined his ward as the top awardee for trainer of the year honors from SI.com and Fightype.com after helping the General Santos City native win a historic seventh world title crown in a different weight division. SI.com’s Chris Mannix wrote that Pacquiao was an easy choice for the 2009 honor after consecutive KO victories against “two physically stronger opponents" in Hatton in May and Cotto last November. Mannix added that if the time machine was real he would transport Pacquiao in different periods to see how the reigning pound-for-pound king would fare against the top fighters of the ‘70s, 80s and mid ‘90s. Jake Emen wrote that although Pacquiao only fought twice last year those two victories were enough to earn him AC.com’s Fighter of the Year. “He was also widely viewed as the winner in 2008, when he fought three times in three weight classes, won two title belts, and beat the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez and Oscar De La Hoya. Of course he's also the reigning pound for pound champion. Not only that, but he may just be the Fighter of the Decade from 2000-2009," said Emen.
And for the third straight year, Pacquiao was Boxingscene.com’s top fighter. Winning Cotto’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown earned for him his milestone world title in seven different weight divisions to enter his name in the record books as one of the greatest boxers ever. He claimed his sixth title, Hatton’s International Boxing Organization (IBO) junior welterweight crown. Boxingscene.com said Pacquiao’s wins were timely as it helped revive boxing’s status as a major sporting event. The Pacquiao-Cotto pay-per-view buys tallied 1.25 million or worth more than $80M while ticket sales reached $8,847,550. Pacquiao’s compatriot, Brian Viloria, also made it to Boxingscene.com’s list as the comeback of the year after the “Hawaiian Punch’s" 12th round KO win over Mexican Ulises Solis while the “Pacman’s" ongoing word ward and legal battle against the Mayweathers – Floyd Jr., Floyd Sr. and Roger – as the event of the year. – Jonathan Perez, GMANews.TV