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Pacquiao wins ESPY Fighter of the Year award


Manny Pacquiao's success is not only limited in the four corners of the boxing ring after the Filipino boxing icon earned his second Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) Award. "I thank ESPN for recognizing the sacrifices I made in boxing. This is another honor that I share to my countrymen and to all Filipinos who look up to me as their sports hero," said Pacquiao when informed that he won the award. Pacquiao's dominating performances opposite future Hall of Famer Sugar Shane Mosley in May and former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito last year earned him his second ESPY Fighter of the Year award. The eight-time world division champion, who won the award in 2009, bested a list of great fighters from boxing and mixed martial arts. The other nominees are future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins, who became the oldest boxer to win a major world title; middleweight title holder Sergio Martinez; Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and welterweight titlist Georges St. Pierre. The ESPY started giving out the Fighter of the Year award in 2007. Undefeated American boxer and Pacquiao critic Floyd Mayweather Jr. has won the award three times, from 2007 to 2008 and in 2010. Fans have been waiting to see Pacquiao and Mayweather slug it out inside the ring. Twice the proposed multi-million dollar bout between two of boxing’s biggest draws was called off after both camps failed to agree on the drug testing protocol and the purse split. Both will be fighting this year against separate opponents. Mayweather will returns to the ring after a close to two-year semi-retirement when he challenges champion Victor Ortiz for his World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title on September 17. Pacquiao fights after two months when the Sarangani representative takes on Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in a third installment of their epic rivalry with the Filipino southpaw’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title on the line. Aside from Pacquiao, the ESPY also recognized “The Fighter" as the Best Sports Movie of 2011. The Oscar-nominated film is based on the life of former world champion boxer Micky Ward. The ESPY Awards, presented by US sports network ESPN, honors individual and team achievements. - JVP/KBK, GMA News

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