Pacquiao named Fighter of the Decade by WBC

The World Boxing Council (WBC), one of the top boxing bodies in the world, has recognized superstar Manny Pacquiao as the best fighter in the last 10 years. The WBC bestowed its Fighter of the Decade honor on Pacquiao as part of its yearend "Best for 2010" selection. The 32-year-old Pacquiao was conferred the award after tallying the most number of votes from boxing fans who logged in at the website of the 47-year-old boxing body. No official number of votes, however, was posted. Nonetheless, Pacquiao bested a handful of great fighters in winning the honor, including super-welterweight champions Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr., heavyweight titlist Vitali Klitschko, super-lightweight king Erik Morales, and flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wongjongkam. The Fighter of the Decade award is just the latest in a long list of yearend accolades to be conferred on the honorable congressman from the province of Sarangani, who was also earlier named the best fighter of the past 10 years by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) as well as ESPN. Pacquiao won a record eighth world title in eight different weight classes last year by beating Mexican Antonio Margarito in 12 rounds to bag the WBC's super-welterweight belt. Incidentally, Filipino Justiniano Montano was among WBC's founding members and was also the council's former president. The WBC was established on February 14, 1963 in Mexico City, with former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) commissioner Atty. Rudy Salud drafting its original Constitution and By-Laws in his capacity as secretary general. No Fighter of the Year honors However, Pacquiao failed to score a double as he was beaten by WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez of Argentina for the Fighter of the Year honors. Martinez clinched the award after defeating Kelly Pavlik via a unanimous decision to win the 160-pound title, and then successfully defended his belt with a dramatic second round knockout of Paul Williams. "Two great fights in the year," said the WBC in its small item on the 35-year-old Argentine. Martinez's sensational one-punch knockout of Williams was also adjudged as the Knockout of the Year, which the WBC described as a "knockout that will go down in history." The controversial majority draw between aging Bernard Hopkins and WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal was named Fight of the Year, while Klitschko was the Exemplary World Champion of the Year. Fernando Montiel's demolition of Hozumi Hasegawa was the winner of the Most Dramatic Fight of the Year, one which saw Montiel, a heavy underdog, knock out Hasegawa in the fourth round to put an end to the Japanese fighter's five-year title reign. The victory allowed the durable Mexican to unify the WBC and World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight titles, which he will defend against Filipino Nonito Donaire Jr. on February 19 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Unbeaten middleweight and Pacquiao stablemate Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Saul Alvarez were named Hope and Revelation of the Year. – JVP, GMANews.TV