Absolutely NO DOUBT About It......

from www.thering-online.com:


It's amazing what a little guy with a big smile
and an even bigger punch can accomplish.

While the heavyweight division was bogged down
by mediocrity last year,
the junior lightweight class soared to new heights
thanks in large part to
Manny Pacquiao,
The Ring's 2006 Fighter of the Year.

It's no secret among that the lower-weight fighters
are capable of providing scintillating action.
Even so, the mighty mites' contribution to the sport
has not been as well-represented among the winners
of our most prestigious annual award as one might imagine.


Since The Ring originated the award in 1928,
only six fighters below the lightweight division—
Henry Armstrong (1937),
Willie Pep ('45),
Carlos Zarate ('77),
Salvador Sanchez ('81),
Michael Carbajal ('93),
Paulie Ayala ('99)—
have been previously selected for the magazine's top honor.
Pacquiao is number seven.


Although Pacquiao tallied three impressive victories in '06
(Erik Morales KO 10, KO 3; Oscar Larios W 12)
it was the manner in which he accomplished them,
as opposed to the victories themselves,
that earned him the distinction.

"Pac-Man" is one of the few fighters
in any weight class who goes all-out for the knockout
from the opening bell.

And isn't that,
when you cut away all the baloney,
exactly what all boxing fans really want?


Pacquiao's two fights with Morales in '06
generated more than 700,000 pay-per-view buys,
and the live attendance for their third encounter was 18,276,
the fifth-best of all-time among fights held in Las Vegas.

The big bonus is Pacquiao himself.
Carefree and fearless,
he seems to love to fight as much as we love watching him,
and his modest demeanor and ever-ready smile
are the perfect counterbalance to his in-the-ring ferocity.

And as if that wasn't enough,
his incredible rags-to-riches story
is one that resonates with the downtrodden everywhere.

Pacquiao carries the hopes and dreams of his fellow Filipinos
into the ring with him every time he fights,
but has never allowed it to weigh him down
once the bell rings.


All of this came together in 2006
to make Pacquiao the Fighter of the Year—
and the scary part is that he's still improving.

With Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Edwin Valero
all being talked about as possible opponents in 2007,
Manny has a fighting chance of being back here again next year.