Manny Pacquiao will go down in history as one of the greatest boxers to ever lace up gloves, having faced some of the biggest names in the sport.
Pacquiao is the only man ever to have won world titles in eight different weight classes. Over his 26 year career, ‘Pac-Man’ shared the ring with the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Márquez and Oscar De La Hoya, but one man stood out as having the best chin.
In a feature interview with The Ring, Pacquiao said Antonio Margarito took everything he threw at him in their ‘brutal’ war.
“That fight was a war. It was brutal. I threw everything at him and he not only took it but came back for more. Incredible. Big and strong is an understatement. His body shots hurt me several times throughout our fight.”
In a separate interview detailed by ESPN, the Filipino great admitted that was the fight where he ‘reached his limit’.
“This was my most physical and punishing fight. Antonio Margarito had such a reach and weight advantage over me. My ribs ached for a long time after that fight. Once was enough for me at that weight. When I was asked if I wanted to defend [the title] I said, ‘No thanks!’ That was the fight where I had reached my limit in terms of weight class. I fought a very good fight and the atmosphere at Cowboys Stadium was so memorable. I do think the fight should have been stopped. Margarito took a lot of punishment.”
He beat Antonio Margarito for the WBC Super-Welterweight title, the highest weight Pacquiao would compete at. Margarito himself was a two weight world champion and known for his aggressive front foot style and, as Pacquiao can attest to, an incredibly durable chin.