Manny Pacquiao has reflected on the serious punching ability of one of his past rivals.
Pacquiao has taken on all comers throughout his lengthy professional career, which began back in 1995 as a 16-year-old and still continues to this present day.
His first outing came in the light flyweight division, but the Filipino icon would compete as high as super-welterweight on his way to becoming an eight-division world champion, meaning he has shared the ring with some heavy hitters over the years.
Known big punchers such as Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, Brandon Rios and Lucas Matthysse are part of that list, while Pacquiao has also taken on legends of the sport like Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya and Juan Manuel Marquez.
It was Marquez who arguably landed the biggest ever shot that Pacquiao received when he knocked out his rival in 2012, but neither Marquez, nor any of the previously mentioned names come to mind for ‘Pac Man’ when discussing the biggest puncher he ever faced.
Instead, Pacquiao told The Ring that four-weight world champion Miguel Cotto takes that honour.
“I can still feel some of those punches he threw at me. Staying on the ropes is not the best place to be when you are fighting him. He’s also accurate. He’s incredible.”
Pacquiao defeated Cotto via 12th round TKO to win the WBO welterweight title in November 2009, but the fight will be fondly remembered for being one of the best of the entire year, with non-stop action from start to finish.
Cotto would claim world honours from super-lightweight to middleweight during his career, as he finished with a record of 41 wins and 6 defeats, with 33 of those wins coming by knockout, displaying the big power that Pacquiao talks about.
