ShareThisTraining to focus next week in Los Angeles
BAGUIO CITY – The respected Forbes Magazine has named world boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao in its list of America’s Most Influential Athletes for 2012.
Pacquiao, who is concluding his high-altitude training in Baguio City for his June 9 title fight in Las Vegas against undefeated American light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, in fact, is the only boxer on the Forbes list which is dominated by quarterbacks of the National Football League (NFL).
In other developments:
1. Pacquiao’s chief trainer Freddie Roach had to order a change in the headgear of sparring mate Ruslan Provodnikov to protect him from the punishment the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion has been dealing him, reported journalist Eddie Alinea.
After only the opening round of the grueling four-round schedule, Provodnikov’s face was in near distortion as he remained recipient of Pacquiao’s crispy left-and-right combinations.
There’s no plan though to replace Provodnikov as he, to Roach’s own admission, has proven to be the ideal mate for the Filipino boxing idol.
“Everything’s going well so far. No hitches nor, as I have been saying, major distractions,” Roach assured. “Manny’s still has to improve on his power, quickness.”
Pacquiao is set to leave this week for Los Angeles to resume his preparations at the Wild Card Gym.
2. Respected boxing trainer Naazim Richardson believes that undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the most talented boxer in the world, but Filipino champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao remains the best pound-for-pound fighter.
In an interview with On The Ropes Boxing Radio and reported by ABS-CBN, Richardson compared their situation to that of Felix Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr., who were considered as two of the top fighters in the 1990s.
“Pound-for-pound, Roy Jones is the most talented fighter in boxing. Pound-for-pound, God gave him the most gifts,” Richardson said. “So he’s the most talented fighter in boxing. It’s like saying, yes, (Chinese basketball player) Yao Ming is the tallest guy on the team. That’s just a gift! Nobody else could be that tall if they wanted to,” he added.
“So pound-for-pound, Roy was the most talented, but I said, pound-for-pound Trinidad is the best fighter.”
Richardson, the trainer of “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins, said the same argument could be made when comparing Mayweather and Pacquiao, who are currently ranked No. 1 and No. 2 on most pound-for-pound lists.
“Pound-for-pound, Floyd is the most talented, but pound-for-pound Pacquiao is the best fighter in boxing,” Richardson said.
The trainer added that this is also the reason that boxing fans want to see the two boxers finally face each other inside the ring: to find out once and for all who is the best boxer of their generation. He said many have been turned off by the long wait for the Pacquiao-Mayweather dream fight.
Nascar driver Jimmie Johnson ranked first in the Forbes list, followed by New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.
“Likeable boxing champ is a king among the Philippine population. The contrast with boxing “bad guy” Floyd Mayweather doesn’t hurt,” Forbes said of Pacquiao.
Following Pacquiao on the list were New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin.
Johnson was named the most influential athlete for the second straight year. Forbes writer Tom Van Riper noted that Johnson’s talent and “guy-next-door demeanor” endeared him both to fans and to marketing chiefs of several brands including Chevrolet and Quaker State.
Six out of the 10 most influential athletes are NFL quarterbacks, something that can be attributed to the “dominance of pro football on television,” according to an ABS-CBN report on the ranking.
“The NFL is just killing it, the league is now part of the American landscape,” said Stephen Master, Nielsen’s vice president for sports.
According to Van Riper, 30 million people watched every NFL playoff game last season, with a staggering 100 million watching the Super Bowl, which featured Manning’s Giants defeating Brady’s Patriots.
ABS-CBN reported that the Forbes’ list of America’s Most Influential Athletes is based on a survey conducted by Nielsen and E-Poll, wherein over 1,100 adults were questioned about dozens of well-known athletes “to measure their likeability and whether they’re considered ‘influential,’” Van Riper said.
“Candidates were limited to pro athletes who are currently active and who score at least 20% awareness with the general public,” he added.