Is Pacquiao Comparable To Elorde?

By ALEX P. VIDAL

"I am the eye in the sky looking at you. I can make you blind."

Alan Parson’s Project

there is no doubt that the 3rd round knockout (KO) win registered by Emmanuel "The Pacman" Pacquiao over Erik "El Terible" Morales last November 19 last year at the Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada was devastating and impressive. Pacquiao settled the beguiling argument on who is the better junior lightweight warrior.
Now that he retained his worthless WBC super-featherweight (junior lightweight) international crown, Pacquiao is expected to abandon the 130-lb division to shoot for a legitimate world title crown in the lightweight division now worn by WBC kingpin Marco Antonio Barrera who is also a one-time technical knockout (TKO) victim of Pacman. Pacman is scheduled to fight again Marco Antonio Barrera on October 6.
I say "worthless" because Pacquiao and his chorus team cannot claim legitimacy as "world champion" unless he pockets the genuine world championship belt. He can either fight Barrera who is being promoted by Golden Boy promotions owned by Oscar Dela Hoya in a megabuck duel or take a stab at the World Boxing Association (WBA) super-featherweight kingpin Edwin Valero (20 wins, 0 loss 20 Kos) of Venezuela. Aside from the dangerous Valero, there is also International Boxing Federation (IBF) ruler Gary St. Claire and World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion Joan Guzman of Dominican Republic.
LEGITIMATE WBC WORLD CROWN
any attempt to place the 27-year old Pacquiao in the same pedestal as the much admired Gabriel "Flash" Elorde is still premature as Elorde, who hailed from Bogo, Cebu, strapped the legitimate WBC junior lightweight belt around his waist for seven long years spiked with 10 world title defenses against challengers from different countries.
Since winning the WBC junior lightweight belt from Harold Gomes of the United States on March 16, 1960 at the Araneta Coliseum on a schock 7th round disposal, Elorde repulsed the following challengers: — Gomes in a rematch on August 17, 1960 in San Francisco, California (1st round KO) – Joey Lopez on March 19, 1961 in Manila (15-roud decision) –Sergio Caprari on December 16, 1961 in Manila (1st round KO) –Auburn Copeland on June 23, 1962 in Manila (15-round decision) –Johnny Bizarro on February 16, 1963 in Manila (15-round decision) –Love Allotey on November 16, 1963 in Quezon City (11th round disqualification) –Teruo Kosaka on July 27, 1964 in Tokyo (12th round KO) –Teruo Kosaka (rematch) on June 5, 1965 in Quezon City (15th round KO) –Vicente Derado on October 22, 1966 in Quezon City (15-round decision)
FORCED TO RETIRE BY GAB
Elorde, who started boxing in 1951, lost his WBC crown to Yoshiaki Numata on June 15, 1967 on points after 15 rounds. He was finally forced to retire at age 34 by the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) after absorbing a humiliating points defeat to newcomer Hiroyuki Mura-kami in Tokyo on May 20, 1971. After losing his title to Numata, Elorde was able to climb the ring 10 times more, losing four and winning six (3 by KO) of it. Elorde logged 115 professional fights. He won 88, lost 25 and had two draws.
ELORDE IS HALL OF FAMER
Aside from being enshrined in boxing’s Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, Elorde also holds the distinction until today of being the greatest junior lightweight champion of all time followed by the legendary Nicaraguan Alexis Arguello.
In wearing the WBC "international" title, Pacquiao is "world champion" of boxers in the junior lightweight division that are rated from No. 11 to No. 20. His claim to fame is his proof that he is better than Morales, who, at 30, is already past his prime and is considered "over-the-hill". Pacquiao, according to my fellow boxing analyst Ed Tolentino, is still an "unfinished" masterpiece.
If he can beat Barrera on October 6, Guzman or Valero in a legitimate world title match, Pacquiao must defend the crown against different tough and acknowledged world rated challengers and duplicate if not eclipse the record in title defenses set by Elorde. Only then can we compare Pacman to Elorde, the greatest junior lightweight champion to ever walk on the planet second to none. /MP