Pacquiao To Accept BWAA Award in June
Feb 16, 2007 • 12:00 AM ET
By Rey Danseco
BOXING superstar Manny Pacquiao will fly to New York in June to accept another prestigious award.
The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) followed other respected entities who named Pacquiao astheir 2006 Fighter of the Year.
Pacquiao's impressive exploit in 2006 consisted of three fights which he won twice by stoppages against nemesis Erik Morales of Mexico and a convincing unanimous decision win over ambitious Oscar Larios.
The victories were done with ease as well as stunning and so awe-inspiring that the Ring Magazine also opted to give him the same award.
Pacquiao dismantled Morales in their rematch in 10 rounds in January and made it quicker the third time with a devastating third round stoppage, winning their trilogy by a 2-1 tally last November. Morales won the initial face off with unanimous, but close decision in 2005.
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach was named trainer of the year. Roach was in Pacquiao’s corner in his victories in as many fights in 2006. The 46-year old trainer prepared Pacquiao in most of his fights since the Filipino hitman dethroned South Africa’s Lehlo Ledwaba with sixth round stoppage win in their International Boxing Federation (IBF) super bantamweight title fight in June 2001.
Pacquiao and Roach will take the awards at the 82nd BWAA annual dinner in June in New York.
Other award winners included the super bantamweight bout in France that took place last March 18, between Somsak Sithchatchawal and Mahyar Monshipour, which was named fight of the year.
eavyweight great Muhammad Ali took the Putnam Award for Perseverance, HBO’s Larry Merchant for long and meritorious service, and Showtime’s Steve Albert for broadcast excellence.
Publicists Lee Samuels and Ricardo Jimenez of Top Rank shared the Marvin Kohn Good Guy award.
Most of major boxing websites, including BoxingScene, named Pacquiao as one of the best in the sport regardless of weight. Ring Magazine logs the harhitting Pinoy as their second ranked pound-for-pound fighter next to to American Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
