By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Manny Pacquiao has formally relinquished his Ring Magazine title and served notice to Ring editor-in-chief Nigel Collins that he was looking forward to “gaining The Ring belt in my new weight class soon.”
However, with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions announcing a September 17 unification bout between WBC featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera and IBF champion Robbie Peden of Australia who was being mentioned as a possible Pacquiao opponent in September, the opportunity for Pacquiao to win recognition as a super featherweight will have to wait.
Immediately after Pacquiao relinquished the Ring Magazine featherweight title the Ring editors installed the flamboyant Filipino southpaw as No. 3 in the prestigious magazine's super featherweight rankings behind Barrera and Erik “El Terrible” Morales who scored a unanimous decision over Pacquiao in a bloody encounter last March 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Ring Magazine editor-in-chief Nigel Collins visited Manila in March 2004 to personally present the cherished championship belt to Pacquiao at an unprecedented ceremony at Malacanang Palace in the presence of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and top government officials and sports leaders. The visit was arranged by The Ring's Manila correspondent Ted Lerner and Viva Sports.
In a statement issued yesterday, Collins said “I’d like to thank Manny Pacquiao for representing Ring Magazine so honorably during his reign and wish him the best of luck in his campaign at 130 pounds. Perhaps one day I will have the pleasure of presenting him with The Ring Magazine’s junior lightweight championship belt.”