Comments Thread For: Ricardo Lopez Reflects on Nearly Facing Manny Pacquiao

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

Two of the greatest boxers in the history of the sport nearly collided 20 years ago? Apparently so, according to Mexican legend Ricardo Lopez.
Lopez is regarded as one of the greatest Mexican fighters in the history of the sport. Back in 1996, Lopez was approached about the possibility of defending his WBC mimumweight world title against a young up and coming prospect, Manny Pacquiao.
[Click Here To Read More]

[Eff Pandas]

Cool story Ricardbro. That'd definitely have helped Lopez get more attention back in the day at some point as Manny was coming up in weight winning titles if he'd had a Manny W. Too bad that never happened for Lopez's sake. I think he's one of the least respected, least talked about great fighters of his era largely if not exclusively because he was a 105lb boxer despite him being one of the most technically strong boxers you will ever see.

[fourtheboys96]

1996 Manny was a totally different fighter.
I dont know if Manny can beat Finito.

The thing going for Manny back then is youth, relentlessness, awkwardness, and maybe power.

But skillswise, Finito wayyyyyy ahead.

[komandante]

It could be different w/ Finito then cause Pacman has defeated many undefeated champions.

[MagicG]

Lopez by KO

[SCEN3RY]

Interesting. Pac was too inexperienced for that, with only what, his first four or five fights under flyweight? In 1996 he was already campaigning at flyweight (and then to super fly) so he'd moved out of strawweight for some number of fights. I'm surprised he was even on the radar, but it would've been a big fight for him. Besides his awkwardness, speed, power, and maybe size, it would've been a difficult task to impose himself.

[jwalkr]

Lopez 10 times out of 10 at the time. Pac wasn't Pac at the time & Lopez is an exact clone of Juan Manuel Marquez.

[BrometheusBob.]

I doubt Pacquiao was seriously prepared to fight someone like Ricardo Lopez in 1996.

[pvj]

Lopez 10 times out of 10 at the time. Pac wasn't Pac at the time & Lopez is an exact clone of Juan Manuel Marquez.

Agreed. He was an athletic version of marquez, and pac was nowhere near the pac we know at that time and weight. Too much, too soon for pac.

[Teetotaler]

danm thats crazy