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What a performance by Manny Pacquiao, who won a split decision over Keith Thurman to win the most widely recognized WBA "super" version of the welterweight title. With the victory -- and I had Pacquiao ahead by a point -- he has achieved a lot of boxing history. Consider:
* Pacquiao is the first fighter ever to win widely recognized versions of the 147-pound title on four occasions, breaking his tie with three-time winners Jack Britton and Emile Griffith.
* At 40 years 225 days, Pacquiao becomes the oldest fighter ever to win a widely recognized belt at 147 and the first to do so after age 40.
* Pacquiao now holds the number one, four and five spots in terms of oldest fighters to win a widely recognized 147-pound world title. He was 36 years 333 days old when he decisioned Jessie Vargas in November 2016, and 35 years 125 days old when he defeated Timothy Bradley Jr. in April 2014.
* Pacquiao is the only fighter to win widely recognized welterweight titles after the age of 35 on three occasions (W 12 Bradley, W 12 Vargas, W 12 Thurman)
* Pacquiao has become the first and only fighter in boxing history to win widely recognized world titles as a teenager and as a 40-year-old. He was 19 years 357 days old when he won the WBC flyweight title and is 40 years 225 days old tonight.
* Pacquiao is 30th on the all-time list of youngest world champions, and, by beating Thurman, he won a widely recognized world title at the seventh oldest age of all time and became the fifth oldest individual to do so. The four men ahead of him are Bernard Hopkins -- who won three shares of championships at 49 years 106 days, 48 years 65 days and 46 years 137 days -- George Foreman at 45 years 310 days, Thulane "Sugar Boy" Malinga" at 42 years 19 days, and Cornelius Bundrage at 41 years 36 days). He also joined "younger" 40-year-olds Sam Soliman (40 years 209 days) and Bob Fitzsimmons (40 years 193 days). Malinga also won a belt at 40 years 92 days.
* Pacquiao has become the second fighter ever to extend his championship arc past 20 years (20 years 233 days to be exact). He won his first major title on December 4, 1998 and won his latest on July 20, 2019. Only George Foreman's arc of 22 years 163 days is longer (won his first belt on January 22, 1973 and relinquished his final widely recognized belt -- the IBF title -- on June 29, 1995), but Foreman was retired for more than a decade while Pacquiao remained active throughout.
* Now that Pacquiao has defeated Thurman, he likely will become the first fighter to hold a widely recognized belt in four different decades because he'll likely not fight again until 2020 (he's held titles in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s).
NOTE: All calculated ages include "leap days" lived, for Feb. 29 is a day lived just like all other days we are alive. Therefore, due credit must be given.
For the record, I picked Thurman to win the fight because I did not think Pacquiao could duplicate the work rate of his prime years. Tonight, he averaged 57.1 punches per round, throwing 80 in the fourth, 71 in the fifth and 60 in the eighth, plus, he out-threw Thurman in eight of the 12 rounds. I, along with many others, were proven wrong. Given the same circumstances, I'd make the same pick for the same reasons, but the possibility of unexpected and historic performances is one of the many reasons why I love boxing so much.
Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao for his well-deserved and hard-fought victory, and all the best to the former champ Keith Thurman, who was, in his initial comments, sportsmanlike and classy. - Lee Groves
* Pacquiao is the first fighter ever to win widely recognized versions of the 147-pound title on four occasions, breaking his tie with three-time winners Jack Britton and Emile Griffith.
* At 40 years 225 days, Pacquiao becomes the oldest fighter ever to win a widely recognized belt at 147 and the first to do so after age 40.
* Pacquiao now holds the number one, four and five spots in terms of oldest fighters to win a widely recognized 147-pound world title. He was 36 years 333 days old when he decisioned Jessie Vargas in November 2016, and 35 years 125 days old when he defeated Timothy Bradley Jr. in April 2014.
* Pacquiao is the only fighter to win widely recognized welterweight titles after the age of 35 on three occasions (W 12 Bradley, W 12 Vargas, W 12 Thurman)
* Pacquiao has become the first and only fighter in boxing history to win widely recognized world titles as a teenager and as a 40-year-old. He was 19 years 357 days old when he won the WBC flyweight title and is 40 years 225 days old tonight.
* Pacquiao is 30th on the all-time list of youngest world champions, and, by beating Thurman, he won a widely recognized world title at the seventh oldest age of all time and became the fifth oldest individual to do so. The four men ahead of him are Bernard Hopkins -- who won three shares of championships at 49 years 106 days, 48 years 65 days and 46 years 137 days -- George Foreman at 45 years 310 days, Thulane "Sugar Boy" Malinga" at 42 years 19 days, and Cornelius Bundrage at 41 years 36 days). He also joined "younger" 40-year-olds Sam Soliman (40 years 209 days) and Bob Fitzsimmons (40 years 193 days). Malinga also won a belt at 40 years 92 days.
* Pacquiao has become the second fighter ever to extend his championship arc past 20 years (20 years 233 days to be exact). He won his first major title on December 4, 1998 and won his latest on July 20, 2019. Only George Foreman's arc of 22 years 163 days is longer (won his first belt on January 22, 1973 and relinquished his final widely recognized belt -- the IBF title -- on June 29, 1995), but Foreman was retired for more than a decade while Pacquiao remained active throughout.
* Now that Pacquiao has defeated Thurman, he likely will become the first fighter to hold a widely recognized belt in four different decades because he'll likely not fight again until 2020 (he's held titles in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s).
NOTE: All calculated ages include "leap days" lived, for Feb. 29 is a day lived just like all other days we are alive. Therefore, due credit must be given.
For the record, I picked Thurman to win the fight because I did not think Pacquiao could duplicate the work rate of his prime years. Tonight, he averaged 57.1 punches per round, throwing 80 in the fourth, 71 in the fifth and 60 in the eighth, plus, he out-threw Thurman in eight of the 12 rounds. I, along with many others, were proven wrong. Given the same circumstances, I'd make the same pick for the same reasons, but the possibility of unexpected and historic performances is one of the many reasons why I love boxing so much.
Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao for his well-deserved and hard-fought victory, and all the best to the former champ Keith Thurman, who was, in his initial comments, sportsmanlike and classy. - Lee Groves
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