Pacquiao claims pound-for-pound No. 1

When Manny Pacquiao fights David Diaz on June 28, he will carry with him the awesome reputation as the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.

Formerly ranked No. 2 by FightFan.com, the Filipino ring icon was elevated to the top on Sunday following the retirement of former topnotcher Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Saturday.
The Filipino ring superstar also used to hold Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound honor.
Pacquiao, the reigning World Boxing Council titlist, is seeking Diaz’s WBC lightweight belt at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

A victory over Diaz will make the GenSan superstar the first Asian to hold four crowns in different divisions and the first Filipino to rule the 135-pound category.

The 29-year-old Pacquiao, also acclaimed as the world’s best fighter in 2006, made his professional debut at 106 lb in 1995 and has been fighting top boxers since 2003.

Among Pacquiao’s prominent victims are Mexican greats Marco Antonio Barrera, whom he beat twice, and Eric Morales, whom he defeated twice in their fight trilogy.

Pacquiao beat World Boxing Organization British super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe for the honor.

Another Mexican, Juan Manuel Marquez, from whom Pacquiao wrested the super featherweight crown in March 15 also in Las Vegas, was rated No. 3.

Mexican WBC super bantam champion Israel Vasquez came in fourth, followed by unbeaten Puerto Ricans Miguel Cotto, the WBA welterweight champion, and Ivan Calderon, respectively.
Ranked from seventh to 10th were Bernard Hopkins, Kelly Pavlik, Winky Wright and Rafael Marquez.

Meanwhile, Diaz turned 32 on Sunday in his hometown in Chicago, where he has been in training at the JABB gym since last month.