Manny’s best still to come, Arum says RP icon greatest ever

LAS VEGAS—THE WORLD hasn’t seen the best of Manny Pacquiao yet.

Bob Arum made this observation Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) a few hours after Pacquiao’s systematic two-round demolition of Briton Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Arena.

“You’re seeing something that is developing,” said Arum.

“Pacquiao learns every training session and keeps getting better and better every single fight.”

Moments after the swift, decisive ending, Arum declared in a TV interview that the Filipino ring icon is “the greatest fighter that ever lived.”

“I really believe that when the full story is written, this man will be considered the greatest fighter that ever lived. That’s a wild thing to say. Not the greatest fighter of the year but the greatest fighter that ever lived,” Arum said.

Astounding development

Arum, who always refers to Pacquiao as a young man although the champ is now 30- years-old, said the Filipino’s development as a figher is astounding.

“His defense is tremendous, his reflexes tremendous,” said Arum. “I’d never ever seen any fighter combine the speed and the explosive power that he does.”

The 78-year-old Arum, who’s been involved with boxing for more than 40 years, noted that while there a lot of hard-hitting fighters, Pacquiao does it differently.

“If you have the speed and the power that explodes it amounts to a stronger punch. That combination (speed and power) makes him doubly devastating.

Arum noted that Hatton was beaten because he couldn’t cope with the speed and power punching from Paccquiao, who delivered it in better angles.

Explosive power of Ali

He even compared Pacquiao’s explosive power to that of the great Muhammad Ali in his prime.

“While Ali has the speed, he doesn’t have the explosive power.”

Commenting on Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s return from retirement, Arum said the former pound-for-pound king shouldn’t be fighting Marquez at a catch weight of 143 lb.

Mayweather should fight Pacquiao, instead, he said.

“If he wants a piece of the little Filipino (Pacquiao), be my guest,” said Arum.

Meanwhile, Fernando Beltran, also of Top Rank bared that he had received an offer to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who’s fighting at 154 lb. With a report from Dennis Principe