Manny Pacquiao: The sum of all men

March 10, 8:39 PMColumbus Boxing ExaminerSamuel Rossi

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Even the righteous thrives on bad intentions . . .

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In the build-up to his November meeting with Miguel Cotto, this writer illustrated the modern-day conquests of Manny Pacquiao as a form of art. Parallel to offerings made by the likes of Van Gogh and Rembrandt, I wrote that the Filipino's pugilistic palette made it so that "his sport is his art; the ring is his canvas; and his fists are the tools that allow him to create masterpieces at will."

However, Pacquiao's performance that night transcended the notion of the boxing ring as an artistic canvas, and in turn, gave birth to something of an even greater rarity: a fistic zeitgeist, if you will.

The fighter's dismantling of Cotto elevated him to a place far higher than that of any fellow champions in today's sport. It was nothing short of the final part of a brutal, yet eloquent, three-act play that saw the destruction of three former champions: Cotto, Ricky Hatton, and the long-celebrated Oscar De La Hoya. Throughout the course of his fight with Cotto, I couldn't help but see Pacquiao as an auteur with a seemingly complete control over the script he had been charged to carry out. It became apparent that Pacquiao's goal isn't simply to win, but rather, to fight in order to win - a trait that many contemporary greats seem to be missing.

It's unlikely that you will ever hear Pacquiao, or trainer Freddie Roach for that matter, ever make reference to "building up points," or "trying to win rounds." Despite his jovial and often-times boyish good-nature, it is clear that Manny Pacquiao fights with the worst of intentions. A man of faith and charity, the persona he puts forth in the ring looks likely to have been born in a batch of flames somewhere South of Heaven. Again, he is a fighter much more prone to all-out destruction than victory.

In many ways, it's possible that Pacquiao will meet some version of his match Saturday night when he climbs into the ring to take on Joshua Clottey. Like his opponent, Clottey appears a decent and righteous man who somehow manages to take on a dark transformation once the first bell sounds. What separates the two by miles upon miles is the same glory, fame, and legacy already enjoyed by Pacquiao, and which is still escaping Clottey.

Whatever the outcome of Saturday's contest may be, it is already assured that Pacquiao's legacy in boxing, if nothing else, will be that he showed the sport what a transcendent superstar is supposed to look like. In a sport that thrives on heroes and heroism, strength and destruction, brutality and eloquence, courage and fear, Manny Pacquiao has already solidified his standing.

Simply, he is the embodiment of all these things.

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(sam.rossi.1@gmail.com)

WBC Welterweight Championship: Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey
Examiner	Winner	For More...
Stephen Johnson Denver Boxing	Fans: Pacquiao Examiner: Clottey	Denver and the world says Pacquiao, I take Clottey in the upset
Michael Marley National Boxing	Pacquiao	'L' in Joshua Clottey's name stands for 'loser'
Joseph Bourelly Oakland Fight Sport	Pacquiao	How Pacquiao-Clottey will go down
Joseph Roche Providence Boxing	Pacquiao	Prizefight Primer: Pacquiao - Clottey
Scott Heritage Pittsburgh Fight Sports	Pacquiao	The Keystone State backs the Filipino phenom to stop Clottey
Charles Indriolo Cleveland Boxing	Pacquiao	One man's opinion: Mike M. of Cleveland provides some great boxing insight
Ronald Monestime NY Sports	Clottey	Bronx’s Clottey is one ghost Pac-Man will have difficulty gobbling
Colin Seymour SF Boxing	Pacquiao	Pacquiao will be too quick for Clottey but probably will have to settle for winning by decision
Brent Alderson Anaheim Boxing	Insiders: Pacquiao	Pacquiao-Clottey insider predictions part two
Bill Shimizu Detroit Boxing	Pacquiao	The Perfect Storm: Manny Pacquiao in 4
Colin Linneweber Boston Boxing	Pacquiao	Boston boxing fans should watch Pacquiao beat Clottey at the Sports Depot in Allston
Chris Robinson Las Vegas Boxing	Jerry Jones	Exclusive images, quotes, and predictions from final Pacquiao-Clottey press conference
Samuel Rossi Columbus Boxing	Pacquiao's legacy	Manny Pacquiao: The sum of all men
Vivek Wallace National Boxing	Pacquiao	Pacquiao vs Clottey: Official prediction