By Joaquin Henson
CANASTOTA – WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao isn’t eligible for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame because he remains active in the ring but five years after his retirement, there will be no doubt of his enshrinement.
Hall of Fame director Ed Brophy, however, wouldn’t guarantee his place in the revered honor roll – at least, not yet.
Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao
“At this stage of his career, Manny has certainly gained the respect and admiration of the boxing world,” said Brophy. “But I wouldn’t be able to guarantee anything. That’s not my call even if the consensus is he’s a shoo-in. A lot will depend on how Manny finishes his career. A fighter is eligible for induction only five years after his retirement. Then, a panel of experts and historians will vote on those to be inducted.”
Brophy said Filipino fighters have clearly stamped their class in the sport. The Hall has so far welcomed Asia’s first world champion Pancho Villa and former world junior lightweight titlist Gabriel (Flash) Elorde. A third Filipino in the Hall is promoter Lope (Papa) Sarreal, Sr. who is listed in the non-participants category.
Brophy’s brother Mike, a volunteer chairman of the media committee for the induction rites, said he’s looking forward to the day when Pacquiao is inducted. “I can see it happening,” he said. “Manny has done so much for the sport. He’s fought in a lot of outstanding fights but I think his biggest win was over Ricky Hatton. That guy Hatton was tough and a great fighter but Manny took him out with one shot in the second round. That was his defining moment.”
Of the 386 individuals enshrined, only eight are Asians – Villa, Elorde, Sarreal, Chang Jung Koo of South Korea, Khaosai Galaxy of Thailand, Masahiko (Fighting) Harada of Japan, promoter Akihiko Honda of Japan and writer Joe Koizumi of Japan.
Asked why former world middleweight champion Ceferino Garcia has not been inducted, Brophy said he would look into the records of the man widely known for introducing the bolo punch. The final decision will be made by the voting panel composed of members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and international ring historians.
Garcia, born in Biliran, was the first fighter to floor World War II hero Barney Ross and one of only six fighters to draw with the legendary Henry Armstrong. Ross, Armstrong and the man he dethroned as middleweight titleholder – Fred Apostoli – are in the Hall of Fame. Garcia, who retired in 1945 and died in 1981, was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame in 1977 and the California-based World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1981.
In the Hall of Fame’s museum, Pacquiao’s picture is framed on a wall honoring the greatest lightweight champions in history. The others in the wall with Pacquiao are Mando Ramos, Roberto Duran, Ike Williams, Harry Jaffra, Julio Cesar Chavez, Arturo Gatti, Greg Haugen and Pernell Whitaker. The picture is the only reference the Hall of Fame makes to Pacquiao.
During the Hall of Fame four-day induction ceremonies that ended last Friday, a white hoodie with a stitched patch reading “Pacquiao-De la Hoya 24/7” went on silent auction. Another item for auc
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