“Anyone who says that Manny Pacquiao is the most dangerous, ferocious, and athletic fighter in the world has been sleeping under a rock…… and admittedly (perhaps until about a few months ago) we shared a bunk, because I was beginning to believe the hype too!!”
Disclaimer: Manny is a once in a lifetime talent whose gloves will one day be hanging alongside the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard & Lennox Lewis! But, with all that he’s achieved… 7 World Titles, classic fights with Marquez, the honor of finishing off the Goldenboy… an internationally supportive fan base, undeniable box-office drawing power, wealth beyond many generations… and perhaps most importantly respect and admiration from the people of the Phillipines… He is not, (and I repeat) HE IS NOT the best fighter in the world! That honor goes to a man who in my estimation is more dominant, more highly skilled, has faced more dangerous competition, has a more diverse professional skill-set… and no, his name isn’t Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The fighter I’m talking about is George “Rush” St. Pierre… and if you’re just waking up, I suggest you make you’re way from beneath that rock and pay attention… because this guy is by far the most exciting and talented fighter in the world… PERIOD.
I’m a boxing fan, and I’m not here to make the case that comparing UFC-apples to WBC-oranges is a fair draw. The two sports couldn’t be more different… and until the day that an athlete is able to successfully crossover from one sport into the other, while simultaneously holding titles in each (or at least top-10 divisional rankings), we’ll never know which competitive discipline deserves more noise. But even boxing fans can appreciate a guy like St. Pierre who arguably has trigger quickness and technique that would make him a prospect for HBO’s “Boxing After Dark”, combined with conditioning that is on par with Lance Armstrong & Michael Phelps… Olympic wrestling ability, and a will-to-win like Tiger on Sunday.
Don’t believe me?… Check his stats! He’s done nothing but beat the best in his weight class, and manages to improve physically with each fight. He’s not fighting a drained De la Hoya, Ricky Hatton (who was never the same after Mayweather exposed his lack of defense), a mentally beaten Miguel Cotto who was still suffering from the effects of being MUGGED by Margarito’s stone-wrapped hands, and “the replacement” Josh Clottey. Instead, “Rush” has been in with Hall-of-Famers Matt Hughes (whom he forced to verbally scream “Tap!” from an arm bar) and BJ Penn (who was being dominated and expired from his corner stool), guys that you’ve probably heard of even if you don’t follow the game. He’s cleaned them all, and surprisingly he keeps improving.
So yeah, I’m still a boxing loyalist and to date I have not chosen a UFC LIVE event over an HBO Pay-Per-View… But I dusted my pride off along with the debris from these rocks I’ve been under, and can admit that there’s a few guys who comes close to measuring GSP as the greatest fighter in the world…….. and by the way, one of those guys is in the UFC too!!
…his friends call him the ‘Spider’.
… Google ‘em.
TJ Breeden
www.iblmedia.com
