First off: We want to make it clear that it's not a real challenge.
Manny Pacquiao recently shared on Instagram a star-studded groufie featuring him and three other legendary prizefighters.
The Filipino boxing icon’s fearsome companions were former undisputed heavyweight champ Mike Tyson, MMA bad boy Conor McGregor, and Mr. Hands of Stone himself, Roberto Duran.
Knowing that his crew’s knockout know-how is off the charts, Pacman playfully issued a challenge to the other inhabitants of the fight world.
“Tag team in a street fight, anyone? I got my team,” the General Santos buzzsaw said.
If it’s a four-against-four fantasy street fight Manny wants, that’s exactly what he’ll get!
To placate the eight-division world champ’s combative cravings, we came up with our foursome that is just as accomplished and, more importantly, just as destructive as Pacquiao's group.
Important disclaimer: This is a street fight. Our selection is made up of brawlers and sluggers—the seek-and-destroy type. Slick guys like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Pernell Whitaker simply belong in a different conversation.
Without further ado, let’s get ready to rambooooooooooooooooooooool!
George Foreman
Big George is our heavyweight pick to match up against Tyson. During his prime in the early 70s, Foreman ran through everyone not named Muhammad Ali.
Using his devastating power, the 6-foot-4 behemoth incapacitated all-time greats such as Joe Frazier and Ken Norton to solidify his place at the top of the division. Using the same devastating power, he crushed Michael Moorer in 1994 to win the crown anew at a record age of 45 years old.
Undeniably, he and the so-called Baddest Man on the Planet make for one titanic clash.
ALSO READ: Legends only: Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson get inside the ring, ‘sparks’ fly
Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.
The GOAT of Mexican boxing would’ve been a perfect match for Duran had they slugged it out as 135 or 140-pounders—their best fighting weights back in the day.
Chavez was a ruthless body puncher and Panama’s finest was a vicious punching machine, a street collision between them would be brutal.
For real, though, it’s a pity they were born 11 years apart and never got a chance to duke it out on the squared circle.
Chavez: 107 wins (86 KOs), six losses, two draws
Duran: 103 wins (70 KOs), 16 losses
Clearly, these two love to fight. So, have them go at each other, using the power of imagination.
Ricardo Mayorga
McGregor is an MMA champ who throws punches from unusual angles. He uses that with top-notch precision and timing to annihilate his adversaries. Just ask Jose Aldo.
With that, we’re pitting him against the equally unorthodox El Matador. Most likely, the Nicaraguan brawler’s gameplan will be to throw tons of wild haymakers to offset McGregor’s grappling advantage. In 2003, Mayorga used the same approach to stop the highly regarded and more technically sound boxer Vernon Forrest for the WBC and WBA welterweight belts.
BTW, Mayorga and McGregor are master trash-talkers. They’d say stuff that would make battle rappers cover their ears. With that, the buildup might just be as entertaining as the actual fight itself.
Aaron Pryor
The man they called The Hawk was a dynamic fighter whose fists were made out of bricks. He ruled the light welterweight division in the 80s, knocking out challengers—including the amazing Alexis Arguello—at an astounding rate. Pryor’s record when he called it quits was 39 wins (35 KOs) with only one loss.
Pacquiao versus Pryor is practically a mirror match. They both got heavy hands, quick feet, and knocking out people comes naturally to them. Seeing them mix it up in a street fight is like watching a sped-up compact version of King Kong versus Godzilla.
ALSO READ: GUTS AND GLORY | Has Philippine boxing lost its luster in the post-Manny Pacquiao era?
Who do you think is winning this four-on-four no-holds-barred slugfest?
(PM)