Manny Pacquiao was brutally knocked out in a monumental upset against a boxer who’d lost almost half his fights.
In his esteemed career, ‘PacMan’ established himself as one of the greatest to have ever laced-up the gloves, utilizing his sublime skills to win world titles in eight weight divisions.
Oscar De La Hoya says Pacquiao is greater than Floyd Mayweather, and BoxRec ranks the brawler as the number one Asian fighter the sport has ever seen.
However, before the warrior compiled his incredible record, he suffered a heartbreaking defeat, at just 17 years of age.
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Manny Pacquiao lost to Rustico Torrecampo in a big upset
On February 9, 1996, at Metro Manila in Mandaluyong City, Philippines, Manny Pacquiao went to war with Rustico Torrecampo, in a bout he was expected to win with ease.
The boxing prospect, who was 11-0 at the time, was catching the attention of fans around the world with his thunderous power and mesmeric movement.
Therefore, his bout against a fighter with an 11-4-5 record, was seen as nothing more than a mere stepping stone en route to bigger things.
However, it turned out to be anything but.
After missing weight, Pacquiao knew he had a point to prove, and he came out of the corner intent on doing so.
But while his jab looked snappy from the off, his opponent quickly took him by surprise, bullying him into the ropes and landing big shots.
As the round rolled on, chaos unfolded with the pair exchanging vicious blows, which allowed Pacquiao to showcase his breathtaking footwork, moving around the target to land from an array of different angles.
In the second segment, despite being on the receiving end of numerous left hands, Torrecampo continued marching forward, taking big shots for his trouble.
But while clearly hurt from some of the bombs detonated on his face, the brawler was beginning to wear his rival down.
In the third round, Torrecampo connected with a thunderous left hand right on the chin that dropped Pacquiao heavily and prompted the referee to call a halt to the action.
Floyd Mayweather shouldn’t take any credit for beating Manny Pacquiao for one reason
After his first loss, Pacquiao rebounded, winning numerous super fights.
Alas, he lost the biggest contest of his career against Floyd Mayweather.
That night, ‘Money’ was nothing short of sensational, cruising to victory against his arch-nemesis.
However, one legend says Mayweather shouldn’t take credit for beating Pacquiao.