Is Manny Pacquiao Boxing's Next Mike Tyson?


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Is Manny Pacquiao Boxing's Next Mike Tyson?

By Johnny Benz, DoghouseBoxing.com (Dec 16, 2008)

Manny Pacquiao may indeed be the next version of Mike Tyson... Tyson 3.0. I am not talking personality wise, because the two are so different. I am talking in terms of popularity. Also, you may note that I called Pacquiao the 3.0 version of Tyson and not 2.0. That's because Tyson version 2.0 was Oscar De La Hoya. Read on, and I will explain. (Remember, I am talking in terms of popularity)

There was a time when Tyson was loved by all. Long story short, Tyson went down hill quicker and more recklessly than the Jamaican Bobsled Team. We all know the stories that surround Tyson, and myself I don't consider him a disgrace or an embarrassment to the sport. It bugs me when I read writers refer to Tyson as a disgrace. I consider Tyson to be a beautiful human being. Certainly not perfect and certainly not the nicest person on the planet, but there are worse, way worse humans than Tyson. Put all the controversy aside and you'll note that long before Tyson began grabbing headlines for the wrong reasons.... he was grabbing them for all the right reasons. He was loved, admired, respected and feared (in a good way). He was a super hero. He was invincible. He could do no wrong because everything he did was so right. He brought so much interest to boxing and he was easily and hands down the most popular Athlete on the planet at the time. In his day, no other Athlete came close to his popularity.

Now Pacquiao is not the most popular Athlete in America today. That probably will never happen because he is not American born... but he is extremely popular nonetheless. And Boxing is very popular, so you can't rule out that sometime in the near future, Pacquiao could be the most popular athlete in America (across all sports platforms. Eg: NBA, NHL, Nascar etc.) Add to it his global appeal and it wouldn't be too far off to say that his popularity rivals, if not exceeds Tyson's popularity at his height of fame in many part of the globe.

With Tyson there were tell tale signs that he could blow a fuse or two and maybe even fall from grace. Pacquiao is not showcasing anything that makes me worry that tomorrow he could piss away his fame with a few bad moves. So I believe as long as Pacquiao remains focused and continues rolling his career in the right direction, then tomorrow will only bring him more fame and fortune.

It's not a far fetched idea. Fame wise on a global scale, Pacquiao could be the next Mike Tyson. May even exceed Tyson. It's a high bar set by a living legend... but I think Pacquiao has what it takes.

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