Seven-division world champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has been credited by Yahoo! Sports for his significant contributions to boxing. According to the list “Boxing’s most influential” done by Yahoo! Sports writer Kevin Iole, Pacquiao is the 25th most influential person in boxing.
Iole explained that the fighter-turned-congressman is “one of the elite active boxers whose passionate Asian following has helped make him an international superstar and fodder for non-traditional boxing media such as CNN, Time Magazine and GQ.”
Pacquiao was ranked higher than Floyd Mayweather, Jr., who was at No. 70.
Boxing legends Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis emerged on top of the list. Ali was No. 1 for his tremendous impact on the sport. His ability to promote an event and give one a reason to watch has been unmatched,” Iole wrote
Louis, who came in second to Ali, was cited for being a civil rights pioneer.
Aside from boxers, the Yahoo! Sports “most influential” list included promoters, managers, trainers, broadcasters, television executives, journalists, authors and politicians who have contributed to the sport.
Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank, Inc. CEO Bob Arum, was named the No. 4 most influential person in boxing. He was regarded as “one of, if not the, top promoters in boxing for nearly 50 years. Iole also noted that Arum was the first promoter to regularly utilize boxing on cable television with his “Top Rank Boxing” series on ESPN.
Two other promoters rounded up the Top 5 “most influential” list with Tex Rickard at No. 3 and Don King at No. 5.
With a report from Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
