EXCLUSIVE: MANNY PACQUIAO GETS “BELTED” IN NEW YORK!
BY TED LERNER
If you saw Manny Pacquiao’s complete destruction of Ricky Hatton, you might recall seeing Manny hoisting up the Ring Jr. Welterweight belt immediately after the fight. Actually, that actual belt belonged to Ricky Hatton who, at that moment, was just coming out of his comatose state, courtesy of Pacman’s devastating left hand. Look closely at the photo of that moment and you’ll see the belt even has Hatton’s name inscribed on the gold emblem.
In the media room immediately after the fight, Ring Magazine editor Nigel Collins had to convince Pacquiao that he needed the belt back so he could give it back to Hatton. No, Nigel wasn’t trying to pull a Jose Sulaiman on Pacquiao by reversing the outcome of the fight. It’s just that he wanted to give Hatton his property back. Hatton had lost the Ring title to Pacquiao, but he would still be able to keep the actual belt to show his grandkids one day that he was indeed at one time the Jr. Welterweight champion of the world. Pacquiao, the new undisputed king of the Jr. Welterweight division, would have to wait a few weeks for his belt to be made.
And here it is, proof that Manny has received his official Ring belt. This picture was sent to me by Nigel Collins the other day. It shows Nigel “belting” Pacquiao with his new Ring Belt, inside a hotel suite in New York City in June. Pacquiao was in the Big Apple to attend the Boxing Writers Association of America annual dinner, where he would receive the award for Boxer of the Year.
The Ring Belt is THE most prestigious belt in the sport of boxing and the hardest to win. Some of you may say I’m biased because I write for the Ring, but I’ve been around the sweet science long enough to know the difference between utter crap and the real deal. The alphabet organizations are full of crap. They have ruined the sport of boxing by creating endless amounts of bogus titles, charging outrageous sanctioning fees, and stripping fighters of their belts for no damn reason.
The Ring Magazine does none of this. There’s no fee charged to defend the Ring belt. There’s no shady deals done in back rooms to move fighters up the rankings. And the Ring does not strip fighters of its title. The Ring belt represents the clearest and best attempt to give fans an idea of who is the best bad ass in each weight class, without politics and money getting in the way.
Congratulations Nigel on another successful “belting.” And may there be many more.
About the Author: 
go Manny, that’s worth for you dude!!
That was not seen and talk about until this article,surely it was not meant to add insult to injury but the extreme excitement of the moment.Look at me apologizing for manny,just a fan a little bit embarassed,that’s all.But it is true , it’s enlightening and informative this article that i come to know how prestigious a ring belt carries with it.I congratulate everyone involve and for that matter Manny Pacquiao for making his fans proud and knowledgeable further .
The fight between Pacquiao-Hatton is so full of excitement even at the start the singing of the Philippines national anthem. I wrote this comment to give more impressions and understanding to all the people around the globe from the inside and outside the ring and even to the people watching Pacquiao fights. First, i’d like to suggest Manny’s entrance Tagalog song and the Philippine national anthem song will be accompanied with English versions that will be displayed in the big screen. This is to let the people understand what is the Filipino wordings in English. I think the people will know exactly and appreciate what was the singing all about. Hope this will happen by next Manny Pacquiaos fight. Thanks a lot. Pls send this to the attention of our hero ”Manny Pacman Pacquiao”.
I would like to inquire if Manny also has a ring belt being the pound for pound champion of ring magazine?
I’m with you on that, Ted. The Ring Belt is the real mccoy. Pac and the belt makes for a twosome, each complimenting the other.
Hi Ted,
Awfully pleased to learn anew of the usual hypocrisy of the alphabet groupings that’s been persistently bedeviling the fight game.
Terribly aghast on why they’re still around foisting their phoniness on the unsuspecting fans.
Keep up your fine crusade Senor Lerner and hope to have a drink with you one day when I drop by for a visit.
Chiz—Hermie
Congratulations Manny Pacquiao for winning boxing’s most prestigious Ring Belt as the new undisputed king of the Jr. Welterweight division!!!!
Hermie, great to hear from you. I seem to see a lot of photos of you with Pacman these days. Will you be managing his campaign for congress? I know you’ll be in the mix somehow. Hope to see you soon. –Ted
Eric,
there is no belt for the pound for pound king. It’s a mythical title, something that is merely decided by writers and editors who follow the sport. But…seeing as there are so many belts floating around out there, why don’t you just make one yourself and give it to Pacman. Who knows? You might end up starting your own sanctioning body and have people from all over the world sending you big cash to promote your belt. You could even do your own “beltings.” Hey, nothing is impossible in boxing! Regards–Ted L.