Manny Pacquiao reflected on the sedate punching skills of one of his former rivals.

Pacquiao has faced every challenge throughout his long professional career, which began in 1995 as a 16-year-old. continues to this day.

His first appearance was at delicate flyweight, but the Filipino icon competed all the way up to super welterweight on his way to an eight-division world title, meaning he has shared the ring with several hefty hitters over the years.

That list includes celebrated heavyweights like Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, Brandon Rios and Lucas Matthysse, while Pacquiao has also faced legends of the sport like Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya and Juan Manuel Marquez.

It was Marquez who arguably landed the biggest shot in Pacquiao’s history when he knocked out his rival in 2012, but neither Marquez nor any of the previously mentioned names come to mind for “Pac Man” when discussing the biggest punch he’s ever faced.

Instead, Pacquiao said Ring that four-time world champion Miguel Cotto receives this honor.

“I can still feel some of the punches he threw at me. Holding on to the ropes isn’t the best place to be when you’re fighting him. He’s also correct. He’s amazing.”

Pacquiao defeated Cotto by 12th round TKO to win the WBO welterweight title in November 2009 but the fight will be fondly remembered as one of the best of the year, with non-stop action from start to finish.

Cotto won world titles ranging from super lightweight to middleweight throughout his career, finishing with a record of 41 wins and six losses, 33 of which were by knockout, showing the great strength Pacquiao spoke of.

Brad Pauls and Denzel Bentley have no lack of respect, even though they both know a middleweight rematch is becoming more and more likely.

The two fought for Pauls’ UK title and the vacant European belt in December 2024, with the challenger winning a unanimous decision in the competition.

Since then, both have reported significant downtime, including: Bentley defeats Endry Saavedra in the seventh round for the WBO “interim” title in April, and Pauls defeated Shakiel Thompson with a stunning ninth-round punch in March.

Before his victory, Pauls sparred with his former opponent, and even before their next appearance, the two went on multiple rounds.

However, with both signed to Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, it may be a matter of time before they meet again in the radiant lights.

In an interview with Boxing News, Pauls reveals that he and Bentley have already discussed the possibility.

“I really like Denzel, he’s a nice guy, but we both kept saying that if we keep winning, [Queensberry are] will make us fight again. It makes sense, especially if I win the world title. We would have to stop sparring, but we will most likely fight again.

With Bentley in line for a possible world title shot, Pauls had to employ his 12th place in the IBF rankings to secure a unification match.

A more likely path, however, would be to fight for the WBO title outright, given Pauls’ No. 4 ranking in the sanctioning body and the possibility of Bentley being promoted to full champion; otherwise, the Londoner will have to beat Janibek Alimkhanuly when the Uzbek returns from a one-year suspension for doping.

Either way, Pauls appears to be getting closer to his substantial break after his huge win over Thompson.

After losing on the judges’ scorecards, ‘The Newquay Bomb’ took a risk in the ninth round and suddenly managed to swing the result in his favor.

Reflecting on his performance, Pauls believes that the overall experience made a significant difference.

“You have to add 10 or 15%. I always come back to [Tyler] The Denny fight – my first fight on TV – and it really unsettled me.

“But since then everything seems familiar – the substantial events, the cameras, the huge halls. In the overdue rounds against Shakiel, you employ that experience to survive.

“A member of my corner team, Ellis [Steward]he said, “I’d rather you get knocked out trying to knock him out than just play it protected and lose points.” And I said, “I have two rounds left – I have to start taking risks.”

Indeed, the gamble paid off when Pauls caused quite an upset and secured his place on the undercard of the Ryan Garner vs. Michael Magnesi match this Saturday at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton.

The 33-year-old will be up against tricky midfielder Bradley Goldsmith, who has just beaten another left-winger in Thompson.

If victorious, Pauls could find himself in another domestic clash later this year, potentially against Sam Gilley, who made a clinical stoppage in the fifth round to defeat Aston Brown.

“There were about eight names in the hat. [Gilley] is one of the first names, but I think my management team would prefer to do it at the end of the year when it could turn into a bigger argument.

“But Queensberry said, ‘It’s not going to be an basic fight,’ and that’s how I ended up with Bradley Goldsmith.”

Whether he faces Gilley, Bentley or a completely different fighter, Pauls’ ultimate goal is to headline a television show in the southwest of England.

Logistically, the closest to Newquay, his hometown, is Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park stadium, where he hopes to eventually challenge for world titles.

“We could do it at Plymouth Argyle [Home Park Stadium]. There are a few more warriors coming from the southwest [British welterweight champion] Konstantyn Niedźwiedź.

“It would be a dream to bring substantial boxing to the Southwest.”

For Pauls to fulfill this dream, he must first take care of the Dominic Ingle-trained Goldsmith.

I still want @ErrolSpenceJr the best in his upcoming fight. I see what you’re trying to do, but it won’t work, not this time.

— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) June 19, 2026

The post comes after renewed discussion about Spence’s physical condition ahead of their July 2023 undisputed welterweight championship clash. Spence revealed that he dealt with injuries, restricted sparring and other issues during camp, while maintaining that he was not making excuses for the loss.

Many fans pointed to concerns that existed even before the Crawford fight. Spence was involved in a sedate car accident in 2019 and underwent eye surgery.

Debate about Spence’s condition raged ahead of the Crawford fight, with some pointing to his bouts with Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas.

Others note that Spence appeared noticeably bigger between fights in the years leading up to the Crawford fight, which fueled questions about weight management and the consequences of repeatedly gaining 147 pounds.

Crawford’s supporters say these concerns ignore what happened on fight night. Crawford dropped Spence three times and stopped him in the ninth round, putting on one of the most dominant performances ever seen in a welterweight championship main event.

The debate continues, partly because Crawford’s subsequent appearances have not received the same acclaim. His victory over Israil Madrimov in the junior middleweight division was competitive, and his victory over Canelo Alvarez was met with criticism from some fans who expected a more aggressive performance.

Instead of delivering the offensive display many fans expected, Crawford delivered a disciplined, tactical performance built on striking, movement and defensive awareness.

For many boxing fans, it is no longer a question of whether Crawford deserved the victory over Spence. The argument centers on whether the version of Spence he defeated is still at the same level as the fighter who unified the titles and established himself as one of the sport’s elite welterweights.

With Spence’s match against Tim Tszyu scheduled for July 25 in Sydney, Australia, Crawford’s message suggests he has no interest in revisiting ancient debates and doesn’t want his greatest victory reinterpreted through the prism of Spence’s recent comments.