Pacquiao, his wife Jinkee and their entourage are already in New York for the awards dinner and BWAA president Jack Hiirsh told us that Pacquiao is reportedly “excited about the event.”
Hirsh noted that it is “extra special for him (Pacquiao) being both ‘Fighter of the Year’ and ‘Fighter of the Decade.”
The respected BWAA president informed us that it was 38 years ago , at the same hotel, the Roosevelt, that Frazier received his “Fighter of the Year” award from the BWAA for defeating Muhammad Ali.
Ali came out of forced retirement because of the draft issue and lost a unanimous decision over 15 rounds in a terrific battle at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971 in which Frazier dropped Ali with a tremendous left hook in the final round to retain his WBC and WBA heavyweight titles.
Ali won their rematch at the same venue to grab the North American Boxing Federation title over 12 rounds on January 20, 1974 and in a third fight Ali scored a sensational 14th round stoppage when over Frazier didn’t come out of the 15th round in the memorable “Thrilla in Manila” at the Araneta Coliseum, the “Mecca of Philippine sports and entertainment” on October 1, 1975.
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