Peñalosa, Tolentino place Pacquiao among boxing all-time greats

Manny Pacquiao will sit alongside the biggest and greatest names in boxing history now that he is officially retired, said veteran boxing analyst Ed Tolentino and former two-division champion Gerry Peñalosa.

Pacquiao, 42, announced his retirement on social media on Wednesday with a 14-minute video. He is the lone prizefighter in boxing history to win world titles across eight divisions, retiring with a record of 62-8-2 with 39 knockouts.

"He is the greatest Asian fighter of all time and the greatest Filipino fighter of all time. He is in my top 5 list of my greatest fighters of all time," Tolentino said.

"He is a once-in-a-lifetime fighter. We cannot deny his greatness. He was not just into greatness; he was into becoming an immortal in boxing. Skill-wise he was at par with the best fighters of all time," he added.

Retired two-division champion Peñalosa, who has a tight-knit relationship with Pacquiao, said that the fighting senator is leaving behind a legacy not just for himself but also for the nation.

"Manny Pacquiao is a role model not just to boxers. From rags to riches, he is like a Cinderella story. I cannot imagine that the man I slept with inside the ring before was listed on Forbes. It is like a dream," he said.

Peñalosa said Pacquiao had nothing left to prove after achieving all there is to achieve in the sport.

"I will always remember how he united the Filipino people each time he fought. He opened the door to the sport of boxing for Filipinos. It is hard to find a Manny Pacquiao, but now it is not impossible. He is the greatest of all time," he said.

—MGP, GMA News