Stops South African Champ In Sixth Round: Manny back on top

LAS VEGAS - Manny Pacquiao kept his promise and stopped International Boxing Federation (IBF) superbantamweight champion Lehlo Ledwaba of South Africa at 0:59 of the sixth round – as he predicted – at the 17,000-seat MGM Grand Garden Arena here Saturday night (Sunday morning, Manila time).

It was a surprisingly easy win for Pacquiao who put the pressure on the highly-favored Ledwaba from the first bell. And it was by far his best showing as a pro.

Pacquiao never gave Ledwaba a chance to breathe. Displaying an air-tight defense he learned in 2 1/2 weeks of training under Freddie Roach in Los Angeles, Pacquiao blocked Ledwaba’s vaunted left jab with his arms and gloves. The South African had no clue as to how to penetrate Pacquiao’s defense.

Roach said Pacquiao’s speed and power overwhelmed the halpless Ledwaba, making the sixth defense of the title he won two years ago.

The three judges – Bill Graham, Jerry Roth, and Deborah Barnes – scored it a 50-44 shutout before referee Joe Cortez stepped in as Ledwaba lay prostrate on the canvas. Pacquiao floored Ledwaba once in the second round and twice in the sixth to end the South African’s reign in a resounding thud.

"No problem," said Pacquiao whose battlecry was "No Retreat, No Surrender, No Fear" before the bout. "Hindi niya ako nasaktan. Inaalay ko itong panalo sa ating mga kababayan, sa aking maybahay Jinkee at ang aming anak Jimuel."

Pacquiao called the rousing win "a dream come true." No Filipino had ever won a world title under the glitz of the Las Vegas lights.

"I never expected it to be this tough," said Ledwaba who suffered only his second loss. "I was surprised by the knockdown in the second round, it was a total shock. He came on really hard. He just caught me in the last round."

Pacquiao stalked the backpedaling Ledwaba from the start. He battered the South African with body shots then used vicious combinations to the head on the recoil. Ledwaba had no answer for Pacquiao’s aggressiveness. He lashed out with left jabs but Pacquaio picked them off easily.

Compubox released punch statistics after the bout and reported that Pacquiao landed 159 of 413 blows, compared to Ledwaba’s 79 of 184. The Filipino southpaw also connected on 113 of 241 power shots – Ledwaba, only 35 of 63.

Roach, who taught Pacquiao how to use his head and footspeed for defense, said he hasn’t seen a 122-pounder work and hit as hard. Roach confided that Pacquiao had to fight "almost a perfect fight" to beat Ledwaba, a clinical ring technician. Pacquiao did just that. He jabbed, moved side to side, dug into Ledwaba’s midsection, and blasted away at his head. Ledwaba just couldn’t take Pacquiao’s power.

Pacquiao’s win was reminiscent of another Filipino "brown bomber" who conquered the US and won the world flyweight title in New York in 1923. Pancho Villa knocked out Jimmy Wilde in the seventh round to become the first Filipino world champion ever. Pacquiao is just as powerful, flamboyant, and colorful as Villa.

Ring historian Bert Sugar, watching at ringside, said Pacquiao fought an excellent fight. "The other guy didn’t stand a chance," he added. "He’s flashy. My only advice is for him to cut his hair for his next fight. His hair was flying each time Ledwaba jabbed and it looked impressive to the judges."

Promoter Murad Muhammad, the power behind world lightheavyweight champion Roy Jones, told IBF President Hiawatha Knight that Pacquiao will reign proudly for a long time.