05/12/2025
Manny Pacquiao Creates History, Becomes Only The Second Boxer Ever To Hold All Three Honorary Legacy Titles
Boxing has seen legends rise and fall, but very few have collected the sport’s highest honorary legacy recognitions across different eras. This week, Manny Pacquiao added another milestone to his already unmatched career after being officially awarded the Centennial Champion recognition by the World Boxing Association (WBA). With this, he becomes only the second boxer in history to earn the full trio of honorary legacy titles, Fighter of the Year, Fighter of the Decade, and now Fighter of the Century.
For those who love boxing history, here is what makes this achievement so rare.
Fighter of the Year
Pacquiao collected this award multiple times during the wild run of his prime years. The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 2006, 2008 and 2009. The Boxing Writers Association of America also honoured him as Fighter of the Year in 2009 after a dominant season where he defeated elite opponents. The WBC awarded him their own Fighter of the Year recognition during his peak run as well. These honours marked the years when Pacquiao tore through divisions and beat top names across several weight classes.
Fighter of the Decade
Pacquiao was named Fighter of the Decade for the two thousands by the Boxing Writers Association of America. The award reflected ten years of dominance, championship wins across multiple divisions, and the massive global impact he brought to the sport.
Fighter of the Century
The newest and most historic addition to his legacy. Pacquiao was earlier recognised by the WBA as its Centennial Champion in 2021, a special honour created to mark the association’s 100 year celebration and to recognise an all time great. That WBA recognition is part of the legacy trio often cited by historians and fans.
Separately, recent headlines have also noted a WBC centurion style honour being presented in late 2025. Because multiple organisations have used century level language in recent coverage, some articles conflated the issuing body. The clear, verifiable fact is that Pacquiao holds the WBA Centennial Champion recognition from 2021 and that century level honours have been referenced by more than one body in coverage since then. The honour recognises his record breaking achievements, his eight division world championships, his four decade championship span, and the global influence of his career. It is one of the strongest legacy validations he has ever received.
Only One Boxer Achieved This Before Pacquiao
The only fighter to previously hold all three honorary legacy titles was Sugar Ray Robinson. Long regarded as the greatest all round boxer the sport has ever produced, Robinson was awarded:
Fighter of the Year in 1942 and 1951 by The Ring magazine
Fighter of the Decade for the nineteen forties based on historical review and Ring magazine retrospective recognition
Fighter of the Century for the twentieth century by the Associated Press after an expert panel vote in 1999
Robinson set the standard for boxing greatness. Pacquiao now joins him in a category shared by only two men, both standing at the very top of boxing history.
A Legacy Sealed
From a hungry kid in General Santos City to global icon, Manny Pacquiao continues to collect achievements that no one expected when he entered the ring as a minimum weight teenager. These three honorary legacy recognitions are not just awards, they are historical markers that now place him beside only one man, Sugar Ray Robinson, in boxing’s rarest club.
