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Source: gmanews.tv

-- Manny Pacquiao’s 12-round stoppage of Miguel Cotto for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight championship ranks up there among the fights he considers as the most significant in his boxing career.

Pressed to name his top five bouts of all-time in the aftermath of another momentous victory, Pacquiao put his win over the bigger and stronger Puerto Rican at no. 3.

His celebrated beating of ring great Oscar De La Hoya, for a long time considered the biggest draw in the sport of prizefighting, remains as his top pick in the list.

“De La Hoya pa rin," said the boxing icon from General Santos City prior to departing for the country Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).

Ranked second by Pacquiao is his brutal demolition of two-time junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton last May. The vicious second round knockout suffered by the Briton, courtesy of a perfectly set left hand by Pacquiao, is considered by ring experts as the most devastating one-punch knockout win in boxing history.

Pacquiao’s domination of Marco Antonio Barrera in their first meeting six years ago comes next after Cotto.

Then regarded among the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter, Barrera proved no match against the Filipino, who overwhelmed Barrera with his noted quickness and fast hands. The 11th round TKO of Barrera is where Pacquiao’s legend began to grow.

The memorable trilogy with Erik Morales, specifically their second and third meetings, respectively, wrap up Pacquiao’s all-time favorite list.

The 30-year-old boxing champion avenged the unanimous decision he suffered to the Mexican in their first encounter by scoring an 11th round TKO in an action-packed rematch in January of 2006. Ten months later, Pacquiao overpowered an obviously dehydrated Morales in the final chapter of their trilogy, which ended in a third round stoppage.

“Dumadami ng dumadami, ah," said Pacquiao of his growing list of choices, prompting him to suggest that the next time he’s asked of the same question, he’ll voluntarily beg that it be changed to his top 10 favorite wins of all-time.