Manny Pacquiao was voted by the World Boxing Council (WBC) as its Fighter of the Decade (2001-2010), WBC’s long time chief Jose Sulaiman announced from the governing body’s headquarters in Mexico City.

Pacquiao beat out Oscar De La Hoya and a few other marquee names for the coveted award.

Although Pacquiao held numerous titles in other sanctioning bodies during the last 10 years, the 32-year old Filipino pound-for-pound king also won several championships under the WBC banner.

Pacquiao briefly held the WBC super-featherweight and lightweight titles and just recently annexed the super-welterweight title to his growing collection after also winning titles at flyweight (WBC), super-bantam (International Boxing Federation), feather (The Ring magazine), super-lightweight (International Boxing Organization) and welter (World Boxing Organization).

The WBC Fighter of the Decade award will only add more luster to Pacquiao’s already proud name, having been given the same accolade by the Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring magazine for the same feat.

Pacquiao is currently out of the country with his family and is slated to return to the ring on May 7 against Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

A huge favorite against Mosley, Pacquiao plans to embark on an eight-week training camp for what he has described as “a very tough fight” considering Mosley’s durability and vast experience.

Trainer Freddie Roach said he is willing to camp out in Baguio City once again for four weeks and spend the next four at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.

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