5 greatest moments of Manny Pacquiao's career

Manny Pacquiao officially retired from boxing Wednesday after an illustrious 26-year professional career.

The Filipino icon undoubtedly goes down as one of the greatest to step into the ring.

Pacquiao's ascension through various weight classes was unprecedented as he became the only eight-division champion in boxing history. Although "PacMan" stood only 5-foot-5, his hand speed and ability to connect from unorthodox angles overwhelmed opponents.

Here are five of the greatest moments of Pacquiao's career.

Pacquiao takes down Barrera

Pacquiao had already amassed 37 victories heading into his first bout against Marco Antonio Barrera in November 2003, but he was far from a household name. Most of his fights had taken place in the Philippines, while Barrera was arguably the top featherweight boxer and had plenty of experience fighting under the bright lights in the U.S.

It wasn't an ideal start for Pacquiao, as Barrera was credited with a knockdown early in Round 1 even though it appeared the former had slipped. But that would be the only bump in the road for Pacquiao as he put forth a dominating performance.

The southpaw consistently battered Barrera, landing 257 power punches at a 45% rate. Pacquiao knocked down the Mexican in the third round and had him on the ropes in the final seconds of the 11th before Barrera's trainer stopped the fight.

A star was born that night in San Antonio, and Barrera was the first of many notable Mexican boxers to fall short against Pacquiao.

Pacquiao begins rivalry with Marquez

Pacquiao challenged Juan Manuel Marquez for his WBA and IBF featherweight titles in May 2004 - less than six months after defeating Barrera. In contrast to his last fight, Pacquiao couldn't have scripted a better start.

Pacquiao knocked down Marquez with a straight left hand midway through Round 1 and followed it up with two more knockdowns less than a minute later. Marquez looked shellshocked as he walked back to his corner after the opening three minutes with a bloodied nose.

It seemed like a matter of time until Pacquiao prevailed, but Marquez regrouped after a slow start. The Mexican got himself back into the fight by counter-punching against Pacquiao's aggressive style, and his efforts earned him a draw.

Though neither fighter emerged victorious, their opposing styles sparked a new rivalry and set the stage for three more thrilling bouts.

Pacquiao knocks Hatton out cold

Pacquiao made a career jumping up to different weight classes to challenge championship fighters. Ricky Hatton was the IBO and The Ring light-welterweight belt holder in May 2009, and his lone professional loss at the time was to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Still, the Brit was considered an underdog, and it quickly became apparent why. Hatton came out overly aggressive, and Pacquiao capitalized, sending his counterpart to the canvas twice in the final minute of Round 1. The Filipino continued to tag Hatton in the following stanza before knocking him unconscious with a vicious left hook with under 10 seconds remaining in Round 2.

Pacquiao's powerful shot earned him The Ring magazine's "Knockout of the Year" award. He also joined Oscar De La Hoya as the only six-division world champions to that point in boxing history.

Pacquiao defies Father Time against Thurman

With seemingly nothing left to accomplish and only one stoppage victory since beating Miguel Cotto by TKO in 2009, many were calling for Pacquiao's retirement in July 2019. He was already a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, and taking on an undefeated Keith Thurman at the age of 40 hardly seemed like a good idea.

But "PacMan" silenced his critics with a strong performance through the first five rounds - including a knockdown in the opening stanza. Thurman rebounded as the fight progressed, but Pacquiao dug deep in the championship rounds. A key body shot from Pacquiao secured the 10th round on all three judges' scorecards and helped the lefty eke out a split-decision win.

Pacquiao's victory made him the oldest welterweight to win a major world title in boxing history. It also marked his fourth welterweight championship win, breaking a tie with Jack Britton and Emile Griffith for most all time.

Pacquiao sends De La Hoya into retirement

Though Pacquiao was widely considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in December 2008, some were skeptical of his chances against Oscar De La Hoya. Pacquiao was jumping up two weight divisions to fight "The Golden Boy" at welterweight, and there were concerns about his effectiveness nearly 20 pounds above his usual fighting weight.

De La Hoya also had a four-inch height advantage and a longer reach, but none of that mattered once the two stepped in the ring. Pacquiao continually landed combinations at a blazing pace and eventually wore down the older American. Pacquiao connected on 45 power punches in the seventh round - the most an opponent managed against De La Hoya in a single round. It was more of the same in the next stanza, as the smaller Pacquiao peppered a helpless De La Hoya on the ropes.

As De La Hoya sat dejectedly on his stool with a swollen left eye, his trainer had seen enough. The fight was called before the start of Round 9, and De La Hoya walked over to congratulate Pacquiao. Though there was no title up for grabs, the moment seemed to be a symbolic passing of the torch. Pacquiao was now a worldwide icon and would remain one of boxing's faces for years to come.