Throughout the annals of boxing there have been many great fighters who have moved up the weight divisions and won world titles at more than one weight.

Boxing history is studded with these ring legends who have won belts at two, three, even four weight classes. In modern times, names like Arguello, Benitez, Duran, Leonard, Hearns and Toney spring to mind as boxers who have claimed world titles in three or more weight classes. Their achievements are all phenomenal in their own right.

But never has a fighter moved up several weights and taken his punch with him, even augmented his punch-power in successive divisions.

Until now. Manny ´Pac-man` Pacquiao is the exception to that rule.

In the last 10 years, the Filipino superstar has ascended from flyweight to welterweight, passing through almost every weight class in between and retained his concussive punching power. Pacquiao has won WBC, WBA and IBFand WBO versions of world titles in six weight classes and been a devastating puncher every time. Indeed, if his last three results are anything to go by, beating up cement chinned Oscar De La Hoya for seven rounds at welterweight, blowing away the bull-like, once beaten Ricky Hatton in just two rounds at junior-welter, and now, stopping the super-tough, unbelievably brave Miguel Cotto in the twelth round to win the WBO welterweight crown in Las Vegas on Saturday night, he is in fact punching harder than ever.

Compare Pacquiao´s record to that of another ring legend who climbed the divisions, winning world titles in four weight classes, the immortal Roberto Duran.

As a lightweight, Duran hit so hard he was nicknamed ''Manos de Piedra'' or Hands of Stone. He defended his lightweight 12 times, and kayoed eleven challengers. When he made the decision to jump to welterweight, where he won the WBC crown from Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980, and later beating Davey Moore for his WBA light-middleweight crown and ultimately, when Duran was pushing 38 years old, decisioning Iran Barkley for the WBC middleweight title, Roberto was no where near as effective as a puncher. Aside from stopping Davey Moore and a fading Pipino Cuevas in a fight prior to that, Duran never knocked out another quality fighter after he abandoned the lightweight division. 

James Toney burst onto the scene in 1991 when he KO´d Michael Nunn to win the IBF middleweight title. As a middleweight Toney was regarded as a powerful puncher. But as his waste grew wider and he climbed the divisions, eventually all the way up to heavyweight, Toney's punch remained nothing more than that of a good middleweight. He relied more and more on his uncanny ability to roll out of harms way and box for his ring success.
Pound for pound, Thomas Hearns is arguably the hardest puncher in boxing history. He hit ridiculously hard as a welterweight, and that power stood him in good stead as he took his 6'2'' frame up the divisions. Even at middleweight Hearns was still an effective puncher, but at light heavyweight where he twice won versions of the title, he had to concentrate on his underrated but excellent boxing skills to get his victories instead of his once vaunted power.
Toward the end of his career Oscar De La Hoya was still an effective puncher at light-middleweight, stopping Fernando Vargas, Yori Boy Campas and Ricardo Mayorga. De La Hoya was a good puncher at welter, but at light-welter, De la Hoya´s power power was truly devastating. Julio Ceasar Chavez may be that divisions greatest fighter, but De La Hoya was by far its hardest puncher.

Astonishingly, just last year Manny Pacquiao struggled to a majority decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez in a WBC junior-lightweight defense. Now, freed from the tortures of making 130 lbs, he is a man reborn.

On Saturday night in LasVegas, Pacquiao was the heavier, faster puncher. Cotto had no answer to Pacquiao´s power. For someone who began his career weighing just 106 lbs, that is one heck of an achievement.