I’m a boxing legend who fought Floyd Mayweather but rival champ was the hardest hitter… I can still feel the punches

MANNY PACQUIAO fought an opponent so strong he could still feel the punches years later.

The Filipino icon had one of the most legendary careers in boxing history, winning titles in EIGHT divisions.

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Miguel Cotto was beaten by Manny Pacquiao in 2009[/caption]

And he fought fellow greats in Floyd Mayweather, Oscar de la Hoya and Juan Manuel Marquez.

But he revealed none punched harder than Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto the night they did battle in 2009.

Pacquiao told The Ring in 2015: “I can still feel some of those punches he threw at me. 

“Staying on the ropes is not the best place to be when you are fighting him. He’s also accurate. He’s incredible.” 

Pacquiao jumped up to welterweight to challenge the much larger Cotto and the pair put on a thriller in Las Vegas.

PacMan eventually forced the stoppage in the 12th and final round.

Cotto would continue fighting on and a year later lost to Mayweather on points.

He also went onto face Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez in 2015 before retiring in 2017.

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Pacquiao also lost to Mayweather in 2015 but did not hang up his gloves until 2021.

But he is linked with a return aged 45 with a rematch against Mayweather still touted over a decade from his points defeat.

Pacquiao announced the two will rematch this year under the RIZIN MMA promotion in Japan – but Mayweather has not responded to the claim.

Floyd Mayweather is linked with a rematch against Manny PacquiaoRex