ATHLETES’ marks established in their heydays will remain sources of inspiration, if not regular fare in almost every party held among sports buffs.
In boxing for example, you idolize the one that had the most knockouts—either scored by an active or inactive fighter. Surely, former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, the baddest in the beak-busting business, easily ranks as one of the best in this department.
There’s also the record for one scoring the longest winning streak for a retiring world champion. Rocky Marciano and Floyd Mayweather Jr. share that distinction. Both had each collected a sterling 49-0, win-loss mark when they retired as boxing world champion.
And who is the boxer with the most number of world boxing crowns nabbed thus far?
None other than our very own Manny Pacquiao, whose eight world titles in eight different weight divisions may yet remain unbroken in maybe the next 100 years or so. From a junior flyweight (barely a hundred pounds) to close to a middleweight (almost 150), Pacquiao had won his eight titles from 1998 to 2010. I think only someone from Jupiter or Mars could pass Pacquiao.
Of course, American swimmer Michael Phelps would now automatically come to mind when talk of sporting records crops up. The winner of a record 20 medals and more from four Olympiads in 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London ang 2016 Rio de Janeiro, Phelps’ Olympic career is highlighted by 18 gold medals.
Phelps’ spectacular achievement amounts to almost five gold medals each won from his four Olympic stints.
Woe to us, indeed. We have yet to win our very first gold medal since we started competing in the Olympic Games; was it in 1936?
And in the NBA (National Basketball Association) games, being watched very intently is Russell Westbrook’s aim to surpass the triple-double (TD) record set in a single season by Oscar “Big O” Robertson.
Westbrook, 28, has just scored his 38th—and 4th consecutive—TD of 57 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in leading the Thunder to a 114-106 overtime win over the Magic. Three more TDs and Westbrook will equal Big O’s 41.
With about several more games left in the season, that should be chicken feed. A bucket of beer, RTR?
