Who was the first eight-division world champion in the history of boxing?

Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao (born December 17, 1978) is a Filipino professional boxer and politician, currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines.

In boxing, an Octuple Champion is a boxer who has won major world titles in eight different weight classes. Manny Pacquiao is currently the only boxer to win twelve major world titles in eight different weight divisions. Pacquiao clinched the feat when he defeated Antonio Margarito via a unanimous decision to win the WBC super welterweight title on November 13, 2010, at the Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas, USA.

Nine of his world championships came from the "Big Four" World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Organization (WBO) sanctioning bodies and Three (3) were from The Ring (American Boxing Magazine).

He also won the prestigious and coveted lineal championship in five different weight divisions: flyweight, featherweight, super featherweight, light welterweight, and welterweight. In combat sports where champions are decided by a challenge, the lineal championship of a weight class is a world championship title held initially by an undisputed champion and subsequently by a fighter who defeats the reigning champion in a match at that weight class. In professional boxing, the lineal champion is informally called "the man who beat the man".