Tough featherweight fighters make boxing industry proud.(Chicago Tribune)

Byline: Michael Hirsley

CHICAGO _ It was Manny Pacquaio's finest hour, fighting brilliantly in the biggest bout of his career. It was Marco Antonio Barrera's worst night in the ring, as Pacquaio beat him to the punch for most of 11 rounds Saturday night and knocked him down twice before Barrera's corner threw in the towel.

But both of these top featherweights, two of the toughest fighters in the current rankings, deserve a huge thank-you from boxing fans.

They did what is right for their sport by fighting each other instead of avoiding stiff competition while awaiting a title shot, something that boxing's three major sanctioning bodies are perfectly …