Im not saying he came out of nowhere. Im simply saying he wasn't a great fighter when he started. There was no it factor to pac-man when he started boxing. People was hearing about floyd before he even made his boxing debut.
Because floyd had a great amateur career while pacquiao became pro at the age of 16 years old, man. Massive difference. Pac didn't have the luxury of fighting in the amateurs for many years like floyd did because Pac was poor and needed to eat.
You know who else didn't have the luxury of having a long amateur career? Bernard Hopkins. He was serving 5 years in prison from 17 to about 22 or so. No one knew about him besides the hardcores until he was in well into his 30's when he beat Trinidad.
Who else? Sergio Martinez. Who the fuck was sergio martinez 10 years ago? Who the hell was Martinez 5 years ago? He didn't have an amateur career, and he didn't blow up in the boxing world until he was 34-35 years old. Now he's pound 4 pound #3 in the world at the age of 36. He most certainly is an elite boxer when 10 years ago he was a bum.
Pac wasn't "elite" 10 years ago, nor were bernard hopkins or martinez in their careers at that time until later. But comparing the three Pacquiao was more accomplished then both of them.