DISAPPOINTING
MANILA, NOVEMBER 16, 2011 (MANILA TIMES) The only
good thing we can say about the outcome of Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao's boxing
match on Sunday is that it was a win. The "trilogy" match against Mexico's Juan
Miguel Marquez was supposed to end in a decisive victory for the Filipino
champion. Their first fight in 2004 ended in a draw, while the second in 2008
resulted in a split decision that also favored Pacquiao. And so on Sunday, he
was out to erase any doubts that he had won against Marquez in their previous
meeting. PacMan even enjoyed 10-to-1 odds heading into the fight. But many were
disappointed with the outcome.
Marquez refused to follow the proverbial script. He was supposed to be
outclassed by PacMan, and was even supposed to be sluggish after bulking up to
welterweight. He was supposed to kiss the canvass, like he did in the two
previous bouts with the PacMan. Only this time, he was supposed to stay down.
Instead, the Mexican frustrated Pacquiao in most of the 12 rounds. He
insists, as do some Filipinos and boxing experts, that he won. Similarly, others
believe that the result should have been a draw. Marquez and the others are
entitled to their opinion. But the opinions that counted the most on Sunday were
those of the three judges who gave the fight to Pacquiao on a majority decision.
We feel for Marquez, though. He proved to be better than expected. A few
Filipinos would probably side with him and echo the claim that he was robbed.
The Mexican clearly gave it his best. Unfortunately for him, that was not good
enough on Sunday.
We find ourselves eating our words, so to speak. In an earlier editorial, we
suggested that the fight with Marquez would be boring because it promised to be
one-sided for Pacquiao. After all, he has evolved as a fighter since the second
meeting with Marquez. We even suggested that unless a dream match against Floyd
Mayweather Jr. can be arranged, that Pacquaio might be better off retiring.
After all, Pacquiao has little left to prove—except maybe that he can sing in
tune.
To be clear, Pacquiao is not at fault. He fought hard, despite being thrown
off his groove. But the fact is that he did not score Sunday's fight. The judges
did.
Bigger challenge, redemption Still, Sunday's match should encourage Pacquiao
to reflect. He should now more seriously consider how he plays out the final
chapter of his stellar career.
Pacquiao's coach Freddie Roach—and others, probably including Marquez—favor
having a fourth rematch. We disagree. A better option for the Pacquiao camp
would be to look for an even bigger challenge than Marquez. Controversial or
not, Pacquiao won because on two occasions, the judges' scorecards said so. Time
to move on.
Every time he steps into a ring, Pacquiao is tempting disaster. Being on top
of the world means being the target of everybody else. But as the guy on top,
Pacquaio enjoys the luxury of making the next move. And if he would ask us, we
think that he has only person left to fight—Mayweather.
The best way for Pacquiao to redeem himself would be to fight Mayweather—and
to completely destroy him. He came out of retirement and fought Marquez in 2009
in a non-title match. Mayweather won by unanimous decision.
Since then, though, the boastful and loquacious Mayweather has been hiding
and ducking from a dream match with Pacquiao. The American has made all sorts of
wild accusations and flimsy excuses, but still, Pacquiao has addressed them all.
Time to shut up and fight.
The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight promises to be one for the history books, so to
speak. Millions of dollars will be at stake. For sure, the risks are also high
for Pacquiao. The undefeated Mayweather should prove to be a tougher challenge
than Marquez. But of course, Mayweather first has to first summon his courage.
Keeping grounded Ironically, Pacquiao's weak performance against Marquez may
embolden Mayweather. But who could blame him? Who would not be scared of
Pacquiao after seeing what he did to Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto and even
Oscar dela Joya? But on Sunday, Pacquiao clearly lacked the explosive moves and
quickness that characterized his fighting style.
Also, we hope that the near-loss to Marquez causes Pacquiao to simplify his
life. He has too many things going on—a political career that many of his
sycophants say may blossom into presidential ambitions, not to mention a
fledgling entertainment career. Plus, there are things that normally come with
success like his, such as product endorsements and a hedonistic lifestyle.
If the fight with Mayweather materializes, Pacquiao has to focus more. It
should be clear from the "trilogy" episode that training hard is not enough.
Marquez was meant to be a warm-up fight, a prelude to the main event against
Mayweather.
Barring that dream match, though, Pacquaio should consider retirement. As we
said, he has nothing else to prove. He holds eight championship belts in as many
weight divisions—a feat unmatched by others. He is the best pound-for-pound
fighter in the world today. And his place in boxing's Hall of Fame is all but
assured.
Unfortunately for Pacquiao last Sunday, all that success was like millstone
around his neck. People's expectations were too high. But Pacquiao should
appreciate the fact that the trouble with greatness is that other people expect
him to raise the bar even higher than before. And that could be a recipe for
disappointment.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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