I’ve been hearing a lot of grumbling, not least from my own household, about how lionizing Manny Pacquiao over his conquest of Oscar De La Hoya reveals our weaknesses and delusions. The overwhelming majority has bought into a societal illusion that an achievement by a single Filipino, a pugilist at that, validates our worth as a people. The Pacquiao saga is nothing but a circus that distracts us from the very real problems plaguing the country. Very good points, but the reasons we exalt over Manny Pacquiao’s triumphs are just as legitimate. Read the rest of this entry »

For a few hours, at least.

The streets and malls, usually crowded on a weekend nearing Christmas, was eerily serene and devoid of the usual hordes. It was like Holy Week, but with even less people. Everyone was indoors or clustered around radios, waiting for The Fight to begin. The perfect time to shop, my wife and daughter thought, correctly, while I desperately looked around for a resto or sports bar to catch the action. I just followed the roar of the crowd, just in time to catch the last two rounds, with Pacquiao pummeling a hapless De La Hoya, who looked just about ready to buckle. He still had some fight left in him, but being the level-headed businessman that he is, saw no gain in prolonging the agony. He threw in the towel just before the start of the ninth round, to the delirious joy of the company at Friday’s, everyone high-fiving and toasting the masterful submission of the Golden Boy orchestrated by Manny Pacquiao and his team.

I was especially pleased, having predicted a late round (9-12) knockout for Pacquiao. I came pretty close since Oscar De La Hoya, his left eye nearly closed shut by Manny’s relentless right hooks, finished the eighth round but did not have the heart to go the distance. He had the good sense to quit though, and deserves credit for doing the right thing, which is being man enough to admit when you’re beat. Read the rest of this entry »

That’s according to Marco Antonio Barrera, twice vanquished foe of Manny Pacquiao. He considers the fight a disgrace and as a mere gimmick to line the pockets of both fighters to the tune of at least P100 million (to be divided 60/40 in De La Hoya’s favor). It’s one of the richest boxing purses in history.

Sour grapes ? Perhaps. Barrera recently bolted De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions due to money differences. But the cynics among us, and there are plenty, agree with him. Oscar is just too big, as I pointed out a few months ago. WBC president Jose Sulaiman pooh-poohed the whole affair:

What are they going to do? Stuff Manny with tamales and beans, and reduce Oscar in the steam bath to bring them together? It’s ridiculous. It’s absurd. It’s a fraud to the public. The only reason why the fight was made was money.

Sulaiman seems to have forgotten that Pacquiao isn’t Mexican and tamales and beans will likely just give him gas. But you get the picture. Read the rest of this entry »

Manny works out at the Wild Card gym.

The Golden Boy is predicting that he can knock out Manny Pacquiao in five rounds or less in their blockbuster fight on December 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Reacting to Pacquiao trainer Freddy Roach’s comments that Manny will put De La Hoya away by knockout in nine rounds, Oscar said:

We’ll catch him in five so we don’t go that far. I think whoever catches who first is going down.

De La Hoya was interviewed in his isolated training camp in in Big Bear, California where the high altitude is helping him build up his wind, critical in a drawn-out fight with a younger, aggressive fighter. In contrast, Pacquiao is at Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Gym, right in the heart of Hollywood. Not good, as Pacquiao is notoriously prone to distractions. With barely three weeks to go before fight day, he has to sustain his focus.

And while I’m rooting for Pacquiao, De La Hoya has a clear advantage over the smaller man, despite the age differential. Read the rest of this entry »

A lot of armchair boxing tacticians have been debating the question of who the better fighter is between Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and Oscar “Golden Boy” De La Hoya after word got out of their projected superfight on December 6. Today’s Inquirer headline screamed: $100-M fight: Pacquiao vs. De La Hoya.

The tale of the tape doesn’t say it all, and reveals only the more superficial aspects of this much-anticipated clash of titans.

De La Hoya

Ht. – 5’10.5”
Wt. – 150 lb.
Reach – 73”
Age – 35

Pacquiao

Ht. – 5’6.5”
Wt. – 135 lb.
Reach – 67”
Age – 29

Manny is clearly the underdog, as the size differential is dramatic. Aside from heft, ODLH has significantly longer reach. Manny may have an edge, age-wise, but that advantage is easily offset by Oscar’s wiliness and years of experience. It seems obvious that Pacman will be pummeled if he goes toe-to-toe against the Golden Boy. Read the rest of this entry »