LEGACIES
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 04 May 2015
Manny Pacquiao came to fight, Floyd Mayweather wanted to box.
The boxer won.
Let?s accept that and move on. Pacquiao remains a beloved figure in the Philippines and an inspiration to the impoverished masses.
I bought the PPV here in the Philippines for my dad. He turned 82 early this year. I grew up watching fights on TV with him and my late grandfather. My father's eyesight is failing but I wanted him to see one last superfight.
When he was still a student, my dad would watch black and white fight films from the U.S. which were an added attraction in the movie houses of Cebu. He watched hard men like Rocky Marciano and Carmen Basilio and marveled at their ability to take punishment and come back for more.
Mayweather-Pacquiao was not up to my dad?s standards. He didn?t say it, but I could tell by his facial expression as the fight progressed that he wished he was back in the 1950?s.
That time is long past and they don?t make welterweights like Basilio anymore.
After the fight, Pacquiao revealed that he had a shoulder injury during training. He will take a much needed rest and most probably seek a second medical opinion.
?Shoulder-Gate? will obviously be a hot topic in the weeks to come.
There were also a lot of negative comments about the scoreline. But in past fights, Pacquiao has shown that he is a good sport even when he is on the losing end. That would be a good example to follow.
And besides, Mayweather will make us wait five more years before signing on for a rematch.
Days before the fight, I cringed when Mayweather said that he was greater than Muhammad Ali.
Ali spoke for African-Americans, Mayweather speaks for himself.
Mayweather created an image that would make him more money, so he shouldn?t feel so bad about the boos from the fans and the negative press. In the era of social media, he will be receiving potshots from anyone with a laptop or i-Phone.
Lest we forget, in 2011, a Las Vegas judge sentenced Mayweather to 90 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to a reduced battery domestic violence charge and no contest to two harassment charges. He was set free after serving two months.
This is not to say that I don?t respect Mayweather?s skills. Less than two weeks before the fight, I was interviewed on Y101FM radio by my good friend and ring announcer John Magat for my thoughts and predictions about the fight. I said that Pacquiao scoring a knockout was a ?necessity? because I don?t see him winning more rounds than Mayweather. That turned out to be the case.
Mayweather is also on the verge of surpassing Rocky Marciano?s 49-0 record.
Even if he does, I doubt if he will receive the same adulation that the fans bestowed on Marciano.
Pacquiao will be remembered as the crown jewel of the Golden Age of Philippine boxing. His presence alone has lifted local boxing to greater heights. But he can do more. Many Filipino boxers continue to be exploited here and abroad. As a congressman, he can help these boxers through legislation.
Pacquiao?s influence in local boxing will continue even in retirement. There are millions of Filipino kids who want to be like Manny. We owe it to them to make boxing better in terms of safety and professionalism of the officials. Filipino sports fans know that the various sporting disciplines that are kept afloat in our country are due to the efforts of private individuals and not the government. We can do better.
And as far as Mayweather is concerned, Pacquiao can always hold his head high and say, ?You won but you didn?t beat me.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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