HATE HAS NO PLACE IN BOXING, MOST OF ALL FROM JOURNALISTS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 19 Sep 2008
We were requested by an esteemed friend to check out an Inquirer story about Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao having met promoter Bob Arum to discuss details of his fight with Oscar De La Hoya and then proceeding to the Wild Card Gym to train. Both these reported events didn?t actually happen because Pacquiao was feeling ill. We were informed about this both by Arum and Roach themselves.
Anyway, it seems our friend?s interest was in the reported comments of Boxing Confidential executive editor Ricardo Lois who was apparently convinced that De La Hoya would demolish Pacquiao in three rounds. Fair enough. Lois, like many others believe De La Hoya is too big and too strong for Manny just as there are esteemed men in boxing such as celebrated trainer Freddie Roach, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and WBC founding secretary general Rudy Salud who believe Manny will win. That?s fine too.
But what distressed if not angered us was the seeming hatred for Pacquiao which seethed in the brief portion we read in the Inquirer in which Lois claimed that the demolition of Pacquiao ?will make up for what we had to put up with Pacmaniacs over the years. It will be great seeing Oscar De La Hoya knock Manny out in three rounds.?
To put it bluntly that?s a cheap shot. How in the name of sanity if not fair comment can a boxing writer in the position of Lois draw satisfaction for the irrational and sometimes vicious and vulgar comments by Pacquiao fans by enjoying the demolition of Manny ? if it happens at all? And if that?s how much of a mismatch it will be why not assail ?The Golden Boy? for tarnishing his image and picking on a much smaller fighter just so he could earn millions and for claiming it won?t be an easy fight? Which is which?l
Is seeing Pacquiao demolished the kind of vindication an American boxing writer seeks? To see the world?s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter who has brought so much excitement to boxing and has to a large extent helped revive a sport that was in the pits, badly mauled?
The hate clearly surfaces when Lois says ?after Oscar hurts Manny with a left hook to the brain, you will see Pacquiao doing the crackhead dance . He might do the Zab Judah crackhead dance with some Thomas Hearns wobbly, wobbly. It will be great to see that.? Pathetic indeed.
Imagine enjoying the spectacle of seeing the world?s No.1 fighter and one of the most exciting and a certain Hall-of-Fame fighter suffer, merely to savor the sadistic joy of getting back at some of his idiotic supporters? We expected more class from an American boxing writer but then again, that may be too much to ask just as it is in expecting some foul-mouthed Pacquiao supporters to change their ways and bury their seeming hatred.
The sterling character of Pacquiao has often been seen when he leaves his fate in the hands of God and prays that neither he nor his opponent are hurt during a fight. That?s a fighter to be emulated not for evil to be wished upon.
Award-winning writer and former Golden Gloves champion Pedro Fernandez who tells it like it is, has often referred to the mindless Pacquiao fans and hits them with all he?s got but he has never shown any ill-will towards Pacquiao or wished that he be demolished and hurt with a left hook to the brain as Lois has so fervently wished.
For the record we ourselves have, in the past, been vilified by Pacquiao supporters but we never ever have ? and never will ? wish ill for Manny because the foul language and the idiotic behavior of some of his supporters is not his fault or even his responsibility.
To millions of Filipinos who respect, admire and love him, Manny Pacquiao is a national treasure and no matter what writers like Lois say that will never change, even if he is demolished by Oscar. And while we pray to God that Manny won?t get hurt we also pray with similar faith that De La Hoya also won?t get hurt. They are good for boxing and hate isn?t a facet of our being although anger may well be.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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