PACQUIAO: A CHAMPION OF UNQUESTIONABLE ACHIEVEMENT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 10 Jan 2011
While we personally would have liked to see pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao fight Juan Manuel Marquez for a third time just to shut his mouth and that of Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya who continue to claim that despite four knockdowns in two fights Marquez still won, we have to put our own personal preferences aside for Manny.
To begin with we have to appreciate what Pacquiao has done for the sport of boxing and most especially for the Philippines and Filipinos. He has brought us untold joy and pride through his incredible achievements in the past few years and has, without a shadow of doubt, helped restore our country?s image in the boxing arenas of the world as well as recognition in the international community.
As the eminent lawyer and WBC founding secretary general Rudy Salud has stated, Pacquiao ranks alongside the late President Corazon Aquino and the first president of the UN General Assembly, Carlos P. Romulo as the three greatest Filipinos of our time by their defining lives and achievements.
Pacquiao has endeared himself to millions not just in his homeland but around the world and as Thai Prime Minister Abhisit said last year, Pacquiao is not just a hero of the Philippines he is a hero of Asia. In short, he was embraced by the entire continent as one of their own.
In the US he commands an unbelievable following from pure boxing aficionados to people who love sport in general and have warmed to his engaging manner. He has earned the distinction of being recognized as a crossover star. Every single sports magazine, internet boxing site, channels such as CNN and ESPN and the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America have seen him for his true worth ? a champion of unquestionable achievement besides being a man of remarkable faith and utter humility even in the face of his incredible achievements.
While all of us have our own thoughts on who he should fight we need to realize that a fighter like Manny who has sacrificed much and trained hard despite the demands on his time while serving as a congressman, has an inherent right to choose who his opponent should be. We must also remember that he had two hard fights against Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito and absorbed some painful blows from both men who were much bigger and heavier at fight time.
The accepted practice is for a fighter, most of all a champion, to take on a potentially easier opponent to give him a breathing spell. Whether Shane Mosley will be an easier opponent remains to be seen. Rick Staheli who was Manny?s trainer when he won the WBC flyweight title from Thai hero Chatchai Sasakul believes Mosley can be a difficult proposition in the early rounds as he did when he hurt Floyd Mayweather Jr in the third round of their fight but that Pacquiao should prevail in the end.
Mosley may well be the most technically proficient fighter to face Pacquiao and while he cannot surely match the speed and the movement of Manny, he is certainly faster than Margarito or Cotto and probably hits just as hard as evidenced when he hammered Margarito to win by a ninth round TKO after beating De La Hoya twice when ?The Golden Boy? was in his prime.
To be fair to Manny, he has achieved so much for himself as well as for us as Filipinos. He has always carried his country and people on his shoulders every time he enters the ring and looks up to the heavens for the grace of God in his endeavors. Maybe its time for us to give him a break and let him enjoy the privilege of earning some good money by fighting someone other than an opponent we all desire. With Floyd Mayweather Jr in no mood to fight Manny and more inclined to take on women, children and security guards and with no really viable and exciting opponent standing out, perhaps we should recognize Pacquiao?s right of choice and not only think of our own desires.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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