MANNY PACQUIAO SURVIVES 'CONSPIRACY'; WINS THE RING MAGAZINE'S BEST P4P
By Manny Piñol
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 16 Mar 2011
It's not that losing out to Sergio Martinez in the joust for the Best Boxer Pound For Pound Mythical Crown would really diminish the brightness of Manny Pacquiao's stellar boxing career or reduce his paycheck in his future fights, but I have to admit that as a boxing fan who understands the meaning of these honors, I was sitting on pins and needles going into the final moment of Ring Magazine's announcement of Boxing's Best.
For a while, I had the strange feeling and strong suspicion that there was a deliberate attempt, a conspiracy even, to unseat the 8 division boxing champion and enthrone an overly hyped Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez of Argentina.
Well, now I can heave a sigh of relief.
The prestigious Ring Magazine has named Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao as its Best Boxer Pound For Pound again. It is a choice that speaks well of the editorial independence of this respected magazine whose objectivity has been under a cloud of doubt recently because of the fact that it is owned by Oscar dela Hoya, who everybody knows has his own boxers under the Golden Boy Promotions.
Ring Magazine editor Nigel Collins, who deeply understands and loves boxing, and the panel of judges who choose boxing's best per division and the Best of the Best every year, by coming up with a popular decision on the P4P choice, has kept the faith of fans like me in boxing and has maintained sanity and reason in a sport badly affected and afflicted by crass commercialism.
As of a few hours ago, The Ring Magazine came out with its official list of the Best Pound For Pound with Manny Pacquiao still on top followed by Floyd Mayweather at No. 2, Sergio Martinez at No. 3 and Fil-Am Nonito Donaire at No. 4. http://ringtv.craveonline.com. ratings
The pre-selection moments were so suspenseful as a deluge, call it a media tsunami, of overly positive raves and reviews were heaped on Martinez leaving me, and undoubtedly many Filipino boxing fans, with the suspicion that there was a conspiracy to dislodge Pacquiao from the top.
Consider this portion of an article written by Keith Idec of NorthJersey.com suggesting that Martinez should be P4P Best over Pacquiao: "Though still impressive due to his usual size disadvantage, Pacquiao pummeled mostly older, slower opponents during his rise to fame and fortune."
I would have no beef with that if it was expressed as an opinion. Every writer anyway is entitled to his views and opinion. But this statement is a travesty of the truth and an assault on facts.
With the exception of Oscar dela Hoya and Juan Manuel Marquez who were both 35 going into the fight with Pacquiao, all of the Filipino boxing icon's opponents were younger than Serhiy Dzinziruk who was 35 when he was demolished by Martinez last week or Alex Bunema who was 36 and a complete unknown when he fought the Argentinian champion.
Besides, when you are 36 years old like Martinez, considered a Granddaddy age in boxing, all of your opponents will be expectedly younger. Unless Martinez takes the courage to challenge Great Granddaddy Bernard Hopkins.
Slower opponents?
Look at the list of Pacquiao's last 10 opponents starting from the latest: Antonio Margarito, 32 years old (38 wins, 6 losses); Joshua Clottey, 33 (35-3); Miguel Cotto, 30 (34-1); Ricky Hatton, 31 (45-1); Oscar dela Hoya, 35 (39-5); David Diaz, 31 (34-1-1); Juan Manuel Marquez, 35 (48-3-1); Marco Antonio Barrera, 33 (63-5); Jorge Solis, 27 (33-0) and Erik Morales, 29 (48-4).
Compare that to Martinez's last 10 opponents: Serhiy Dzinziruk, 35 (37 wins, 0 loss); Paul Williams, 29 (39-1); Kelly Pavlik, 28 (37-1); Kermit Cintron, 31 (30-2); Alex Bunema, 36 (30-5-2); Archak Termeliksetian, 33 (16-6); David Torivio, 31 (14-10); Russel Jordan, 28 (14-4); Pavel Florin Madalin, 29 (3-34-2); and Saul Roman, 26 (27-2).
When you read articles like Idec's, older newshounds like me would start asking the question: "What is this guy up to? What is the hidden agenda behind the deliberate distortion of the truth and mutilation of facts?"
Add to that the enthusing and profusely praising article of the star-struck Maria Burns Ortiz: "The middleweight has the combination of athletic ability and Hollywood looks that sports marketers dream of" and you cannot help but be afflicted by a fever caused by conspiracynitis.
I never realized Hollywood looks would be a factor in the selection of the Best Boxer Pound for Pound.
Whether there was really a conspiracy or not, it hardly matters now.
What matters is that wisdom, respect for data and facts, good judgment and sanity have prevailed once again in the sport of boxing.
Thanks to Nigel Collins.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Manny Piñol.
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