Et Tu, Manny?
By Manny Piñol
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 09 May 2011
After that dull and unexciting championship fight Saturday whose main highlights were the knockdowns scored by both boxers - one real, the other dubious - there was no longer any doubt that age has caught up with Sugar Shane Mosley.
True, the speed was still there but it was used more in avoiding Manny Pacquiao's punches rather than in initiating an offensive to give himself a chance of winning the fight.
Among intellectuals they say that with age comes wisdom. This, however, is translated differently in a strength and muscle sport like boxing where a boxer who has aged becomes tentative rather than wise. In boxing, tentativeness leads the fighter to a door marked "Loser."
That Shane Mosley is old comes as no surprise. In fact, one of the reasons why his selection as an opponent for Pacquiao came under heavy criticism was because of the general belief that he was past his prime.
But give it to the marketing genius of the boxing promoter par excellence, Bob Arum. He was able to conjure a scenario where Sugar Shane, he who knocked out Antonio Margarito who in turn survived Pacquiao for 12 rounds, would be able to score an upset because of his reputed punching power.
His derided performance against Manny Pacquiao was something expected, especially by those who deeply understand sports, especially boxing.
What came as a surprise though was Manny Pacquiao's performance which was his poorest thus far.
There was none of the double-hops which he effectively used in catching his opponents off guard and landing those powerful punches. He blamed leg cramps for his lack of agility.
The number of punches he missed was almost equal to the number of times he touched gloves with Shane Mosley in what could go down in boxing history as the most cordial and amicable championship fight ever, climaxed by an unlikely warm embrace before the start of the 12th round.
And in so many instances during the fight, he allowed himself to be hit by Shane Mosley's left hooks which could have been lethal had they been delivered with intent to hurt. Luckily for Manny, those left hooks came more as defensive paws of a cornered kitten rather than an attack from a roaring tiger.
After that fight, the question in every boxing observer's mind now is: Has Age caught up with Manny Pacquiao as well?
At 32, has Manny seen just too many fights that not only has his physical capabilities diminished but also that burning fire in his fighting heart reduced to just a flicker?
Manny's unusual friendliness towards his opponents started to show in his fight against David Diaz and then later in his bloody encounter with Antonio Margarito.
Some would say that by displaying gestures of concern towards his opponents, Manny Pacquiao was showing compassion. That could be true but then again they could also be indications of a fighter who has cooled down like a soldier who has seen so many brutal battles that he would be willing to extend an olive branch to his opponent and sign a peace deal.
The next fight of Manny Pacquiao would be worth watching if only to determine whether Father Time has finally put his arms on Manny Pacquiao's shoulders.
When that time comes, those who love Manny dearly should have the courage to tell him that it is time to hang up the gloves.
It must be done because no great athlete would ever admit that he has grown old.
Just like the story of the old ace golfer who, instead of admitting that age has caught up with him and that he could no longer hit the ball as far as he used to, remarked in disgust: "Damn, these fairways have gotten longer. Who the hell lengthened them?"
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