Pacquiao blanks Mayweather in early US poll
By Recah Trinidad
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 22 Sep 2011
THERE will never be a sane way to justify the brand of hooliganism flashed by Floyd Mayweather and which won him the world welterweight boxing crown in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Stunned viewers remained in a quandary on how something so foul could be accepted in a sport governed by professional rules.
There were expert explanations, but the clearest came from Lance Pugmire, a seasoned boxing chronicler with the Los Angeles Times.
?Mayweather (probably) stepped over the line of good sportsmanship but stood right on the boundary of what the rules allow,? Pugmire, an expert on Manny Pacquiao, explains.
**
Of course, this cannot absolve Mayweather of the foulness incurred following a savage slamming of a defenseless amateur foe. But dirty as he may be, Mayweather?s fabulous dominance of Victor Ortiz, mainly in the first three rounds, more than legitimized him as top contender to Pacquiao?s pound-for- pound crown.
Pugmire, by the way, was among the early birds to pick Pacquiao over Mayweather in a poll called The Fabulous Forum of LA Sports and conducted by Tribune Co.
**
Mayweather failed to win a single vote from among three writers initially lined up. Pugmire says Mayweather indeed has vast amount of knowledge about the ring. ?But Pacquiao is a different animal?a faster, stalking more disciplined fighter who would be better positioned to both outpoint Mayweather or knock him out,? he explains. Stephen Gross, Allentown Morning Call: ?If Mayweather agrees to a match with Pacquiao, his unblemished record would be no more.?
Why?
?Despite Mayweather?s 42-0 record, Pacquiao looks to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the game. It doesn?t matter if opponents have size advantage, like Antonio Margarito who was four inches taller and nearly 20 pounds heavier.?
**
The main factor was how both Mayweather and Pacquiao fared against Ricky Hatton. ?Pacquiao knocked Hatton out in two rounds, while Mayweather needed 10 for the KO,? Gross notes.
Like it or not, this third opinion takes the lead, based on the temper of the day. ?It will never happen!? exclaims Shane Courchesne of the Hartford Courant. ?Mayweather knows this is the fight everyone wants, but he also knows this is the fight that could tarnish his legacy,? he says.
?Mayweather is more concerned with taking an undefeated record into the Boxing Hall of Fame than satisfy the desires of fans,? explains the writer who refused to cast a solid vote.
**
Turning back to hooliganism, coach Leo Austria of the Adamson Falcons in the UAAP could be only half correct in claiming they failed to land a Finals berth because they ?were not solid yet.?
There obviously were nasty factors that could?ve also help decide several games in the run-up the the UAAP Finals, as noted closely by a respected columnist, who never hesitates to zero in on all sorts of controversies.
?The UST-FEU game on Sept. 8, for one was particularly rough and ugly,? wrote the respected national observer Billy Esposo. ?The referees were not calling the most blatant rough tactics.?
**
Esposo, shocked at the non-calls, said extreme rough-housing cannot be justified as ?these tactics are not allowed in international competitions.? Esposo?s call: ?It?s not only for the fear of accountability that UAAP Commissioner Andy Jao and other league officials should ensure constant enforcement of rules on disallowed personal contacts.?
He said the problem has got to be fixed, fast. ?These non-calls reflect the rot in our society?how people will try to pull a fast one if they can get away with it?and how officials, who do not implement the rules of conduct, encourage this.?
RECAH TRINIDAD writes with the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Recah Trinidad.
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