Pacquiao-Marquez III Replay: Let's Watch And Learn Together
By Manny Piñol
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 17 Nov 2011
All these debates over who won in the third meeting between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and Mexican boxing legend Juan Manuel Marquez are exercises in futility because nobody could alter the fact that two of the three judges at ringside saw the 12-round battle in Las Vegas Nov. 12 as a fight won by the defending champion.
That is the decision and not even the camp of Team Marquez which howled "robbery" after the fight had made any attempt to question that before the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) which supervised the fight or the World Boxing Organization (WBO) which sanctioned the championship bout.
In fact, five days after the fight, journalist Butch Gottlieb of Boxing in Las Vegas website and a former member of the NSAC, said no protest has been filed neither was there any attempt to question the integrity of the judges and demand their suspension.
Gottlieb, who also manages woman-boxers in Las Vegas, said the reaction of one NSAC official was: "On what basis? They cannot question how a judge sees a round."
But this hotly argued fight offers to Filipino boxing fans an opportunity to learn more about the finer points of the sport of boxing and the scoring system which is not fully understood and appreciated and has, in many previous instances, brought about chaos and confusion.
Journalist Chino Trinidad, sports director of GMA Channel 7 which carried the fight on free TV in partnership with Solar Sports, informed me yesterday that following my suggestion of a replay and review of the fight, he is now in the process of wrapping up a TV show package that would replay the 12-round fight on a round-by-round presentation with two groups of panelists with differing views on the outcome of the fight seated across each other.
This is going to be a great learning exercise because minus the adrenalin flush that usually comes along while watching a fight live on TV, we will be able to calmly review the fight and come up with the definitive conclusion on who really won the fight last Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
Each round will be analyzed and both panels will submit their argument on why either fighter won the round. I have suggested to Chino that critical exchanges of punches between the two fighters be played in slo-mo because on TV, punches which may appear to have connected may yet be seen in slo-mo as having been effectively parried by the arms or landed outside of the legal punching areas of a boxer's body. Those punches, seen up close by the judges, would not be scored.
International boxing judge and referee Danrex Tapdasan, a young lawyer, and I have volunteered to represent the pro-Pacquiao panel. Danrex and I will prove why the Filipino boxing icon won convincingly in a very close fight.
In fact, I agree with Manila Bulletin sports editor and bosom-friend Ding Marcelo who said that Pacquiao's win over Marquez in their third meeting was even more convincing and clearer that his two previous victories in Pacquiao-Marquez I and Pacquiao-Marquez II.
To complete the cast, I have suggested to Chino that fellow journalists and dear friends Ronnie Nathanielsz and lawyer Ed Tolentino be invited to represent the panel which believes that the Mexican champion won over Pacquiao.
The big question mark on the appearance of Ronnie and Ed in the show would be whether ABS-CBN, a rival network of GMA Channel 7, would allow their talents to appear in the show which I believe would rate very high among TV viewers because of the controversy generated by the decision.
If Ronnie and Ed could not come, I will suggest to Chino that two young bloggers, one a Fil-Am, who have incessantly insisted in their blogs that Marquez won the fight, be invited to appear in the pro-Marquez panel. They are Reni Valenzuela, who writes for www.philboxing.com and Dennis Guillermo, who writes for www.examiner.com.
Chino, who was thrilled with the idea of a face-off on TV to review the fight, said that the intention of the show is not to embarrass anybody but to learn.
"We owe it to the Filipino boxing fans. They should be given the opportunity to fully understand what happened and learn more about boxing," Chino told me.
I say we owe it to Manny Pacquiao as well, he who has brought unprecedented sports honor to the Philippines by showing that the Filipino can excel. For me, who believes Pacquiao won the fight fair and square and convincingly, it should be done in the name of justice and fairness. Manny does not deserve the insults and the disparaging comments being heaped on him now.
Chino says the show could be aired this weekend and that GMA Channel 7 will make a formal announcement as to the date and the time.
It would also be great if the viewers at home would get a pen and paper and do their own scoring of the fight and see after the replay whether they picked out the right winner during the live telecast.
Danrex will explain the rules on the scoring before the fight and that would guide the home viewers an opportunity to really appreciate the replay and review.
"Walang personalan, katuwaan lang." Nothing personal, let's just do it for fun.
As Michael Buffer says: "Let's get ready to rummmbbbllleee!
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Manny Piñol.
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