Manny Pacquiao
ONE YEAR AGO PACQUIAO “WAS STILL” KING
San Francisco, CA– Whether or not you like Manny Pacquiao, you have to give him props. From November 2003 to December 2012, the Filipino icon lost only one fight to Erik Morales, along with a draw to Juan Manuel Marquez, albeit, as is the case with a lot of fighters when given the mantle of boxing to carry, Manny was on the winning side of a couple of controversial decisions until he lost on points to Tim Bradley last June.
PACQUIAO’S NUMBERS QUITE IMPRESSIVE
The event coupled with the aforementioned date of November 2003 was Pacquiao’s “breakthrough” fight as he demolished the beginning to slide Marco Antonio Barrera. A couple of fights later a cut up Manny would be bested by Erik Morales. From that first Barrera fight until his being put to sleep by Juan Manuel Marquez last December, Pacquiao went 15-1-1 with 10 stops in nine years until meeting Bradley in June 2012.
RANDOM DRUG TESTS & MAYWEATHER
Although he will always associated with Performance Enhancing Drugs seeing he refused out right random testing without any cut off dates to face Floyd Mayweather in what would have been the biggest fight of all time. To the chagrin of many, Mayweather went out and made big money, $88 million alone last year for that one fight with Miguel Cotto. So while Mayweather’s setting records, Pacquiao just kept plugging away fighting one Top Rank roster member after another for the most part in recent years.
LITTLE BOXING HISTORY REGARDING PACQUIAO
Turning professional in 1995, Pacquiao had some impediments to greatness early on as he was stopped in a 1995 preliminary bout and a WBC 112 lb. title loss in 1999. Outside of those and a points loss to Erik Morales, in their first setbacks, Pacquiao carried the sport on his back until matched with two fellow Top Rank promotional clients in Bradley and Marquez. Now what does Humpy Dumpty do now that he’s fell off the wall and had his shell cracked by Marquez?
YOUNG LIONS WAITING TO POUNCE ON WOUNDED PACMAN
Humpty Dumpty AKA Manny Pacquiao
There has been talk of Manny taking on Brandon Rios or Mike Alvarado in September. As those names were tossed about, the location getting the most play appears to be Las Vegas on steroids, Macau. I for one don’t like the way or the manner in which Manny Pacquiao is being brought back. Granted, Manny was the man not too long ago. But not only was he knocked into an REM-mode of sleep, into another time zone, Manny Pacquiao lost to Tim Bradley as well.
CONFIDENCE LEVEL AN ALL TIME LOW
What we have here is a fighter, regardless of what he says, who has to be hurt psychologically. The Bradley fight to some was a ripoff, while others had it down the middle and even. Regardless, to put Manny Pacquiao in a ring with Rios or Alvarado would not be looking out for the Filipino fighter’s best interests. It’s not like we’ve got a piece of Rios or Alvarado, it is the concern here that Manny Pacquiao is being fed to the lions.
BOXING IS #2 TO POLITICS FOR MANNY
There is also the issue of Manny Pacquiao wanting to retire from boxing and run for president on the conservative party ticket in 2016. Now while Filipino Americans for the most part scoff at the notion, the conservatives in the Philippines have a lot of money, the backing of the Catholic Church, and they want to put the most decorated athlete in the history of the country and the office of the president.
FROM STREET URCHIN TO PRESIDENT?
His qualifications as a politician will not be questioned here. The intent of this article, as I am about to explain, is to get 34-year old Manny Pacquiao back in the ring in September. That being said, I don’t want there to be any risk involved and both Alvarado and Rios are both substantial risks. I mean if he doesn’t have it, I see no sense in having the Filipino hero be humiliated and stopped. First fight back after two defeats, this is the manner in which Manny should be brought back.
VERNON PARIS MODE OF RETURN FROM KO LOSS
Vernon Paris was thought to be a rising star until he ran into Zabdiel Judah, Zab to you fans, in 2012 and was knocked out in nine heats. The record of Motown’s Paris at that point was 26-1, 15 KOs. Taking 364 days off, Paris would come back this March 23rd in a scheduled 10 rounder against Guy Packer. As a professional fighter, Packer has no claim to fame. To some of you he’s a tomato can, others a stiff, an easy mark, as close to a certain win in the world of boxing as you’ll ever get.
MANNY NEEDS A GUY PACKER IN MACAU
With a record of 4 wins, 28 losses, 2 draws with 1 KO, Guy had himself been knocked out 22 times. And to the surprise of no one, Vernon Paris knocked Packer out at 2:29 of round three. Look, Paris’ people did the right thing. After the unsuccessful step up in class and the bone chilling knockout result with Judah, Vernon was an unknown commodity, as is Manny Pacquiao. To put Manny in the ring against anything more than a Guy Packer, in the opinion of many, promotional and managerial malpractice.
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Jack Mehofften