Philippines, 01 Jul 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Manny Pacquiao: The Last Dance


PhilBoxing.com




They both led off turning clockwise for a while, hands to a timepiece in melodic movements, returning to a time in my mind when Manny Pacquiao was just starting to make it big in boxing. I watched his fight with Antonio Barrera for the first time in a bar in Cagayan De Oro and some people were just starting to know about him. Those who already loved boxing were understandably rowdy to an infectious degree, so the heads of the crowd inside concertedly swayed side to side to synchronize somewhat with his punches shown in the television. Then there was the trilogy with Morales that gave him longer exposure locally and abroad, and then Dela Hoya which was a major turning point to the legend that Pacquiao is now.

Tim Bradley, considered by many followers of the sport as a dubious choice for an opponent, tried to make Pacquiao's farewell dance a tactical one. He came out with a bigger physique at the weigh-in schedule, and from that I discerned he was apt to be aggressive on fight day. On the other hand, Pacquiao was obviously slimmer than he had ever been for some time, that worried his fans. Many had not recognized this as a strategy for his team to prioritize his daunted speed over power. This is an element in Pacquiao's game that Bradley first got taste of in the seventh round.

After three rounds Bradley turned up the heat against the Filipino prizefighter. For the first time since the match had been promoted many spectators started to regard him as a serious threat. Manny Pacquiao slinks back to the ropes to attenuate the brunt of Bradley's punches and this terrified many of his fans thinking he must have been hurt. If my mother had been around I am sure she would be one of them, watching in horror doubled for the lack of technical understanding. In fact, a good number of those who come to watch Pacquiao fight over the years, I reckon, aren't hardcore boxing fans-- to the annoyance of those who are proudly such. They do not have the time to watch Boxing, but they pay hard earned cash to watch Pacquiao fight once a year. Tricycle, Taxi, and Jeepney drivers halt diurnal tasks to watch him from outside small openings, windows of a hotel, like my old coffee shop once in Cabadbaran City with their faces crowding against the pane with the sun burning behind their backs. For a brief moment in their economically oppressed lives money is clearly devalued by one's spirit.

It would have been wiser for Tim Bradley not to slug it out, and close to the end of the fifth round he saw himself swinging top-heavy. He was drawing heavy breaths as he walked back to his corner, where his stagy coach Teddy Atlas, known for his dramatic and popular fireman speech, was getting ready to inject more passion into his game. But Bradley went down on the canvas the following round after being caught with a hook. It was a pivotal point of the match where he could have decided to change his style, but opted to remain aggressive-- a style that fits Pacquiao, to the crowd's liking.

He pushes it and counters with a underhand. He was hell bent on spoiling Pacquiao's retirement fight. When they got caught in a wax the crowd was treated with sweet remembrances of glorious days past; of times of awakened consciousnesses when the Filipino knows the Filipino can, and so the Filipino must...

Pacquiao's cat reflexes caught up with Bradley once again in the 9th. It was an awkward punch, thrown partly off balance, only Pacquiao knows how. It seems Bradley had shaken the crust off with his attacks and the Filipino great had shone once more despite his efforts of strategic restraint and maturity as a seasoned boxer. The speed was back, finally, the trademark bursts of defiance, without a sign of exhaustion. He bumped his fists before he dove into the fray. His audience loved it just as it was, as I remembered it in 2003 with Barrera and many fights thereafter. Chortles of laughter ensued as they watched Bradley turn turtle in the ring. People were chanting his name. More than victory, Manny's fans badly wanted to see if he still had that blinding speed and power in his hands hardcore boxing fans argued he had long lost. But it was there alright, I thought, when sparked by an opponent with just the right aggression. Styles make fights, as we usually say in Boxing, but many had come not for the sport. When I left the hotel and headed back home, the hopes of a people lingered.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Mark F. Villanueva.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 30 June 2025: Zurdo Outpoints Dorticos, Keeps WBA/WBO Cruiser Titles; Mbilli Stops Sulecki in 1; Wins by Kuroki, Wilder and Jake Paul
    By Eric Armit, , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • IIEE Titans secured Finals in BPBL, IIEE Chessmasters retain on top level in Bundesliga
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • MARIO BARRIOS LAS VEGAS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES
    , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • CATTERALL AND EUBANK LAY THEIR 'CARDS ON THE TABLE' AHEAD OF MANCHESTER SHOWDOWN
    , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • Dumadag holds chess tourney
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • Manny Pacquiao's Case for the Greatest of All Time
    By Ace Freeman, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • DavNor Adventure Race 2025 set July 2
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Gumila rules Antipolo rapid chess tilt
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • FULL CIRCLE AT WILD CARD: Jhay Otamias’ Tribute to a Fighter and a Fanbase
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Vince Paras Wins by 4th Round KO Over Sarawut Thawornkham to Capture the IBF Pan Pacific Super Flyweight Title
    , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Team USA's Quest for Gold Set in Stone at World Boxing Cup: Astana 2025
    , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • SBA SEASON 2 DRAFT UNVEILS RISING STARS AND STRATEGIC MOVES AS TEAMS COMPLETE THEIR ROSTERS
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Filipino Elwin Retanal wins Saudi rapid chess meet
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Jake Paul Earns Boxing Legitimacy with Dominant Decision Over Julio Cesar Chávez Jr.
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Zurdo Ramirez Defends Cruiserweight Crowns with Unanimous Decision Over Dorticos
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Vince Paras Faces Sarawut Thawornkham Today at Venue 88 in Gensan
    , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • USA Elite High Performance Team Sets Sights on Gold at World Boxing Cup: Astana 2025
    , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Alekhine Nouri bags silver in blitz
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Paul vs. Chavez Jr: Can Julio Derail Jake Paul?
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Dr. KO: Christian Mbilli Stops Maciej Sulecki in 1
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • GOLDEN BOY SIGNS UNDEFEATED MIDDLEWEIGHT BLUE-CHIP PROSPECT AMARI JONES
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Paul vs. Chávez Jr. is a Go: All Fighters Make Weight in Anaheim Ahead of High-Stakes Bout
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • IIEE Chessmasters Overall Champion in the International Bundesliga with GM Joey Antonio
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Kittipong of Thailand Battles Bhavesh of India in Brico Santig's Exciting Show in Bangkok
    By Carlos Costa, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Weights from Philadelphia
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.