FROM hero to heel. That?s how fast some people?s view of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao shifted in the wake of the revelation he suffered a right shoulder injury almost a month (not three weeks as I earlier stated) before his fight, the richest in boxing history, against Floyd Mayweather Jr. But is the pendulum like swing fair?
I have listed in a previous column the possible reasons Pacquiao did not disclose his injury to boxing fans, including pride and money. Pacquiao apparently didn?t want to be labeled a chicken had the fight been postponed and he had spent a sizeable amount of money in advance of the bout?s May 2 schedule. I didn?t see defrauding the fans as one of those reasons.
Did Manny intend to defraud the buyers of tickets and pay-per-view coverage for the fight? Establishing intention is important because on this point hinges our assessment of Pacquiao?s character. As a long-time follower of Pacquiao?s exploits since he caught the attention of the world when he defeated Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in —-, I would say there is nothing in the Filipino boxer?s nature that would suggest he is a fraudster.
Interestingly, even Pacquiao?s own countrymen, many of them either fans of Floyd Mayweather or just hates Manny?s guts, are riding the condemnation bandwagon. Which is sad because it is during these times that the Manny, who dedicates all of his fight to his Filipino fans and always does not want to disappoint them by losing, needs their support.
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?Fraud of the Century?? That?s some people?s spin of the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada after Pacquiao admitted he suffered a right shoulder injury almost a month before the fight but didn?t seek a postponement of the May 2 (May 3 in the Philippines) schedule. Some people considered the bout, officially dubbed ?Battle for Greatness,? as the ?Fight of the Century.?
Sure, the bout itself did disappoint because Floyd ran and hugged and Manny may have been limited by the right rotator cuff injury that was aggravated when he went all out in the fourth round after he stunned his opponent with a straight left. But how the fight would unfurl was not its main pull. The fact that the fight was made was.
Big boxing fights often disappoint in the ring. In fact, real boxing fans had raised the possibility of a stinker mainly because of Floyd?s defensive style of boxing. But they were interested in the fight nevertheless. And why? Because the fight pitting two of the best boxers of this era was finally made after five years of negotiations.
As for Pacquiao?s right shoulder injury, its effect during the fight has not been established with certainty. The Filipino boxer said it no longer bothered him in the first three rounds until he re-injured it in the fourth round. He may have not disclosed the injury to the fans, which is wrong, but that does not mean it was the reason the bout was a stinker for some people. To say that the product sold was defective is to wallow in conjectures.
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Reports say Floyd Mayweather is willing to engage Pacquiao in a rematch early next year, when Pacquiao?s injury has hopefully healed fully. Some people met that announcement with skepticisms, claiming that nobody would want to see that fight.
I was amused by that claim because it does not tally with reality. Mayweather himself is proof that fans do not steer clear of the controversial. His fights were always described as stinkers and some of his actions outside the ring were condemnable, yet he is now this generation?s pay-per-view king.
Nobody will watch a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch? Don?t make me laugh, please.
