I can’t remember the last time outside of Donovan “Razor” Ruddock’s patented “Smash” punch that a specific tool in a fighter’s arsenal was given it’s own name. Let me compose myself as I attempt to control my hyena-like laughter and howling at the infamous “Smash”. C’mon Mr. Ruddock, you could have at least given it a better, more interesting sounding name. “Smash” sounds like something a three year-old would come up with while playing Nintendo and refusing to stop to actually think of something creative.
Now we have this thing called “Manila Ice” employed by Manny Pacquiao. At it’s simplest form, it is basically a right hook thrown by the southpaw terror. At it’s most complex and heavily-hyped levels, it can create water from sand and gold from dirt. I’ve even heard that Pacquiao’s “Manilla Ice” can subdue mid-sized hippopotamuses and even force Michael Marley to keep his chin down and hands up. Seriously though, it’s a very good punch in the “Pacman’s” arsenal but it is not the offensive weapon that will win him the rematch against Barrera.
Back in November of 2003 there was one clear aspect of the first Pacquiao-Barrera bout that stuck out to these eyeballs. The punch that the “Baby Faced Assassin” had used to control his battles in the past was being offset by Pacquiao’s own version of that punch. To put it very simply, it was the jab. Not it wasn’t the “Cebu City Stick” or the “Jackfruit Jab”, it was simply a strong, well-placed, and most importantly consistently thrown punch by the “Pacman”.
It seemingly caught Barrera off guard and it created the openings for that nasty left hand of the Filipino fighter to virtually land at will. The jab is not only the most basic punch in boxing but also the most important as it allows a fighter to gain his sense of range and create his own openings with the “stick”. While there’s been so much emphasis on Pacquiao’s power punches in recent times, it’s the simple and subtle things in his arsenal that truly make him special.
We’ll see whether Manny abandons what got him the victory in the first place as Barrera will surely look to avenge his worst defeat by utilizing the stick that’s given so many top fighters problems in the past.
It’s funny to me how even at the highest of the high levels in boxing, the simplest punch is still and will always be the most important…
