THERE are three men who can lay claim to the honor of having defeated the great Manny Pacquiao.
One is a Mexican icon, who later became his drinking buddy. Last time I checked he was being battered from pillar to post by lightweight champion David Diaz, but some would argue that Erik Morales deserved to win that fight.
The other is a Thai champion who beat Manny when he was young and reckless. He had a hard time making the weight and even shaved his head in an attempt to tilt the weighing scales in his favor.
All to no avail as Medgoen Singsurat also called Medgoen 3K Battery knocked out a weight-drained Manny in three rounds. He is still active and scheduled to fight later this month.
Mighty fists, these men possess. After all, not just anybody can beat Manny Pacquiao.
But Rustico Torrecampo, the first man to beat Pacquiao, showed us last week why his hands are the deadliest of them all.
The published news report indicated that Torrecampo, who sells beef mami near the Pritil Market in Tondo, fatally stabbed truck driver Ernesto Ongkit after the latter sideswiped his noodle cart, spilling all its contents on the street.
The police noted that Torrecampo allegedly tried to talk to the victim but the latter instead, drove away, prompting Torrecampo to give chase. When he caught up with Ongkit he stabbed him to death.
As to why the victim opted to drive away instead of making amends for his fault is not clear.
Perhaps he thought the smallish Torrecampo was not much of threat. Or perhaps he was afraid he might be lynched by Torrecampo?s fellow vendors.
Maybe we will never know. His lips have now been forever sealed by death?s fatal kiss, administered swiftly by the deadly hands of a boxer who once knocked out arguably the greatest Filipino boxer ever.
STEREOTYPE. It?s no secret that boxers have unfairly been stereotyped to be ideal and potential candidates for jail time. The most notorious of them all has to be Mike Tyson. That guy is a walking lawsuit.
Another is junior middleweight Tony Ayala Jr., who was 22-0 with 19 knockouts and was being compared to Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran when he was slapped with a 35-year sentence for tying up and raping a neighbor. He served 16 years and was released from a New Jersey prison in April 1999.
He tried to resume his boxing career but did not find much success. In his last bout, he lost via TKO in Round 11 to contender star Anthony Bonsante. He ended up back in jail two years later for burglary and attempted assault. Ayala was shot in the shoulder during the incident.
But my favorite character who lives up to the stereotype-and actually feeds off it has to be Johnny Tapia. Jail time, suicide attempts, drug overdoses, suspensions?you name it, he?s done it.
His autobiography just about sums up his crazy ways. It?s called ?Mi Vida Loca: The Crazy Life of Johnny Tapia.?
QUOTE OF THE DAY??Hindi naman ako nahirapan. Kinain ko lahat ng suntok niya. E, malakas ako, kaya ng katawan ko. Habang sinusuntok niya ako lalo naman siyang inaano, sige, suntok pa, lapit ka pa.-Rustico Torrecampo interviewed on the September 2007 issue of Maxim Philippines
THE LAST ROUND. It?s on former Surigao Del Norte vice governor Rodolfo ?Ompong? Navarro, a wonderful father and a dedicated public servant. Happy birthday and cheers
