It is incredible to realize that it has been more than 8 years since I covered for television the loss of Manny Pacquiao to Medgoen Singsurat in Nakhon Sri Thamarrat in southern Thailand (September 1999). We had to fly from Bangkok to that quaint and historical province over 700 kilometers from the Thai capital, near the Gulf of Thailand.
At the time, Manny was a gangling flyweight defending his 112 lb. WBC title. We all know what happened there; he was unable to make the weight and was stopped in the third round.
What strikes me from the memory jog however was Manny?s attitude after that devastating setback. Of course, he was dejected at first, but after spending a couple of days in Bangkok on the post-fight R & R arranged by his then Business Manager Rod Nazario, I detected his determination to put the loss behind him and move on in his career.
He had told us then that he wanted to move to a heavier division (he eventually did- first to the 122 lb. class, then 126 to the current 130), saying he was no longer comfortable fighting as a flyweight. There was no doubt in his mind that he would be able to go back to his winning ways once he moved up.
Indeed he was spot on; he proceeded to rack up one spectacular win after another after that fateful afternoon in Thailand. Three months after the defeat, he started a string of 7 KO wins culminating in his shock victory over heralded Lehlo Ledwaba in his first US outing in June 2001.
Fast-forward to 2003, when he was to face Marco Antonio Barrera for the first time. Boxing experts felt Manny was being foolhardy and was biting off more than he could chew in audaciously challenging Barrera, who was already assured of a slot in the Hall of Fame.
When I ran into him in a television telenovela where he appeared as a fighter and I essayed the role of a sportscaster (talk about stereo-typing), he declared that he knew what he was doing and that Barrera was the perfect target for his crowding and pressing style.
His trusted friend and lieutenant Buboy Fernandez echoed the sentiment, confiding that never before had Manny been as powerful as he was. Buboy related that he was having trouble sleeping after punch mitt sessions with Pacquiao. His arm would still be quivering at bedtime after being pummeled by the Pacman hours before.
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I can?t help drawing a parallelism with the situation Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista is in nowadays. While his 1st round knockout defeat 2 months ago in the States was short of catastrophic, the young Boholano phenom has vowed to resume his quest for boxing glory.
His long-time benefactor Tony Aldeguer never had false illusions about Bautista. For the longest time he shunned comparisons to Pacquiao and offers to showcase Bautista in television soaps and such as presumptuous and premature. Eventually, he grudgingly acceded to numerous urgings for BoomBoom to challenge the powerful and polished champion Daniel Ponce de Leon where he was dealt his first defeat.
But all that is water under the bridge and this time, the fighter from Candijay, who is also supported by Tagbilaran Mayor and sportsman Dan NeriLim, is given a well-deserved chance at retribution with a high-profile bout against a tough Mexicano, 24-year-old Antonio Meza (23W, 2L, 16 wins by KO), the WBC Fecombox (Federacion de Comisiones de Boxeo) champion.
Spearheading the comeback efforts of Bautista is former PBA Commissioner Noli Eala, himself currently picking up the pieces after a jolting experience with the vagaries of life. Armed with dogged determination, the support of friends and many believers, and his trademark imagination and creativity, Eala is at the forefront of this ambitious effort to elevate boxing to elite status in local following and audience appeal.
That the project involves personalities who deserve a second chance only makes it even more palatable to Filipinos who are wont to cheer for underdogs.
And there is yet another one-Michael Domingo, whose floundering career has since been propped up by Aldeguer et al, completes the cast of comeback kids who promise to rock the Araneta Coliseum come December 2. He will mix it up with Anthony Mathias of Tanzania (18W, 7L, 1D; 9 wins by KO).
As counterpoint, AJ Banal, the sensational boxer whose potential and prowess we have been trumpeting since we first saw him over two years ago, is also expected to provide fireworks against Mexican knockout-artist Jovanny Soto (25W, 7L, 1D: 20 wins by KO).
This early we eagerly await: “Ang Pagbabalik”!
