A persons life is like a book, always needing some touching up (editing) and always being flexible enough to either add to or delete from. But there are moments in time (defining moments if you will) that can never be deleted.
It’s much the same as a fighter. He has his defining moments and moments he’d like to see edited out of his ring record, but a win will go down as a win and a loss, a loss. That cannot be changed.
Meet Manny Pacquaio, perhaps the best pure boxer-puncher to come out of the Philippines since Flash Elorde.
Pacquaio made Saturday night his defining moment, or chapter in the book if you will, by easily taking apart a naturally bigger and supposedly far better boxer in Marco Antonio Barrera.
The fight was stopped in round eleven in a very one-sided contest. Pacquaio’s power shots hurt Barrera throughout and Marco looked to be a beaten fighter before the start of the eighth round.
I truly thought that this chapter in the book of featherweights would be dominated by the better boxer, and maybe it was, only the better boxer, at least this night, was not Marco.
Barrera, who up till now always showed a great chin, seemed lost in the ring, being out-boxed by a banger who was never known for his ring skills. Then again, Pacquaio was far from a household name in most parts of the world.
It could have just been an off-day for Barrera, but I don’t think it was that simple. It wasn’t that Marco looked terrible, although he often did when the big power shots landed on his chin, it was that Pacquaio looked like he will be a world champion for years to come.
We’re not taking a thing away from Pacquaio and his upset win. Manny showed he could box (we knew he could punch) with the best in his class, leaving fight fans wondering where Eric Morales now fits into the changing featherweight picture.
The book remains out on Barrera at present and this chapter open, but there seem to be plenty of new chapters to be written in the career of the new featherweight champion.
Agree or disagree, I’d like to hear from you.
