You have most likely heard the name Herman Melville. It is one of those names that we all hear at sometime in our life , but we can’t quite put our finger on what to associate the name with. Say the name Moby Dick and all of us , well at least some of us, can put the name with the novel.
Melville’s classic novel is the story of a man who obsessed over a great whale. The whale took the Captain’s leg and set the course for Ahab’s revenge. I can honestly say that I don’t remember reading the book and I don’t really remember the movie. But I know the tale.
The great thing is that we get to witness the boxing version of Moby Dick. It is very easy to picture Juan Manuel Marquez as Ahab. A man who feels he has been wronged , whether he is actually correct or not is up for debate.
The great white whale , the biggest prize in the boxing ocean , is none other than Manny Pacquiao.
Our story begins some years back when Captain Marquez set forth into unchartered waters. He had heard of this monster named Moby Pacquiao and wanted a piece of him. Marquez thought he was the best sailor in the world. He didn’t believe these tales of men being chewed up and spit out by Pacquiao. But the body count grew larger every year. Marquez knew it was time.
Like a soon to be drowning victim staring at the calm water, Marquez answered the bell for round one. What ensued was three minutes of pure hell. Everytime Marquez got his sealegs under him the giant monster would pull him back down into the deepest of waters. Three times Marquez managed to surface only to be greeted with another explosion of punches.
Marquez , being the man he is , was able to steady the boat after round one. The thrashing continued from one round to the next. The rounds were close. Marquez would win one or two and then Pacquiao would win one. The fight ended in a draw. No one was happy. But they would meet again, of that everyone was sure.
The years went by. Moby Pacquiao continued to leave a trail of carnage throughout the seas. But Captain Marquez had learned well from their first meeting. He promised himself that he would not be surprised by the whale’s strenght the next time they met.
They would meet again in 2008. The Captain sure he had won their first meeting. The whale knowing that victory was his , no matter how the judges saw it. They stared at each other from across the ring. In the blink of an eye the fight continued. It was as they had never stopped fighting the first time. Instead of round one , this could have been considered round thirteen.
They fought valiantly. The only serious moment for Marquez was when he was knocked down early in the fight. And so it went. At the end the mighty Pacquiao was victorious. The Captain felt he had been robbed.
Time has passed. Moby Pacquiao has declared no more. No more shall I tussle with Captain Marquez. But Marquez continues to feel unsatisfied. He searches for any means possible to bring Pacquiao back into his part of the ocean. It could be a search in vain. Marquez has made it known that it is only another encounter with Pacquiao that can fill the void in his boxing life. Like Captain Ahab , sometimes in life you have to be careful about what you wish for. As for me , I’m just a witness to history as it unfolds before me. Just call me Ishmael.
