I’LL go against the tide and say that Manny Pacquiao is going to learn the painful truth when he battles Mexican hero and reigning WBA and IBF titleholder Juan Manuel Marquez on Feb. 26 in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao’s hordes of followers will certainly heap scorn on me, but they only have their idol to blame. While Marquez is already grinding it out to prepare for the costly bout, Pacquiao has just wrapped up shooting a sock commercial. And it is safe to say that the lure of the billiards table will be hard to resist for this GenSan native.
Pacquiao will soon learn that ‘Dinamita’ is far deadlier than a 3K Battery.
Pacquiao’s fall from glory will rock Pinoy sports. Headlines will scream blaming only Pacquiao for the defeat.
But the shock will be temporary. Reason: Jennifer Rosales is now mature enough to continue winning in the LPGA.
J-Ro spices her youthful exuberance with the tenacity of a tigress. She’s going to be the country’s sports ambassador for 2005, and teenagers will copy her fashion style.
Now, here’s another bad news. Despite pooling the best available basketball talents, the country will not win this year’s 2005 Asian Championships in Doha, Qatar, nor the 2007 ABC event in Beijing.
This means we’re not going to the 2006 World Championships in Saitama, Japan, or the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
On the positive side, the UAAP and the NCAA cage wars will continue to delight young and old fans alike.
La Salle with Franz Pumaren sitting on the bench and the champion lineup headed by Mac Cardona is going to keep the UAAP title despite brave challenges from FEU, Adamson and UE.
The NCAA picture is quite hazy. But the Dolphins of PCU should be ahead in the title race, followed by the Knights of Letran.
Salinggawi of UST should be hard to stop in the blockbuster UAAP cheerdancing competitions. UP, however, will fast catch up.
Philippine sports will continue to lag behind even in the SEA Games level. But as a matter of pride, the country’s hosting of the 2005 SEA Games is going to be a success despite the lack of funds which translates to lack of infrastructure. Remember the Bayanihan spirit?
Lots of spectacular things can happen in the Year of the Rooster. After all, Henry Dagmil was a nobody when he shattered an almost ‘untouchable’ long jump mark during last year’s National Open at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Bowling and tae kwon do are capable of producing world champions. Ice skating will continue to reach new heights.
The slow but sure way to find an international badminton star will gain a breakthrough this year, while X-Sports are going to pull in the crowd.
Let me assure you I’m not going to lose sleep if my fearless predictions turn out to be wrong. I can always credit those to experience.
