Most of the buzz in and around the sport of boxing seems to, either directly or indirectly, involve Manny Pacquiao, Top Rank, or Nonito Donaire. Here are 10 random thoughts on the major issues
surrounding these hot topics:
1) The phrase “Innocent until proven guilty” is more than just a a nice little term to make everyone feel good about the justice system. It means that nobody should be presumed guilty without real, actual proof to the contrary. In the case of Manny Pacquiao and Performance Enhancing Drugs, Manny IS innocent until proven otherwise. People are allowed to have and voice their opinions, but to condemn the man based just on an educated guess is not fair. While it’s true that current commission tests can’t detect the new age PEDs, you still have to allow everyone the presumption of innocence or everything pretty much falls apart and anyone can be judged guilty.
2) The hypocrisy of those condemning Nonito Donaire for jumping ship from Top Rank to Golden Boy is palpable. Those who put Pacquiao on a pedestal and pass judgment on Donaire need to remember the fact that Pacquiao was also more than willing to jump ship, tempted by a Golden Boy briefcase full of cash in the back of a limo. Pacquiao later reconsidered the shady deal, but not before leaving happily with 250K in cash and a verbal compromise to switch promoters. Maybe Donaire got an even bigger briefcase.
3) Sergio Martinez is sure doing his best to either lure Pacquiao into a bout or antagonize the Pacquiao fan base. “While he continues to fight with opponents who have no chance of winning,” Martinez told Boxingscene. “I continue to fight against the best – one day I will [become the best pound for pound fighter].” Pacquiao-Martinez probably can’t get made because of the size difference between the two, but the Argentine middleweight champ is playing the public relations game and looking to become the sport’s top star without ever needing to fight the Filipino sensation.
4) Has the boxing media, who had become fawning, unapologetic Manny boosters, finally turned on the eight-division champ? With the naming of Shane Mosley as Pacquiao’s next opponent, the media
seems to have decided, en masse, to start bringing the star they built back to Earth. The exaggerated praise that Sergio Martinez got for beating a naturally smaller, inactive Sergiy Dzinziruk seemed almost directly aimed at raising Martinez’s stock as a viable pound for pound alternative to Manny. The media has done this before, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that yet another star has been built up only to be slowly deconstructed.
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5) The next step in the Top Rank-Golden Boy feud may involve the luring of Juan Manuel Marquez from Oscar De la Hoya’s clique to Bob Arum’s stable. The move would kill two birds with one stone. Not only would Arum be taking one of Golden Boy’s top stars as revenge for the apparent theft of Nonito Donaire, he would also be securing Pacquiao’s next fight by signing away Marquez. Golden Boy made the rookie mistake of not signing veteran stars like Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins, and Marquez to secure, binding contracts and Top Rank seems more than willing to exploit that mistake when needed.
6) Expect the Nonito Donaire backlash to begin when/if Bob Arum finds his pending legal case against “The Filipino Flash” a lost cause. The moment Arum loses hope of a legal victory, expect the media campaign to begin against Donaire. Arum is a very vindictive man and he carries many members of the media in his back pocket. Don’t be surprised if we suddenly start seeing many stories pop up about Donaire “ducking” so and so or being afraid to risk a loss. Arum has proven to be relentless against those who cross him and there’s no doubt that he will take the same route against the top dog of the 118 lb. class.
7) Could there be anything more iconic of a cultural/generational battle than the Jinkee Pacquiao-Rachel Donaire comparisons carried on throughout Pacland and on forums/chat rooms across the internet? Jinkee is the long-suffering, quiet, passive image of the supportive, traditional Asian woman. Rachel is outspoken, hands-on, and just as much of a force as husband, Nonito. I’m not making any judgment call on the traditional vs. modern woman debate, but it sure is interesting to see how opinions differ according to cultural and generational ties.
8.) Could Nonito Donaire’s move away from Top Rank have to do with the alleged bad blood between
Manny Pacquiao and Donaire? It’s more than just a rumor that Pacquiao has gone out of his way to not have Donaire on any of his shows. This refusal to share the stage and, consequently, his massive fan base with “The Filipino Flash” could have added to Nonito’s desire to break free and look for his own path to fame.
9) Looking at things fairly, Floyd Mayweather has every right to decide when and how often he fights. It’s his body, his risk, and his money. As much as we’d like to see our stars fight more often, we have to recognize the fact that they are taking the risks and have every right to come and go as they please. Is it nobler to fight no-hopers and easy marks or to simply sit things out until the right, logical opponent makes himself available?
