MANNY Pacquiao?s fight with Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Sunday morning wasn?t boring like critics would like people to believe. Mosley?s bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year was the one that was boring.
Pacquiao-Mosley was only boring to those who have gotten used to seeing Manny pummel opponents to submission. Every round of the fight had its exciting moments; these just weren?t in long stretches. But compared to other bouts by other fighters, this was no snoozefest
One critic, though, had an interesting observation: that Pacquiao may have so settled in the welterweight division he has lost some of the qualities he was known for when he was at the lower weight. Like his buzz saw style.
That ?settling? idea does not have enough basis to fly, though. What does have basis is Manny beginning to settle in his other job as a politician.
When Pacquiao entered the ring in MGM Grand to the tune of ?Eye of the Tiger? (sang live by Jimi Jamison, former frontmaan of the legendary Survivor band), he was wearing blue shorts (a departure from the usual red or white color) and yellow gloves.
The use of yellow was intentional. For Pacquiao, yellow signifies the unity of the Filipinos across the globe. ?Boxing is not the biggest fight of my life; eradicating poverty is now the biggest fight of my life,? the boxer-congressman was quoted as saying.
Manny was obviously cognizant of observations that he failed to use the global stature he has acquired as a boxer for other worthwhile endeavors.
Pacquiao visited President Noynoy Aquino in December (even if he was a supporter of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) to get Malaca?ang?s support for his pet project, a provincial hospital for Sarangani. He got a P200-million commitment from the President.
Manny?s own commitment to help his less-privileged kababayans will be tested even as he has officially partnered with Gawad Kalinga Foundation in building houses for the poor. The extent of the help he promised, however, is still to be looked into.
It is not known what will happen to Pacquiao?s ?fight against poverty? when he graduates from a novice to being a veteran politician. The hope is that only the positive aspects of politics will fuel his attempt to capitalize on his stature as the boxing world?s pound-for-pound king.
