FOR almost three months since the “Hello Garci” tapes became the favorite and titillating subject of the kibitzers and the chismosos, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was finally grinning from ear to ear on television last Sunday when she congratulated our own Manny Pacquiao for the speedy and swift dispatch he made of the Mexican pretender, Hector Velazquez. From her broad smile, it was apparent that a heavy load was taken off her shoulders.
Before Pacquiao’s expected win, in the wake of the Garci tapes brouhaha, her words and message before gatherings seemed to lack fire and sting. As if they were forced from her lips. But last Sunday afternoon, she was jubilant, nay, exhilarated.
Pacquiao, her own countryman, had lived up to pre-fight billings by knocking out Velazquez in the sixth round of their title match at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Her dour spirits lifted, she rejoiced and congratulated Pacquiao’s victory, calling it “the fight of all Filipinos.” She was euphoric.
3-IN-1. PGMA said that God heard her prayers for Pacquiao to win. It was actually a triple victory for the Filipino race, which refuses to admit that we can never be the best in basketball except in the SEA Games.
Ray “Boom Boom” Bautista, the 19-year-old boxing marvel from Bohol, knocked out Felix Flores Murillo of Colombia in just three rounds for his 17th straight victory, 13th inside the distance. Brian Viloria, a Fil-American whose parents are from Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, hardly worked a sweat to dethrone Eric Ortiz of Mexico for the WBC light-flyweight championship in one round.
It was the first time ever that three Filipino boxers appearing in one high-profile card abroad, all won. Fight fans who expected an upset were disappointed. The 26-year-old Gensan “Destroyer” proved that he is ready to take on all comers in his division, including possible return bouts with Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales – Mexicans all. Practically every Filipino who owns a TV set saw that methodical slaughter and can better describe what took place and how. Velazquez was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
TARGET. I refrained from initially calling Velazquez a patsy, a Mr. Nobody. But hours before the fight, sports columnist Al Mendoza of the Philippine Daily Inquirer called the Mexican a nondescript, a patsy. He explained that Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, personally picked Velazquez from a list of journeymen in need of beer money more than fame.
“Roach saw in Velazquez a picture-perfect target for Pacquiao’s missiles,” Mendoza wrote.
I was more polite. I just called him a pretender who has nothing to lose against Pacquiao. I said it was a setup, a mismatch that Velazquez was purposely handpicked and set up as a fall guy by the promoters for an even bigger and richer fight in January next year that will be called “Pacquiao-Morales: Part II.” How rich that fight may be or if it will ever materialize at all, will be the subject of future columns.
Top Rank, the promoter, still insists that the return fight will definitely go on. For the other complement of that “Double Trouble” slam bang at the Staples Center could not live up to his high-profile billing. Erik Morales was beaten by unanimous decision by Zahir Rahim for the WBC International lightweight title. It was a startling upset of sorts, though Rahim did not appear stunned that he won. He was practically unmarked when it was over.
INTERESTED. Only last March 20, the same Morales carved out a unanimous decision over Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Speaking through an interpreter on HBO after Rahim was declared winner, Morales said that he is still interested in fighting again. But probably, it will be at 130 pounds, not the 135 he carried against Rahim, a boxing Olympian from the 1996 Atlanta Games. It was the first time too that Morales fought as a lightweight.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Pacquiao says he wants to take my head off. Let’s see if he can do it.” – Erik Morales, quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer
