Critics of Manny Pacquiao like to point fingers and make claims of cherry-picking and convenient matchmaking and, Lord knows, I have engaged in such behavior over the years as the Filipino Phenom has gotten bigger, both literally and figuratively, as a pugilistic icon.
In my opinion, the criticisms have been warranted in five of his last seven fights. However, as Manny’s November fight with Juan Manuel Marquez approaches, this critic will go on record as saying that Pacquiao is fighting the right fight for all the right reasons. The one question, though, is whether the right fight is taking place at the wrong time.
The first two furious bouts between the modern day icons, contested at featherweight and then super featherweight, were pure fistic joy. Two battles between proud warriors who not only wouldn’t back down, but, almost literally, couldn’t.
In the eyes of many, Marquez, who came away with a draw and a close decision loss, actually won both encounters. The second fight was especially controversial, with even the likes of Filipino Sports analysts Ronnie Nathanielsz, Recah Trinidad and Ed Picson giving the nod to Marquez. But any way you cut it, both battles were close, fiercely fought affairs.
And ever since the controversial decision was read at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Juan Manuel Marquez has been aggressively campaigning for a rematch.
But Manny, literally, had bigger things in mind as he would immediately move up to lightweight to take on WBC titlist, David Diaz.
