(Editor?s note: Let?s believe the computer boxes, NOT hunches, and let?s stop bellyaching for once, as noted by the author.)
MANILA, Philippines ? According to three judges and their staff at ringside, punches that connect ? with the head and body ? are counted accurately by computer boxes which viewers in many parts of the world cannot see. These boxes were not visible to our so-called analysts in Manila as they sat at ringside and watched a PPV TV.
Scorecards
Three judges last Sunday (Saturday at MGM Grand, Las Vegas) voted: One judge saw the fight a draw and two judges viewed Manny Pacquiao as the clear winner.
Let?s give the ringside computer boxes (called CompuBox) the benefit of all our doubts. These machines tabulated the number of punches the fighters threw in the ring for 12 rounds ? 36 minutes. According to the CompuBox, Pacquiao threw 578 punches, landing 176, while Marquez unloaded 436, connecting only 138 or 38 less.
Power punches: 117 to 100
Pacquiao?s power punches of 274 made 117 hits against the Mexican?s 254 with 100 contacts. So, let?s stop crying over the outcome of the fight and believe the judges. We can also stop counting the rounds in favor of Manny andMarquez.
Boxer Marquez, his promoters, managers, and followers did not agree with the judges and their computers. This attitude deserves respect worldwide. Fairness is seen by various viewers from a number of angles.
Manila analysts/scientists
But in Manila, right after Pacquiao was proclaimed winner, three or four Filipino boxing analysts (kuno) or ?scientists? announced Marquez was a victim of ?lutong makaw.? This will not sit well with most Filipinos, including me.
Let?s rely on scientific counting, NOT on hunches and guesses. The boxers inside the ring, Pacquiao and Marquez, cannot rig the outcome as the politicians did in the presidential and senatorial elections in Maguindanao in May, 2004, and 2007.
Loud protest
The ringside viewers did not pound their shoes in protest. But the backbenchers threw juice cans, hitting one writer in the neck; they were probably fanatical Marquez fans, all Mexicans, expecting a 10-round margin for their hero.
Boxing tradition
They closed their eyes to the clearly visible combat in the ring ? that Marquez fought and threw counter punches while in full retreat. According to boxing tradition, a challenger needs to show a fairly aggressive stance, stalking the champion to the very end, trying his best to scare or knock the daylights out of his foe ? to snatch his belt.
Long arguments
The argument among doubters will last longer than necessary, because some of our TV, radio, and print media anchors and writers, and callers don?t give due credit to the scorecard of punches, hard/wild, in favor of Rep. Pacquiao as recorded by ringside computer boxes.
Even the most experienced referee cannot accurately count the punches/jabs thrown under his nose by two fighters in 12 rounds of fury at three minutes per round or a total of 36 minutes.
With my family
I watched the fight on PPV TV with my family and cousins. They were dumbfounded when they saw Pacquiao?s upper-eye injury that could bleed and blind him for a few seconds, time enough to get a solid blow to the head, jaw, or face. It did not happen, because the two fighters were terribly scared to come within easy range of long punches, hooks and jabs.
With bated breath
My sons-in-law were waiting for a KO punch that did not materialize from both fighters. Within 10 seconds after the fight, I announced my decision: It?s Pacquiao?s day again. My grandchildren, the boys especially, turned to me each with a half-smile.
My wife and daughters sighed and shouted, ?Sana.? The referee was poker-faced, but the judges? decision would be announced in less than five minutes as in most fights.
Confidence
As the announcer took the mike I developed a trouble-free confidence. In most fights I saw, the challenger who threw amazing counter-punches while in full retreat did not impress the judges. Marquez was awfully careful and bold in counter-punching Manny.
His back-pedaling became a habit from the start. It?s too obvious: There?s no aggression from him. (Comments are welcome at [email protected]).
