I remember watching a relatively unheard of Manny Pacquiao tear into Marco Antonio Barrera in their first meeting very well. I was with a friend of mine, Stan Nichols. Stan at the time was the chief of officials for the state of Mississippi. I remember the look on Stan’s face as he watched Pacquiao whoop Barrera. He looked at me and asked, ”Who the hell is this guy?” I laughed, and ‘said well I think he will be around for a long time.’
Since then, Pacquiao has tore through weight divisions and left a trail of wreckage behind him. Legends have all fallen to the Pacman, some beaten so badly that it altered their careers.
Pacquiao has stapled his name into the boxing hall of fame. His accomplishments all speak for themselves. He has millions of fans, and a few haters as well but that all comes with the territory.
Manny’s last few fights had a different feel and look to them. He complained of leg cramps for the second fight in a row. Is this a result of poor conditioning leading up to the fight? I’m guessing not. I don’t think Alex Ariza is the problem concerning the leg cramps. Did Pacman over train? Well Freddie Roach certainly knows his fighter, so I think it’s unlikely it was Roach’s error that created the leg cramps. What is it then? Advertisement
Pacman didn’t look as dominant Vs. Marquez as he had in previous fights. This could be as a result of style match up though. Marquez always fought Pacquiao tough, so perhaps we should credit Marquez for Manny’s lack of dominance. Perhaps Father Time is creeping into the picture? Could it be?
Pacman has been fighting a long time. He’s been in some wars, especially Vs. Morales and Marquez.
He gets some flack for fighting bigger and slower guys, but guess what? Fighting guys like Margarito is no walk in the park. Margarito may be slower, but he hits like a mule. Pacman actually hurt his ribs pretty badly in that fight. He was sore for days after that fight.
Is Pacquiao showing slight signs of Father Time creeping up on him? Perhaps not, but perhaps so. Time will tell.
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