TOKYO?I gave Brandon Rios only one round. Grudgingly. The remaining 11 rounds I gave Manny Pacquiao, I did it without hesitation, in the not-so-brutal fight won by Pacquiao via unanimous decision.
Rios, 27, suddenly sprung to life in the second round after receiving early punishment in Round One. He fell on his pants from a left shot to the ribs, but referee Genaro Rodriguez ruled it a slip.
The rest of the fight, Rios, bizarrely, merely mildly put up a fight.
He was battered, belittled and, at times, bewildered. When struck with successive shots to the face, he?d even taunt Pacquiao with mooching lips and his tongue sticking out.
He appeared funny at times that you wondered if he came fighting or clowning.
What was really funny, if not eerily incredible?unacceptable even?was the way Rios fought for practically the entire 12 rounds.
Except in Round 2, Rios contented himself with absorbing shot after shot?rarely answering back with hits of his own.
He was outpunched because he didn?t punch that much. Clearly, he was outmaneuvered by a rejuvenated Pacquiao. But at least throwing punches has always been the staple of every boxer, so-so or otherwise. There was not much of that. From Rios.
I have no explanation for that, except to say Rios virtually stood there for Pacquiao to feast on his well-chiseled face and mostly exposed body.
So one-sided was the fight that, in the end, I thought Pacquiao was in the gym banging away at a punching bag. Only Rios can explain that.
Rios did not absorb his second loss in a row against 31 wins and one draw. With the way he fought, he seemed ready to give it away?on a silver platter yet.
Pacquiao, 34, ever the gentleman that he is, said his win was not about his comeback.
He said it was about his countryman?s comeback from disaster wrought by typhoon Yolanda.
Definitely, Pacquiao was in superb condition, the main reason he remained fresh as a daisy up to the final bell; his unmarked. In contrast, blood dripped from Rios?s left eye brow (sixth round) and nose (eighth).
Pacquiao is back. Thank you, Mr. Courageous Rios.
