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Philippines, 22 Nov 2024 |
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THESCENE AROUND: Dealing with reality By Ed Picson PhilBoxing.com Wed, 17 Dec 2008  The guest list for Manny Pacquiao?s birthday party on the 17th is sure to include a veritable who?s who of government, sports, social and entertainment personalities. Pacquiao is now so celebrated that his circle includes the most prominent of personages not only in the Philippines but internationally as well. Even his former and future opponents in the ring have been invited to come and celebrate his milestone 30th birthday. This just goes to show how well he has conducted himself outside the ring even if his ferocity and intensity inside of it have become fearsome and legendary. While a lot of us are sure to frown on some of the choices he has made as for friends, most especially those in the political field, we should understand that he needs to cultivate these relationships because he is going to need them should his ambition to become a government official become a reality. Whether we like it or not, he seems hell-bent on pursuing such a course of action eventually. And even if he doesn?t, people will still flock to him to ask for help and he would do well to have these connections to make it easier for him to accommodate requests which would involve issues of public works, peace and order and other national concerns. One has to admire the way that Manny has managed to earn the respect of people of varied persuasions and circumstances. It can sometimes get unbelievable how his success in his ring exploits has given him such status. Surely, his comportment as a person has something to do with the adoration and admiration that he has elicited from some of the most exalted luminaries. As a fighter, he has shown his world-class skills that have victimized the very best in boxing, including his latest victim, the much-admired Golden Boy, Oscar de la Hoya. But his natural tendency to humble himself despite his monumental accomplishments has endeared him to people from all walks of life. After annihilating a hapless David Diaz, he immediately extended his hand to his fallen foe. Amidst the chaos of the announcement of his TKO victory over de la Hoya, he tried to soothe the emotional pain of the ?downtrodden boy? by remarking ?you are still my idol.? Such class acts, despite his obvious deficiencies in communication owing to a hard life that hindered his quest for education. But class manifests itself in many ways, and with Manny it comes out naturally. Which leads us to the unending and unpleasant evaluation of Pacquiao?s last fight by some disgruntled and/or disappointed parties. Several times in the last week, I have been accosted by acquaintances and strangers alike, imparting to me their supposedly sage analysis that the fight with de la Hoya was ?scripted?. I heard these estimations even before the fight by some who suspected that a trilogy was in the works so the fighters and promoters? take would be trebled. With the reputation of boxing as a cesspool of con men and shady characters, it is not surprising that some would surmise such a dastardly scenario. But it is absolutely unfair to Manny Pacquiao. Because no matter how one cuts it, even to the extent of saying de la Hoya took a dive without our boy being in on it, it casts an unsavory flavor to Pacquiao?s victory. It should be realized that such ranting, especially without benefit of hard evidence, smacks of cynicism at best; paranoia and ignorance at worst. If one would only take the effort of appreciating the vast improvement in Pacquiao?s game in his last two fights against Diaz and de la Hoya, it would not be difficult to fathom the reason for the one-sidedness of those matches. Despite his continued climb to heavier weight divisions, he has not lost his speed and power but rather, has learned to use those weapons to the hilt. His beautiful in-and-out moves that befuddled his opponents were poetry in motion. His side-to-side dance and the rhythmic bob and weave made a mockery of the opposition?s feeble attempts at pinning him down. Sure, Freddie Roach must be commended for the work he has done in harnessing Manny?s skills. But we owe it to the man who executed the master plan to near-perfection to acknowledge his magnificent triumph. His victims, fellow world-class boxers and the international press, including his most fervent critics, have conceded that indeed he has come of age and his domination of de la Hoya was an achievement worthy of superlative praise. Manny is now hailed as one of the best boxers ever. That is a reality we should be proud of as fellow Filipinos. Deal with it. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed Picson.  |
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