Manny Pacquiao might have done enough to ensure that he is introduced as a congressman the next time he fights, but he probably lost a few votes Saturday in his pound-for-pound race against Floyd Mayweather Jr. with his victory against unknown Jorge Solis in San Antonio.
Pacquiao, who is running for a seat in the Filipino Congress, was competent in scoring an eighth-round TKO, yet his victory on promoter Bob Arum’s pay-per-view production fell short of the drama that is an impossible expectation after his compelling rise to stardom.
Pacquiao’s run of brilliance leaves no room for missteps, even in victory. It’s not whether he wins; it’s how he does it. On the entertainment and pound-for-pound scale, his stoppage of Solis ranks alongside Mayweather’s dull decision against Carlos Baldomir in November. advertisement
Pacquiao’s political campaign, which resumes this week in the Philippines with Arum at his side, had to be a distraction. A more significant factor might have been the absence of Freddie Roach at his training camp.
Roach, who is training Oscar De La Hoya for a May 5 showdown with Mayweather, left De La Hoya’s camp for a day to be in Pacquiao’s corner Saturday.
But Roach’s long-term absence might explain why Pacquiao, who was bloodied in a head butt, was sloppy in the early rounds. There wasn’t much of a plan evident at the opening bell. Pacquiao said he wants a rematch of his draw against Juan Manuel Marquez. It’s a good thing he didn’t get his wish Saturday night. Marquez would have beat him.
Seaworthy bout
Boxing is at the top of the media’s list of endangered species, but apparently ships at sea have not heard the news. Top Rank got an SOS from the Skandi Neptune, a ship at work on an undersea construction job. The crew wanted to see Saturday night’s Manny Pacquiao-Jorge Solis bout. A message to Top Rank said: “We are a vessel currently in the North Sea and would like to book the pay-per-view fight.” Quick hits The May 5 Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight has a chance to break pay-per-view records, in large part because the number of potential customers is growing. The pay-per-view universe is little bit like the old British Empire. The sun never sets on it. HBO Vice President Mark Taffet said last week that the bout will be available to more than 61 million homes, a record. It’s no surprise that Sugar Shane Mosley picks his business partner to beat the favored Mayweather. He foresees a late-round stoppage. “I think that Oscar is probably too big and most likely is going to catch him later on in the fight,” Mosley said from Puerto Rico, where he has been sparring with De La Hoya. On the Arizona card: Phoenix welterweight Mario Ramos is scheduled to fight on a Steve Ayala-promoted card May 4 (7 p.m.) at Barrios Unidos Park at 1501 E. Mohave St. ‘Pacman’ joins Judah’s entourage One “Pacman” was too much for the NFL, so boxing now has two. Filipino super-featherweight Manny Pacquiao isn’t the only “Pacman” in the sport anymore. It looks as if Adam “Pacman” Jones has joined the ringside circus for a while, or perhaps until the NFL’s season-long suspension of the Tennessee Titans cornerback ends. Jones showed up in former welterweight champion Zab Judah’s entourage Friday night in Tunica, Miss., for a fight that was declared no-contest after Ruben Galvan was left badly bloodied in the first round. What was Jones doing at a controversial fight with a controversial fighter not long after Judah’s suspension? There’s another thing for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s to ponder. Without any real action in the ring, ESPN’s cameras were left with Jones. If anything, he seemed to get more air time than Judah, who was coming off his own one-year suspension for his role in an extra-curricular brawl during a loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last April. In post-fight news reports, Jones was quoted as saying that Judah bloodied Galvan with a right hook, instead of an elbow or a head butt. We’re not sure what Jones saw. Then again, we’re not sure whether we should call him “Pacman I” or “Pacman II.”
