Manny Pacquiao, recognized as the featherweight People?s Champion by the prestigious Ring Magazine after his devastating 11th-round TKO victory over legendary Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera, leaves for Los Angeles tomorrow to continue training under American ace Freddie Roach at the famed Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Two other promising young prospects, Manny?s brother Bobby, the reigning Philippine super featherweight champion and Orient Pacific Boxing Federation no. 1 contender to hard-hitting Filipino Randy Suico and OPBF super flyweight top contender Z ?The Dream? Gorres will also leave, bound for Roach?s Wild Card Gym.
There is absolutely no doubt that Bobby and Gorres will benefit immensely from this stint because Roach did a masterful job in turning Manny into an awesome punching machine and a finely honed ring warrior. In the case of both Bobby and Gorres they are, at this stage of their careers, perhaps more skilful than Manny was when Roach took him under his care which means they have the potential ? and the opportunity ? to reach the pinnacle of success in the ring if they listen to Roach, follow his instructions and put their hearts and minds into achieving their goals.
Manny, for all his sometimes wayward ways which are more the result of his youth and the fact that he had suddenly broken away from the bondage of poverty and zoomed into the limelight amids the kind of wealth he probably only dreamed of, never faltered in his burning desire to be the best and to make the sacrifices that needed to be made to achieve his goals. If Bobby and Gorres can match the commitment of Manny and use his dedication in the gym as an example and an inspiration, then they, too, can bring honor to our country and glory for themselves. But the road is long and difficult and won?t come easy because nothing in the fight game really comes easy.
Gorres and the younger Pacquiao no doubt have the skills to be world class fighters. But they both lack two essential elements ? punching power and an aggressive, killer instinct. The power can be developed in the gym but the toughness, the no fear mentality of Manny must come from the heart. You cannot teach guts. You either have them or you don?t. However, promoter Murad Muhammad believes ? and he may well be right ? that you can instill fearlessness in a fighter by getting into his mind. It?s all a question of motivation.
The trip to LA to train under Roach should be motivation enough. In the case of Gorres, he is unbelievably lucky in having the eminent lawyer Rudy Salud as manager in partnership with respected Cebu boxing patron Tony Aldeguer. Salud has spent a small fortune so far on Gorres and is not averse to spending more, just so this young fighter may someday bring honor to our country and lift the hearts of our people in these troubled times because this, more than anything else, is Salud?s mission in life.
Salud and Aldeguer, each in their own way, have done a tremendous amount for boxing, never thinking of what they might get in return because to them, they seek no compensation except the joy of knowing that they did something for young men, striving to break away from their poverty and aiming to give their families a better life. Salud and Aldeguer, men with a noble mission in what to us is perhaps the most demanding but noblest of sports.
