If you?ve watched the HBO Countdown to Pacquiao-Barrera II, then you know the storyline. If you haven?t, it goes something like this:
Last time, Barrera was distracted and he got beat. This time, Pacquiao is distracted, and?
When Marco Antonio Barrera first fought Manny Pacquiao on November 15, 2003 in San Antonio, TX, he was anything but ready for the challenge. The controversy centered on his brain surgery in which a cluster of blood vessels was removed and a metal plate was installed. The Nevada State Athletic Commission and all reputable commissions were appalled that Barrera had never disclosed the surgery and had fought after the brain surgery, including an exciting tussle with his main rival Erik Morales.
The state of Texas allowed the fight with the known-unknown dynamo Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines after reviewing the medical records. But this wasn?t the only distraction.
Barrera was training in Big Bear, California when forest fires sprouted up all around the training camp causing so much suffocating smoke to envelope them that camp had to be temporarily stopped and then moved. For the Pacquiao fight, Barrera had only sparred a reported fifty rounds.
The fight itself was a shocker as Pacquiao simply dominated the fierce Mexican warrior. Barrera was knocked down two times, in rounds three and eleven. He was cut and bloodied and simply could not get his engine started. Dominated from start to finish, his corner finally threw in the towel in the eleventh.
Suddenly, as it often happens in our sport, we had a new star. While boxing got a new star, the Filipino people hailed Manny Pacquiao as a national hero.
Much has happened with both fighters since that first meeting. Pacquiao has undoubtedly become the most exciting fighter in boxing, if not the ?pound for pound king.? He drew with Juan Manuel Marquez in a fight many thought would end in the first round when Marquez hit the canvas thrice. He also went 2-1 over Erik Morales.
Barrera went on to defeat Erik Morales again, Rocky Juarez twice, and then dropped a decision to Juan Manuel Marquez.
Smart people surmise that Barrera, 33, is on his way out and that the 28-year-old Pacquiao is a fighter in his prime. While we can agree on the latter, let?s say ?not so fast? to the former.
Rumor is rampant that this time, all the distractions are with Pacquiao (44-3-2, 25 KOs) while Barrera (63-5, 42) trains with the tenacity of a younger man bent on avenging his embarrassing loss.
I?ve written on it before. Manny Pacquiao is a rock star/ superstar/ hero/ phenom in his native land. Michael Jordan in his heyday in the United States had nothing on Pac?s decibel level in the Philippines.
One Pacquiao is greater than four Beatles.
And herein lies the potential for disaster.
Manny?s world is full of distractions for an athlete who literally risks his life as a profession. He can?t go anywhere without getting mobbed by well-wishers. His phone would ring off the hook if cel phones had hooks. He literally would have to be in one hundred places at a time if he?d accept even half of the invitations he gets. Whether it is a party, a benefit, a political event, or a sporting event, Pac?s invited.
You can look no further to Freddie Roach for early signs of distraction for Pacman. Roach complained publicly about not knowing in advance that Pacquiao wanted to train in the Philippines. In fact, when Pacman flew in for the Los Angeles press conference, Roach expected Manny to stay in LA and begin training, but instead, the little bomber took the return flight to his homeland and announced he?d be staying put.
Roach packed his bags soon thereafter and followed his charge to the islands. Camp was set up in Cebu City. Slowly but surely, the rock star distractions which accompany Pacquiao 24/7 began to fade.
?One thing about Manny is once, you know, once we start boxing camp, nothing takes place. Nothing’s more important to Manny. And once he starts training for a fight, there’s no distractions whatsoever. It’s a 100% fight. He sleeps, he goes to bed at 9:00 at night,? said Roach on the recent media conference call.
Manny echoed those sentiments.
?There’s no distraction when we train in the Philippines. Like Freddie said that during my training I’m very focused and concentrating to the fight and to our training.?
Hm. I wonder if there were no distractions for the Beatles in Liverpool or for Elvis in Memphis while getting ready to record.
Has the Pacman read all of his press? Has he been drinking the kool aid? Is he taking Marco Antonio Barrera seriously enough?
Sometimes the margin of victory is miniscule. If you aren?t 100% mentally and physically, it doesn?t matter what happened in the first fight. This particular fight is ripe for an upset.
Will Barrera avenge his embarrassing defeat in Texas of five years ago?
None of us knows. That?s why they fight the fights.
