I?m taking a page out of Bill Clinton?s magnificent speech in Denver last night.
I am here, first and foremost, to support Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya.
I am here to support their Dec. 6 fight, a complete circus which would?ve made Barnum & Bailey proud.
I am here to help in the mental recovery of colleagues Ricky Lois and Johnny Chavez, two Oscar-Manny fight haters.
There is room in our Dec. 6 tent, under the Big Top, for them and for all the nattering nabobs of negativity.
Though they swear that they will watch pro rassling or basketball that first Saturday in December, you know that is a promise the vast majority of the haters will not keep.
They will become Looky Lous. They will be like the people who can?t help but slow down and crane their necks to look at a highway accident.
Curiosity, they say, killed the cat and curiosity will cause the Ricardos and the Johns out there in boxing world to want to see what they perceive as a fistic horror show live.
They will be the little kid who is told, time and time again, not to put his hand over the stove because it is hot and can burn him.
They will ignore the warnings and their own instincts will take over.
What if Manny knocks out the aging legend?
What If the physical mismatch does not matter when the first bell rings?
What if the Pacman paralyzes the old, wheezing graybeard Oscar with a left hand to the right kneecap, thus leaving the Pretty Boy immobile and easy prey for the Pinoy idol?
Unless Oscar demolishes Megamanny, the haters have lost. Unless the fight is a complete bore, as dull as the Republican convention next week in Minneapolis is sure to be, then the haters have lost again.
This is not a disgraceful fight like Muhammad Ali against Larry Holmes was from its inception to the point where a merciful Holmes was begging the referee to wave it off
But the haters have lost already. Or they will have lost at 2 pm EDT today, when Oscar makes it official on his media conference call.
It says here as it?s said here before, that Pacman cannot ?lose? this fight. He may get an ?L? on his ring record but, if he does, you may be certain that Oscar will not leave the ring unblemished.
No, Manny cannot lose with the $15 million or so he will put into his bulging bank accounts. That?s the equivalent of fighting Humberto Soto three or maybe four times.
You savvy?
As far as the haters who claim Oscar will go through Pacquiao like a hot knife through butter, you make me laugh.
Like Oscar ?destroyed? light hitter Stevie Forbes?
Like Oscar ?destroyed? Felix Sturm?
Like Oscar ?destroyed? Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
It?s the end of a glorious ride for Oscar. His worst critic would have to concede that.
But, sticking with my political theme, Oscar is Bill Clinton, the old horse who is headed out to pugilistic pasture.
At age 29, seven years younger and fresher, Manny is Barack Obama, the choice of a New Generation.
Change is good.
Change is coming.
Yes Manny can!
The Johns, the Ricardos will be watching, trust me. They might be watching inside closets or in underground tunnels, I don?t know.
But come Dec. 7, a day that will not live in boxing infamy, all of them will be saying the same thing.
They will all be saying, ?That was a pretty good fight.?
It is a circus, for sure, but neither Oscar nor Manny are clowns.
I am Michael Marley, your White Gorilla, and I approved this message.
