other type is the mental pressure that a fighter feels when expectations of him are set too high. That is the type of pressure that Marvin Sonsona may start feeling any day now. Or he may have been dealing with it already.
Sonsona is one of the new faces in boxing. He is poised with good boxing skills and very good power. On Friday he will try to move up the boxing ladder when he faces 48 fight veteran Jose Lopez. Lopez is also a belt holder in the super flyweight division.
That should be more than enough pressure on the 19 year old Sonsona. But there seems to be more pressure on Sonsona than most. The Philippines are looking for their next Pacquiao. The search is as important as ever since Manny is hinting that his future could be in politics and not in the ring.
Unfortunately for Marvin, Pacquiao is at a stage in his career that most boxers can only aspire to, but can never obtain. Right now Pacquiao is boxing’s sun with every other fighter playing the part of the circling planets. Everything revolves around Pacquiao.
The Philippines are loaded with good young talent with fighters like Donaire, Banal and Sonsona. But having Pacquiao as a national treasure has to give these fighters an additional burden. Not only do they need to be successful, they also need to be a man of their people. While some may be honored to be that man, once you’re in that position the reality sets in. It is an enormous weight to carry. Manny Pacquiao is a special breed of person, most people would be too overwhelmed to succeed as Manny has.
That is why we as fans need to start telling Marvin that he needs to be the best Marvin that he can be. Look up to Manny as a role model while realizing that he has set the bar so high that it will be impossible for anyone else to reach it. Do this and Sonsona may one day be one of the world’s top fighters. Throw on the extra weight of being Manny’s heir apparent and Marvin may end up being a fighter that couldn’t deal with all of the added responsibilities. Let this 19 year old kid be the best he can be and one day others may want to be the next Marvin Sonsona.
