HIS name is Irwin Castella. He writes all the way from charming Bacolod to correct my impression on Manny Pacquiao.
Spare him, begs this friendly Ilonggo.
Before everything else, I’ve got to thank Mr. Castella for helping me back onto the rush-rush rat road after my annual break.
Says he: “Leave Pacquiao alone, Manny is one of the flickering lights left in our dimming horizon.”
Sound advice, graceful prose: “Manny’s defeat can never be a risk to himself and to us the whole Filipino nation. He will come out of it a better man. And never a risk.”
* * *
Thanks, I stand corrected.
Of course, it has become clear that Mr. Castella took me to task for having said that Pacquiao was a risky model for the President of the Philippines, Madame Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Again, you’ve scored a big point.
Pacquiao did not bother to hide anything, he gave all in that fateful fight — including his inferior skills — against Erik Morales.
Pacquiao indeed was not a GMA (Ms Arroyo’s initials) who’d grab at anything just to stay afloat, if not make a turnaround any day.
* * *
Now, let’s get to the core of the post-fight analysis from Bacolod: “Morales, I agree, was the better polished fighter, but whoever was the better fighter is beside the point. The fact is, to us Filipinos, Pacquiao is Braveheart and Forrest Gump combined. Or better yet FPJ as Panday. He was the underdog who went against all odds. He inspires us. Manny Pacquiao is not GMA’s model alone. Pacquiao is our model. He poured out blood, sweat and tears for his personal gain and for our country’s glory.”
Touche. Then, as a KO blow, Mr. Castella hastens to ask: “How many journalistic boo-boos and kuryentes sports columnists had experienced before they become to be known. We had never known how many, but we never had considered them risky. We continue reading their works.”
* * *
Thank you very kindly.
Of course, it may help to set the record straight that Pacquiao was never the underdog in that last fight.
He was the favorite and behaved like one, to the point of being noisy.
“Did Trinidad,” continues Mr. Castella, “forget the nasty cut above the eye. With blood covering one eye, Manny found it so hard to fight a well-calibrated fighter. Did Trinidad ever try typing a column with a Bare Eye closed?”
Well, I happened to be at ringside and I sincerely thought Pacquiao had stood a good chance at winning after a sensational first round.
* * *
Yes, Pacquiao could’ve won that big one, with or without the nasty cut.
Pacquiao could’ve won if he had come properly prepared to fight a superior foe.
Problem: Pacquiao had, all the while, thought and insisted Morales would be there for the taking.
In fact, Pacquiao had told this reporter a good month before the fight that he had perceived a mismatch.
Said he: “Morales, I’d only play and toy with him. Si Barrera nga, pinaglaruan ko lang.”
What happened inside the ring at the MGM Grand on March 19 was a complete reversal of what Pacquiao had loudly predicted.
Morales had the usual slow start. But after he settled down in the second round, the Mexican macho man proceeded to reduce Pacquiao to a pupil receiving on-scene instructions from a master.
* * *
The eye-cut was not an entirely empty alibi.
However, records show that Pacquiao was behind on points when he was injured in the fifth round.
If the cut had been inflicted at a point when Pacquiao was either ahead or was in control, it would’ve been both crucial and decisive.
Now, let’s go straight to the point.
Pacquiao proved inferior against Morales because of built-in or self-inflicted incompetence.
Pacquiao had sincerely and honestly felt he was superior to his foe.
Pacquiao definitely knew and felt how good and strong he was.
But he was totally blind about the total capability of Morales.
Pacquiao was not fully prepared to box a superior, more competent opponent who also came in at his best.
In fact, Pacquiao would later blame his footwork and admit he should’ve fought better.
He took a silly risk, but we also have to respect well-meaning fans that refuse to call Pacquiao incompetent.
He lost, but Pacquiao gets the applause for leaving the ring heroic.
