“When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer.”
You can’t help but feel that the above quote describing the Macedonian king of antiquity will soon apply to the current undisputed king of boxing Manny Pacquiao when he finally meets and vanquishes Floyd Mayweather Jnr, the last of the pretenders to his crown, some time next year.
When that day comes, boxing will gain a massive boost in its continuing resurgence, proving beyond doubt that it is the most exciting and dynamic sport in the world.
It would lose not only the greatest fighter of the present era, but one of the greatest that the sport has ever produced in the shape of Filipino Pacquiao, who will most probably retire afterwards.
What is there to say about this man that has not already been said? In the wake of his latest – and for me most impressive – victory over Puerto Rico’s formidable Miguel Cotto, praise and eulogy has flowed from every corner of the world.
Adjectives such as great, supreme, invincible have been bandied around with euphoric abandon after a display of boxing art and skill such as the world hasn’t seen in a generation.
Speed, power, intensity, intelligence and courage were present in abundance over 12 rounds of a battle between two warriors who represent not only themselves but the hopes and dreams of an entire people.
Herein is the secret of Pacquiao’s greatness. For in a world in which fame and celebrity has corroded those deeper human values of solidarity and compassion, Pacquaio’s devotion to his fellow countrymen and women, to their plight in a nation which hasn’t had to search for its trials and tribulations in recent decades, sets him apart from most of his fellow sporting greats.
It is surely this devotion to those stuck in the mire of the poverty which gives Pacquiao the emotional and spiritual strength to meet every challenger with a renewed sense of purpose which transcends the wealth and fame that has arrived with success in the ring.
Pacquiao knows that with every victory his people walk a little taller and experience the thrill of seeing one of their own lauded by the entire world.
As for the fight itself, no analysis should commit the crime of ignoring the courage and dignity of Cotto.
In the months leading up, he was never less than the epitome and graciousness whenever he appeared in front of the cameras or gave interviews.
Not for him the cheap hyperbole and jibes directed at his opponent, an altogether unsavoury aspect of a sport which all too often has stooped to reflect the worst aspects of a society in which empty boasts, insults and disrespect have sadly become synonymous with something that the money men like to describe as promotion.
That Cotto is a true warrior was displayed in the way that he chose to go out on his shield rather than have the fight stopped, as many thought it should have been at least two rounds earlier than it was, when it was clear that his resistance to his opponent’s relentless onslaught was futile.
Boxing needs warriors like Cotto to carry its banner and he should be accorded the accolades deserving of a display of courage and tenacity rarely seen in the ring – not only in this fight but over an entire career which, hopefully, still has some distance to run.
In the early rounds, it even looked as though he might be the challenge too far for Pacman – something which many pundits had predicted.
Indeed, the sight of Pacquiao taking a backward step in the ring in the first two rounds, of being pinned against the ropes, was so unfamiliar that many of us had to rub our eyes to make sure they weren’t playing tricks on us.
But then came Pacquiao’s switch in gears and the unleashing of the speed, power, intensity, grace, and movement which over seven weight classes – yes, seven – hasn’t lessened an inch and, if anything, has increased.
Ever since Pacquiao first walked into Freddie Roach’s Wildcard Gym nine years ago, the improvements in his arsenal have been manifold. On a personal note, this writer recalls being drawn to the speed and voluble noise of a young, scrawny-looking fighter shadow-boxing in the ring at Wildcard way back in 2000.
Back then, he was just another prospect, one of the never-ending procession that wend their way from all over the world to the hallowed temple of boxing which Wildcard has become.
Ferocious speed and a left hand were the raw materials which nine years of hard consistent work under Roach’s tutelage were honed into the fighting machine which Pacquiao has become, complete with an array of punches thrown with lightning speed from every angle that have seen worthy opponents dispatched one after the other with relative ease.
Pacquiao’s preparations in the Philippines had been disrupted by a typhoon and floods. There were also rumblings of disagreement between trainer and fighter, as well as suggestions that Pacquiao was placing greater priority on activities leading away from boxing.
Would this be the determining factor in the ring? Had Pacquiao succumbed to all the hype and become a victim of his own success?
These questions and more besides were answered emphatically on fight night. Pacquiao’s greatness remains.
As for the rest of us mortals, it is well to give thanks to have been given the privilege of witnessing history in the making.
