A lot of time is usually dedicated to a Manny Pacquiao fight long before it actually takes place, and long after. In the Philippines, it?s even much more. But you can imagine that already. So in a nutshell, no other Filipino in recent memory (or ever) has taken the spotlight quite like Pacquiao has. He?s a phenomenon, plain and simple.
But in a similar manner nowadays, Nonito Donaire is making his own headlines in his own rights. Not quite as much as Pacquiao, but more than a week after his quick demolition of Fernando Montiel, Donaire is still a hot topic in boxing. Again, it may not be as to the extent that Pacquiao gets to be, but it?s a nice change of pace, if not a change in person.
Donaire?s star-making win gives us another Filipino who can capture the imagination of the fans. A fighter capable of that is always good for the sport. But since the said fighter is Filipino as mentioned, people will now find it unavoidable to compare him to Pacquiao.
The author doesn?t escape that, as you may notice in how the beginning of this article. There?s no problem with that: comparisons are natural in sports. Fans find similarities between athletes in a sport all the time, in various ways. Besides, it?s a compliment to be compared to Pacquiao? the sport?s best and most popular.
But fans take it too far sometimes. Take for example Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in basketball, two great players with plenty of noticeable similarities. Jordan is considered by many as the greatest basketball player in NBA history, thus, many athletes that have and will come after him are inevitably going to be compared and contrasted to him just because he?s so great. But with Bryant, people go much farther (because they are so ?similar?) that it goes unwarranted. At first, it must be an honor for Bryant to be in the same conversation as Jordan, but taken too far, it can belittle the achievements of the former. It?s quite an issue in basketball right now that every time Bryant does something, fans compare it to something Jordan did as if the former did it just because the latter did. Or something like that. Got that? Jordan is used by many as the standard in judging many players in the sport of basketball that being evaluated against him is understandable on some level. But when a player (i.e. Kobe Bryant) accomplishes something that fans perceive is not enough just because they feel it doesn?t match the accomplishment of the player they?re comparing him to, that?s a problem.
When you limit the scope to the Philippines, we?re not that far yet with Donaire and Pacquiao. But we might someday be. Donaire looks to be that kind of star. He usually only shared nationality with Pacquiao, but now, he has the ability, the excitement, and the potential to be raised alongside him. He has earned that right. But is he as good?
That?s what I?m saying. That?s where we have a problem. Donaire doesn?t have to be as good nor have to be similar to Pacquiao. He isn?t on both counts, but is there something wrong with that?
It?s as if these observers/fans don?t already know that Pacquiao is the best fighter in the sport. As such, NO ONE is as good as him. Don?t hold it against Donaire that he is not, or will not be (according to your opinion) as good as Pacquiao.
Pacquiao is currently not just on a level of his own in terms of popularity and maybe even skill, but unique in terms of excitement and style. Donaire doesn?t have to be like him in all those. If Donaire doesn?t excite you the way Pacquiao does, it?s not Donaire?s problem. If you haven?t noticed by now, these two fighters ? the best the Philippines has to offer ? possess different styles (not as close as the Bryant-Jordan resemblance abovementioned). Why can?t some people just let Donaire be his own?
Every fighter that comes after Pacquiao will owe him something. Heck, even Charice Pempengco and all those other new Filipino stars making a name in the international scene have been indirectly helped by Pacquiao?s fame. I am not in any way denigrating their talents?it?s something to be proud of if you are a Filipino. But Pacquiao has helped bring the Philippines to relevance today by bringing honor to it over the years, benefiting Filipinos from all over in any field, especially boxing. Donaire acknowledges that, and he is appreciative of that.
And so should we. But we as observers should also appreciate Donaire, without raising him alongside the standards of Pacquiao or expecting him to mimic Pacquiao in any way. Here, we fans have another exciting pound-for-pound Filipino fighter and yet people can?t help but judge him against Pacquiao. Then they?ll end up disappointed, without realizing that they?re the ones who set themselves up for it.
Crashing Right Hooks:
– Congratulations to Ana Julaton (8-2-1, 1 KO) for successfully defending her WBO championship (against Franchesca Alcanter). She currently holds two world titles in the female super bantamweight division (IBA and WBO). The Filipino-American is the first female world boxing champion from the Philippines (Filipina Gretchen Abaniel once won an ?international title? at minimumweight). Julaton was also one of the ?quickest? to win championships in women?s boxing (won her IBA title in her seventh fight, upsetting veteran Kelsey Jeffries, who has 52 bouts under her belt). In a similar way as Pacquiao above, Julaton said she wants to help bring Filipina boxing to the forefront. ?The Hurricane? is becoming one of the reasons that we are in the ?Golden Age of Philippine Boxing?.
– On the article above, my very first column (back at 411Mania), I explained in its ?Crashing Right Hooks? section why the title of my column is as such. Do check that if you check the article out. I explained it as well in my last week?s column (my first here at 3MR).
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