THE challenger did not challenge.
He came to cover his face. And he called that defense.
The referee?s right: ?Protect your self at all times.?
And we thought we had seen the last of cowards in Joshua Clottey.
Remember Clottey?
Like Omar Narvaez yesterday against Nonito Donaire Jr., Clottey covered his face for all of 12 rounds against Manny Pacquiao a while back in Dallas,Texas.
Like Narvaez yesterday against Donaire, Clottey merely climbed the ring to finish the fight standing, losing ludicrously on points.
Afterwards, like Narvaez again, Clottey laughed his way to the bank?clutching $1 million, his biggest paycheck ever.
Clottey next went home to Africa and retired to become one of the richest citizens in his tribe?was it in Ghana?
Ah, who cares?
Narvaez could also be ripe for pastureland.
He is 36. With his $250,000 purse he stole yesterday in his sleeper of a fight with Donaire ($750,000), Narvaez could live a lifetime of comfort?with his endless stock of Argentine corned beef keeping him company.
Ah, boxing. It never fails to con us.
What gave Narvaez the right to fight Donaire?
He was supposed to be called ?The Hurricane.?
Very true. He was a hurricane in avoiding Donaire.
Narvaez was unbeaten in 37 fights (19 knockouts)?two ended in draws?before he faced Donaire (26-1, with 18 KOs).
With the way he fought yesterday, Narvaez wasn?t even worthy of being called unbeaten, much less be considered a winner by knockout in 19 of his 35 wins.
Ah, wasn?t Freddie Roach who said Narvaez?s record was suspect?
Before the fight, Roach, Pacquiao?s brilliant American trainer, said, ?I?m impressed. But if Narvaez?s victims were mostly taxicab drivers, I won?t be surprised.?
Sometime ago, a guy named Edwin Valero was unbeaten in so many fights?maybe 21 fights. He won them all by knockout.
When people started talking Valero could pose a serious challenge to Pacquiao, and the Pacman could be in trouble if it materialized, Pacquiao said, ?Maybe, his victims were all tricycle drivers.?
Too bad Valero?s career?and life?ended tragically. He committed suicide only recently while in prison for domestic violence.
Ah, life. It is not to be lived, really, but is a journey.
I don?t know what?d be next for Narvaez after surrendering all 12 rounds yesterday as Donaire waltzed to a unanimous decision victory.
Will he return to his 112-lb and 115-lb divisions and continue his farce-fraught reign there?
You know, he has successfully defended his crowns 16 times the last 10 years or so.
I guess that?d be a good idea?but only if he struts his wares in Argentina and doesn?t come to New York again.
Muggers in New York?s notorious back alleys might spring him a surprise he?ll regret for the rest of his life.
Ah, the sucker in us. We buy rotten shows disguised as Broadway hits.
If not for Pacquiao, indeed, boxing?s long been gone to the dogs.
