Don’t be surprised if one day world boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, like American sports journalist Howard Cosell, will emerge as one of the most outspoken opponents of boxing and crusade for the abolition of the sport. In his most recent interview with ANC, he revealed his most intriguing conviction about the sport: “Sinasaktan mo ‘yong kapwa’ mo, so parang against the law of God (You’re hurting your fellowmen, so it’s like against the law of God.”
But, unlike Pacquiao, Howard Cosell was “widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality”. In one respect, , Pacquiao does share a similarity. Not of intrinsic personality, Pacquiao is becoming like Cosell in terms of advocacy. Even though Cosell was not a boxer, his rise to international prominence was primary of his connection with boxing when he became the color commentator on ABC boxing broadcasts in the early 1960’s.
As noted, Cosell became the unofficial “voice of boxing” in 1966, when he called the heavyweaight title bout between Muhammad Ali and Karl Middleberger from Frankfurt, Germany. When “he continued calling fights for ABC until 1982, he became disgusted with the sport after calling a particularly brutal match between Larry Holmes and Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb” in which Cobb took a terrible beating from Holmes as the referee failed to stop the fight even when Cobb appeared defenseless, according to Hillstrom writers and Roger Matuz. He then emerged from being the “voice of boxing” to becoming one of the sport’s abolition.
Just how Cosell knew the dangerous prospect of boxing which sometimes involves injuries and even death and as the same starts to gain deeper change upon Pacquiao’s mind, many are now seeing the “new Pacquiao” becoming one like Cosell, most especially that he himself is a boxer and just had a “revelation” from his God about the dark side of boxing.
Still, many have become curious, if not apprehensive, which helps sell his image anyhow, of how impressive he will be against light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley on June 9 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Stay tuned for more!
