ANOTHER major component in the anatomy of a knockout is the target.
Verily, a punch thrown by a heavyweight against a middleweight will have a more devastating impact than against a fellow heavyweight.
Also, if the target was moving away from the punch or towards it brings an added factor to the torque behind the blow.
In Manny Pacquiao?s case, he was accelerating forward and Juan Manuel Marquez only had to release his pre-cocked right hand to travel a short but sweet distance.
Then of course, there?s also the durability factor of the target.
PUNCH RESISTANCE. I have noticed that much of the focus it seems has been on the apparent and drastic increase of punching power from Marquez.
As I averted to in the first part of this article, sans any verifiable evidence, it would be mere speculation to attribute that Marquez was on the juice.
Ergo, if he was not taking any illegal substances, and his training was all natural, I have a hard time fathoming how he can become a Superman in a span of four months at the age of 39.
Or course, he might have been able to improve his strength and stamina through rigorous training, but if I were to put a number to it, I would probably peg it at 10-15 percent, give or take a few percentage points.
But even if we factor in that slight improvement I have trouble reconciling how it could translate to the concussive power he showed in that fight.
Let?s forget the knockout punch for a moment and examine the knockdown in the third round.
In that exchange, Manny was not moving towards the punch, but was standing still when he got caught.
According to Last Rounder Mike Boylan, the punch landed on the side of Pacquiao?s left eye. Still, that punch took him down and only now after 36 rounds between them where Marquez never even came close.
Therefore, another spin on the ongoing saga which should be considered is Manny?s conditioning and punch resistance coming towards that fight.
Alex Ariza had bemoaned the fact that Manny needed to focus more on strength and conditioning exercises for that fight.
In this light perhaps we should also look into Manny?s durability and whether his punch resistance has eroded somewhat through the years.
Even though Marquez is older at 39 years of age, his counter-punching style spares him from the damage that Manny?s feral approach to all his fights conjures.
Everybody ages differently and we are all subject to that irrevocable decline of our physical prowess through the passage of time. Why should fighters be any different?
Boxers get knocked out all the time, but to get knocked out and remain unconscious for two minutes is an entirely different matter altogether.
I believe that Manny will return and soldier on. He?s a proud warrior and will not allow his legacy to be tainted. He will be back with a vengeance and as a fan, I would love to see him get back on top of the ring.
But above all, his health should be of paramount consideration and I think his team should thoroughly consider all the factors before giving him the green light.
DONAIRE VS. ARCE. The ?Filipino Flash? trades mitts with Jorge Arce today and if he wins he will no doubt be the Fighter of the Year for 2012.
Arce is a tough, grizzled veteran who has no quit in him and he will try to pull off another monumental upset and make it two seminal victories in a row in as many weeks in a row for Mexico.
But I just don?t see that happening. Donaire is too fast, too powerful and too damn talented for a plodding brawler like Arce who leads with his face.
But we know that anything can happen in boxing and so we cannot count Arce out. One factor that could be of some concern is Nonito?s propensity to hurt his hands when he punches.
Durability is Arce?s best attribute and so Donaire has to pace himself. Arce was knocked down in round 4 by Wilfredo Vasquez Jr, but he hung on to outlast the youngster in 11 rounds.
I?m predicting Donaire to win via knockout in the seventh round with an uppercut.
LAST ROUND. It?s on Christianna Guttierrez who celebrates her birthday this week. Cheers!
