THE pit stop came suddenly for Manny Pacquiao. It?s not so long ago he was cruising down the track without a care in the world. His beloved promoter Bob Arum, famously ? or perhaps infamously ? declared him the greatest fighter in history, while fans screamed in delight as he roared towards the legends of yesteryear. But he started to splutter. Something was going wrong.
After back-to-back losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, has the 34-year-old got more laps to add to his legacy, or have we witnessed all of his miracles?
With the benefit of hindsight we know that Muhammad Ali started to decline after the George Foreman fight in 1974. We know Sugar Ray Leonard should have walked away after he stunned the world, and Marvin Hagler, in 1987. Going back further we had clues about what lay ahead for Joe Louis after his gift decision over Jersey Joe Walcott, and Sugar Ray Robinson following those titanic battles with Carmen Basilio.
However, signs of impending doom are not always correct. Roberto Duran was twice consigned to the scrapheap after losing two on the spin but on both occasions he returned with world titles that bulked his reputation. The Panamanian?s most unforgiving conqueror, Thomas Hearns, was thought to be spent until he gained virtual revenge over Leonard in 1989 and upset Virgil Hill two years later. George Foreman ? the king of the comeback ? was almost hounded into retirement following bruising battles with Evander Holyfield and Alex Stewart, but his legend was soon inflated by flattening Michael Moorer. And Holyfield, of course, was known for the odd reinvention himself.
Then of course there?s the case of Marco Antonio Barrera who unwittingly added turbo fuel to the Pacquaio Machine in 2003. The Filipino battered him in a display of such astonishing savagery, Barrera looked finished. But the Mexican ? aware he was damaged ? went back to basics and built a fighter capable of lasting a few more years.
Perhaps that is Pacquiao?s best chance of survival; embrace the ageing process and make some (subtle) changes. His hands remain fast but his reflexes are slowing. His experience and intelligence are key.
The first signs of PacMan struggling came in the laborious victory over Shane Mosley in 2011. Although he won at a canter, he seemed disinterested after dropping him in the third. Manny looked bored at the post-fight press conference, raising a smile only when Paris Hilton arrived with his wife. It was no secret that Manny had an array of interests away from boxing ? from acting to politics to singing ? but this was the first glaring example of their effect.
Next came a third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez and experts ? believing the Mosley slumber was an aberration rather than a trend ? picked Pacquiao to ease past his old rival. But he was again off the pace, willing but unable, and was mightily lucky to escape Las Vegas with a points victory. The judges were not so kind in the summer of 2012. His performance against Bradley was better but he was ruled ? extremely controversially ? the loser after 12 rounds. One should not blame either man for the incompetency of the officials but his performance certainly begged the question: Would Bradley have lasted the distance 18 months before?
Pacquiao knew things were not right. It?s hard to be a celebrity, politician, and a boxer. Boxing is hard enough on its own. Boxing consumed Pacquiao again. He worked hard in the gym. And there were flashes of greatness, and re-dedication, during his fourth fight with Marquez, until he was knocked cold in round six. It was a sickening finish.
Almost a year will have passed when Pacquiao steps into the ring again. In November, the capable ? but limited ? thrill-seeker Brandon Rios stands in his way. History awaits the outcome.
Should he fail, the question will not be where Pacquiao belongs among the best of all time, but instead, is there still a place for him in his time?
