AFTER his masterful manhandling of Brandon Rios in Macau, Manny Pacquiao is back in the echelons of boxing?s elite.
Rios, whose nom de guerre is ?Bam Bam,? got banged around so bad by Pacquiao he cried during an emotional post-fight interview. But the Mexican-American fighter was a true gentleman, who accepted defeat as he admitted he was frustrated by his foe?s ?speed and punches coming from all angles.?
Like Pacquiao, Rios, too, will have his redemption as he?s still young.
All that?s left to accomplish for the Filipino icon is to end an illustrious career with a much-awaited megabucks showdown with unbeaten Floyd Mayweather.
But that can only happen if Floyd Fairweather is willing to face Manny. In boxing, as in tango, it takes two to tangle. But the response from the Mayweather camp does not sound encouraging. A member of the Mayweather clan said ?Manny is not ready for Floyd.?
Manny not ready? Come on, Pacquiao has been ready for Mayweather from Day 1. It?s Floyd who?s been staying away from Manny all this time. What ya waiting for Floyd? Make it happen! You two are not getting any younger and any fight that does not happen by the middle of next year might as well not happen at all. If it does happen much later, it would be robbing fight fans of paying to see two aging have-beens with diminished skills. Floyd will be 36 on Feb. 24 next year, while Manny is pushing 34.
If the stumbling block is all about getting the lion?s share of the money, Manny would probably take a lesser purse. I don?t know though about TOP Rank promoter Bob Arum, who?s the key to the gridlock. He and Mayweather hate each other?s guts as much as Miriam Defensor Santiago loves JPE.
If this fight of the century does not happen, Pacquiao and Mayweather are still assured of their respective niche in Boxing?s Hall of Fame. The only blot to Manny?s pound-for-pound Fighter of the Decade record is that fluke of a knockout at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez. But Pacquiao who took on Juanma even after three tough fights can never be accused of dodging anyone. The taxman, perhaps , but never anyone they put in front of him in a square-roped arena.
Mayweather, on the other hand, may retire with an unbeaten record. But he will forever live with the stigma of being scared of Pacquiao. Yes, Floyd, it?s not always all about the money. If you?re just all trash talk, even Mommy Di can do better.
Manny can still make some money to pay off the BIR by doing a redux with Timothy Bradley who beat both Pacquiao and Marquez by split decisions. Unlike Mayweather, Bradley would surely take on Pacquiao again if only to prove his win over Manny was not a one-night wonder.
