MANILA, Philippines — He’s unbeaten in 32 fights but what else do we know of Jorge Solis?
His father, no need to wonder, must be one tall, hard-working paisano.
But after a couple of no-shows in California last week, Se?or Jorge’s middle name should now be changed to Mystery.
Three weeks before his scheduled April 14 clash with Pinoy superhero Manny Pacquiao, the 5-foot-10 Solis has, so far, achieved one unusual feat.
He has kept everybody guessing.
* * *
Is this unbeaten Mexican boxer a gem or a junkie?
Is he a raw, hard diamond or plain jelly?
Of course, he never played hard to get. Solis did not blink, he did not think twice and promptly jumped at the chance to fight Pacquiao.
Here was a once-in-a-lifetime shot at affluence and instant immortality.
* * *
But while the whole world knows of Pacquiao’s fierce, sharp fighting style, the best that fans could hope for is some toughness in Solis come fight time in Texas.
Let’s all pray there would at least be a semblance of a fight.
Let’s beseech the gods at Olympus to grant Solis extra strength and courage to withstand Pacquiao’s expected onslaught.
This is not meant to belittle or demean Solis.
In fact, he would be in a rare position to do a Pacquiao, who in November 2003 shone and exploded like a hidden gem to upset and topple the great Marco Antonio Barrera right there at the Alamodome.
* * *
Unfortunately for Solis, Pacquiao this time did not opt to play hooky the way he had in preparing against three unheralded foes, namely Fahsan 3-K Battery (at the Fort in Taguig City), Hector Velasquez (at the Staples Center in Los Angeles) and Oscar Larios (at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City).
Pacquiao will not be as perfect as he was in his last two knockout wins over Erik Morales.
But he will be in there no less than 90 percent.
This, indeed, could already be too much for Solis, based on initial feeds about the limited capabilities of the unbeaten Mexican, who has been labeled as slow, awkward and predictable.
* * *
Not to play killjoy and send those who have gambled their riches on a great fight worried.
But an unassailable information, from a crafty Filipino fighter waiting to be named among the Philippines’ all-time greats, bared Solis had no business being in the same ring with Pacquiao.
The unbeaten Mexican was likened to a spoiled dish (“panis”), an unacceptable tag for one aspiring to boxing greatness.
You see, Ernest Hemingway had introduced a native term, salao, which the American literary saint said was the worst form of unlucky.
Let’s just hope the initial info on Solis was unfounded, and that the Mexican is not exactly a hopeless, luckless case.
Otherwise, Pacquiao, while honestly going after a picnic basket, could end up handling a spoiled dish.
* * *
(AMAZING GRACE: Imagine there were flowers from Shin Dong-pa and another Korean player in Jun Bernardino’s wake at the Magallanes Chapels. That report came from jazz star Richard Merk, who called it amazing. Prayers please for the great Mr. Bernardino… Also for my dearest aunt, Francisca Leyva-Arcangel, widow of Melchor Arcangel, legendary leader from Mandaluyong City. Tiya Kikay lies in state at their residence on J. Rizal Street, Mandaluyong City. Interment will be on Sunday at the Mandaluyong Catholic Cemetery. Peace.)
