Irony does indeed know many forms.
For Manny Pacquiao that realization has literally come full circle. Today, he stand as a man of purpose who has seen the light and ready to close his career like something out of Hollywood.
A little over 2 years ago, on June 9, 2012 to be exact, we witnessed his sojourn into darkness and an unfathomable loss to Timothy Bradley.
Oh he trained hard for that fight – he always trains hard. But around this time he was in many ways like a well-dressed man with too many accessories on while wearing too much cologne. He became hard to look at and he contorted your face.
Womanizer. The life of the party. Nike commercials (“BOoM!”). “Jimmy Kimmel Live” appearances. Hennessey commercials. Etc…
For the love of God – he was against homosexuality; even as he was a devout fornicator and turning in his rosary beads from the Catholic church. He stood on principle (even if he’d abandoned many of his own) to become a congressman, while not knowing the type of wine consumed from any congressional chair can leave one intoxicated with contradiction.
Business and pleasure truly do not mix , then again, some would call this politics. There was also something very political about the events that lead up to the night of December 8, 2012. You, Juan Manual Marquez, and the entire boxing world knows what happened.
The files on much of 2012 are classified: but Chris Algieri has read them.
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I saw “Godzilla” again on the big-screen in my living room. I thought about Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV while watching this God-like lizard battle this radioactive tyrant.
I then re-watched that fight as I’m sure Chris has.
In trying to determine how Pacquiao vs. Algieri will unfold, my visions tell me that this version of Pacquiao is actually the version Algieri will face on November 22.
Pacquiao looked in every way like the offensive virtuoso we’d come to know; and at the time – the world’s best fighter, right up until the moment his lights – and seemingly the entire nation of the Philippines – were shut down.
Then I drew a correlation of sorts. If Pacquiao was say the legendary Godzilla, then Marquez was the radioactive menace that did actually put Godzilla to sleep (Well.. sorta. But c’mon work with me).
Where then does this leave Algieri? Who by all accounts on film, does not have nearly the advanced pedigree or acumen of the all-time great Marquez. Nor does he possess the intangibles. In fact, why don’t we just ask Marquez how he sees Pacquiao/Algieri unfolding.
“He barely has a chance to win. Algieri is strong and he’s durable. He also has boxing ability, as he’s show against Ruslan Provodnikov– but he doesn’t have the style to beat Pacquiao, who has great speed and power. I believe that [Pacquiao] can win by knockout,? said Marquez via boxingscene.com.
Oh.
I happen to agree with Marquez. But beyond the tumultuous circumstances Pacquiao faced in 2012, I’ll never be able to prove this, but I believe it more than warrants suspicion as to whether or not Marquez had artificial sweeteners in his Kool-Aid on December 8, 2012. Marquez never looked that good physically – or as strong – before that night.
This was something chronicled by none other than Kevin Iole with Yahoo Sports! on the eve of that fight, along with several other prominent boxing scribes. He was of course bested by Timothy Bradley, who was of course beaten by Pacquiao this past April virtually the same way he was on June 9, 2012 (Please).
But if there’s one thing Algieri has going for him (besides the fact that he’ll be in the same condition Marquez was in naturally), its time.
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Everyone wants to talk about Pacquiao’s disastrous 2012 and his supposed regression. I listened to another long-winded rant from Teddy Atlas on Pacquiao/Algieri and it made me think about a few things. Again, we all know he beat Bradley that year, and was really looking sensational before losing a war with a fellow great fighter in Marquez.
But while I re-watched his lone 2013 appearance – a serious whitewashing of Brandon Rios – I had a flashback to 2010. There was a fight a few years back that forever took Pacquiao away from the fighter of remarkable resolve he was, and we’ll never quite see him again.
In late 2010, Pacquiao decided to face Antonio Margarito. He did this directly after facing a very big welterweight in Joshua Clottey, then just 4 months after a superfight with Miguel Cotto. He was eager to defeat someone Floyd Mayweather never wanted to face, and essentially fought him as a super lightweight.
Pacquiao weighed approximately 144lbs at the weigh in, and according to Freddie Roach, was no more than 147lbs on fight night. Contrast this with Margarito, who came into the ring at 168lbs and was every bit a solid super-middleweight that night in November of 2010.
The movement, footwork and technical skills he had spent years refining were now at their peak, and he was as close to a complete fighting machine that we’ve ever seen. But lost in the brilliance of that night were some subtleties that were delivered to him in the process. Antonio Margarito, cement in his hands or not, is one of the most heavy-handed fighters in the history of the 147lb division.
And during the 12 rounds he spent being chopped up by the Pacquiao artillery, he delivered some bombs of his own.
As fans watch fights on television, its hard to understand the impact of punches that don’t “seem like” they’re doing that much damage. Punches blocked on the gloves, arms or shoulders hurt too, regardless of who’s throwing them. But when you are being hit full force by a man who outweighs you by 20lbs, the results can be catastrophic.
Margarito had moments in that bout where he mauled Pacquiao to the body. He bounced enough super-middleweight shots off the head of Pacquiao to cause lasting damage, and chipped away at his granite chin and resolve of steel.
In subsequent performances since November 2010, we saw workman-like performances from Pacquiao in wins over Mosley and Marquez in 2011, and then the true manifestation of time in 2012. The Pacquiao prior to Margarito would have dispatched Timothy Bradley with ease, and would’ve knocked out arch-nemesis Marquez.
Getting back to the irony I spoke of at the outset, Pacquiao is now seen as a bigger threat to Mayweather due to what he’s done since the Marquez debacle. Time has began to really manifest itself on Mayweather, but by observation, the same has occurred with Pacquiao.
Because he’s great, he was able to corral a very stout competitor in the highly elite conditioned Bradley. To kill a legend, Algieri must take a Jay-Z and Beyonce-like “On the Run” tour of the ring, and make Pacquiao kill himself through attrition. Then he’ll have to use his height, his length, and all the movement he can muster to immortalize himself in boxing lore.
I don’t know if Chris Algieri believes in miracles, but I guess he expects one.
