A message for the Pacman

We hope that the near-loss to Marquez causes Pacquiao to simplify his life…

He should rid himself of UNNECESSARY people surrounding him…

He has too many things going on—a political career that many of his sycophants say may blossom into presidential ambitions, not to mention a fledgling entertainment career. Plus, there are things that normally come with success like his, such as product endorsements and a hedonistic lifestyle..."

The only good thing we can say about the outcome of Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao’s boxing match on Sunday is that it was a win. The “trilogy” match against Mexico’s Juan Miguel Marquez was supposed to end in a decisive victory for the Filipino champion. Their first fight in 2004 ended in a draw, while the second in 2008 resulted in a split decision that also favored Pacquiao. And so on Sunday, he was out to erase any doubts that he had won against Marquez in their previous meeting. PacMan even enjoyed 10-to-1 odds heading into the fight. But many were disappointed with the outcome.

Marquez refused to follow the proverbial script. He was supposed to be outclassed by PacMan, and was even supposed to be sluggish after bulking up to welterweight. He was supposed to kiss the canvass, like he did in the two previous bouts with the PacMan. Only this time, he was supposed to stay down.

Instead, the Mexican frustrated Pacquiao in most of the 12 rounds. He insists, as do some Filipinos and boxing experts, that he won. Similarly, others believe that the result should have been a draw. Marquez and the others are entitled to their opinion. But the opinions that counted the most on Sunday were those of the three judges who gave the fight to Pacquiao on a majority decision.

We feel for Marquez, though. He proved to be better than expected. A few Filipinos would probably side with him and echo the claim that he was robbed. The Mexican clearly gave it his best. Unfortunately for him, that was not good enough on Sunday.

We find ourselves eating our words, so to speak. In an earlier editorial, we suggested that the fight with Marquez would be boring because it promised to be one-sided for Pacquiao. After all, he has evolved as a fighter since the second meeting with Marquez. We even suggested that unless a dream match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. can be arranged, that Pacquaio might be better off retiring. After all, Pacquiao has little left to prove—except maybe that he can sing in tune.

To be clear, Pacquiao is not at fault. He fought hard, despite being thrown off his groove. But the fact is that he did not score Sunday’s fight. The judges did.

Bigger challenge, redemption

Still, Sunday’s match should encourage Pacquiao to reflect. He should now more seriously consider how he plays out the final chapter of his stellar career.

Pacquiao’s coach Freddie Roach—and others, probably including Marquez—favor having a fourth rematch. We disagree. A better option for the Pacquiao camp would be to look for an even bigger challenge than Marquez. Controversial or not, Pacquiao won because on two occasions, the judges’ scorecards said so. Time to move on.

Every time he steps into a ring, Pacquiao is tempting disaster. Being on top of the world means being the target of everybody else. But as the guy on top, Pacquaio enjoys the luxury of making the next move. And if he would ask us, we think that he has only person left to fight—Mayweather.

The best way for Pacquiao to redeem himself would be to fight Mayweather—and to completely destroy him. He came out of retirement and fought Marquez in 2009 in a non-title match. Mayweather won by unanimous decision.

Since then, though, the boastful and loquacious Mayweather has been hiding and ducking from a dream match with Pacquiao. The American has made all sorts of wild accusations and flimsy excuses, but still, Pacquiao has addressed them all. Time to shut up and fight.

The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight promises to be one for the history books, so to speak. Millions of dollars will be at stake. For sure, the risks are also high for Pacquiao. The undefeated Mayweather should prove to be a tougher challenge than Marquez. But of course, Mayweather first has to first summon his courage.

Keeping grounded

Ironically, Pacquiao’s weak performance against Marquez may embolden Mayweather. But who could blame him? Who would not be scared of Pacquiao after seeing what he did to Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto and even Oscar dela Joya? But on Sunday, Pacquiao clearly lacked the explosive moves and quickness that characterized his fighting style.

Also, we hope that the near-loss to Marquez causes Pacquiao to simplify his life. He has too many things going on—a political career that many of his sycophants say may blossom into presidential ambitions, not to mention a fledgling entertainment career. Plus, there are things that normally come with success like his, such as product endorsements and a hedonistic lifestyle.

If the fight with Mayweather materializes, Pacquiao has to focus more. It should be clear from the “trilogy” episode that training hard is not enough. Marquez was meant to be a warm-up fight, a prelude to the main event against Mayweather.

Barring that dream match, though, Pacquaio should consider retirement. As we said, he has nothing else to prove. He holds eight championship belts in as many weight divisions—a feat unmatched by others. He is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today. And his place in boxing’s Hall of Fame is all but assured.

Unfortunately for Pacquiao last Sunday, all that success was like millstone around his neck. People’s expectations were too high. But Pacquiao should appreciate the fact that the trouble with greatness is that other people expect him to raise the bar even higher than before. And that could be a recipe for disappointment. (Manila Times)