Shocking loss
Last Sunday most Filipino boxing fans got the shock of their lives when two of three judges of the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley fight declared the American the victor even though Manny rained harder blows that connected than Bradley.
Bradley himself was very surprised when he was announced the winner. Before the announcement, he approached Bob Arum and apologized saying he had tried his best but failed to bring down Manny in the fight.
So what happened? Many are at a loss to explain the decision but I venture to speculate that Manny may have been a victim of manipulation by the underworld mafia in Las Vegas.
Without taking away credit from Bradley who fought smart by hitting and running away from Pacquiao, I think Pacquiao was complacent in the last three rounds, believing he was way ahead in the scoring and just cruised his way.
I watched the fight live last Sunday in the house of my cousin James Rama, brother of Mayor Mike Rama, with other cousins and nephews and some visitors. The room was filled with excitement and shouting each time Manny Pacquiao landed punches. We waited for a while for the start of the match. I think Manny Pacquiao watched the finals of the NBA basketball game between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat.
There was a slight delay in the bout but it was worth the wait –until the shocking announcement by the judges was made. Just like in Las Vegas, the crowd in the small room where I was watching booed and shouted in protest, even remarking that the fight was cooked and that Manny was cheated.
Funny how some quarters blamed the lifestyle change of Manny Pacquiao who now preaches good words about God. That has nothing to do with his defeat though some boxing fans say Manny has slowed down a bit in the ring.
Like anyone else, Manny Pacquiao has to get on with his life because there are so many opportunities waiting for him in other parts of the world. There is life after boxing. Boxing already made him rich and famous.
Pacquiao should start thinking about what he can contribute to the young aspiring Manny Pacquiaos in our country. This is not the end of Manny Pacquiao but the beginning of a new Manny Pacquiao as he devotes time for other endeavors as a Bible preacher.
Will he still fight Timothy Bradley in a rematch? Why not?
That’s for Manny to answer. He may go for another mega fight against Floyd Mayweather to prove everybody wrong and for the mega green bucks. But after the fight, Pacquiao should already retire because he has nothing more to prove.
This is not the last we will hear about Manny Pacquiao. He will still be with us, not in boxing but in many other things in our lives.
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I don’t know what critics of President Aquino III will label him after he was warmly welcomed by the United States government in his trip abroad.
He was called a fan of the Communists because some Cabinet members like Ronald Llamas comes from the left wing Anakbayan.
Now that Aquino struck an agreement renewing the presence of American military forces in the Philippines to establish the US as Pacific power, such allegations no longer hold water.
I bet Aquino would now be labeled a Central Intelligence Agency agent. The latest development in RP-US relations is indeed welcome especially that China is starting to flex its muscles and has started bullying the Philippines over the Spratley Islands.
It’s timely for the US to make its presence felt in Asia because the reality is that we really need the US to restrain the Chinese from violating our national sovereignty.
The argument that the US military presence makes us attractive to attacks by US enemies is a lot of baloney. The reverse happened when China tried claiming the Scarborough Shoal as part of their territory and the Philippines was helpless in addressing the intrusion.
With the presence of the US in the Pacific I think China will now have second thoughts about overstepping its boundaries or starting a third world war.
