By Reni M. Valenzuela – Boxing longs for the “old” Pacman. But is there a basis to the longing?
What is especially good about the “old” Pacman that was missed in his recent fights and which causes the fans to yearn and buzz over deflated balloons when Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez is an old rival who “whipped” the career of an iconic boxer in the span of eight years, far less than what he did to the subconscious make-up of the same boxer known as Manny Pacquiao?
Will the longing be gratified? Or, better yet ask: Will the new Pacman fight the right fight with the right mindset next week, much differently from the ways of the “old” strayed one? Will the focused Pacman today allow the streams to go free-flowing for him with electric force abiding naturally in its course to electrocute doubters and put a closure to the controversial, long-running and “stiff” rivalry he has with Dinamita?
Marquez is a greatly competitive opponent for Pacquiao but only by taking into account the outcome of their brawls in 2004, 2008 and 2011 with total disregard of the x-factor criterion for fight sports if you have grasp for it. Marquez may be a strong and skillful nemesis for Pacman but certainly not as strong and skillful as he appears on video replay of their past fights wherein confused Pacquiao was restrained and wrestled in the absence of proper mentoring and correct strategy.
Hence it may serve Pacquiao well if he refrains not from having sex with his wife just as trainer Freddie Roach requires allegedly to conserve testosterone, but from re-watching the video of Pacquiao-Marquez I, II and III to avoid creating spooks in the quadrilogy.
By the way, why does Roach have to be accustomed to imposing such ten-day abstinence rule for Pacquiao before a big fight when he himself and Michael Koncz being the manager or adviser, failed to guide and prevent Pacquiao from having sex with different women a day prior to the trilogy as exactly as the sin was narrated to this writer by an associate of Pacquiao who claimed to be privy to the incident and who “was there every step of the way.”
In the Pacquiao colleague’s own words, “ Jinkee never came to see Manny until midnight before the fight – Manny and Jinkee cried together all night – but Manny got no sleep before the fight for almost 48 hours and he was an emotional mess.”
So in the aftermath of the loss, rather “win” over Marquez in that bout last November 2011, Pacquiao testified of weeping profusely during sleep, having had a dream of God calling him. The rest is history of mercy and grace in the life of a famous boxer, transformed from sinner to saint. Indeed, “All things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28
Pacquiao is burdened to prove wrong both his followers and detractors alike that he hasn’t slipped; that his poor showings against Marquez were but mere underperformance due to flawed approaches; that he remains a sensation in the squared circle; and that he can be counted simply to be the Pacman who has the qualities to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr., Robert Guerrero, Saul Alvarez, Sergio Martinez and Adrien Broner.
The day should be a grand “slugfest” date at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas on December 8.
Let a confident and intelligent Pacquiao show up on fight night against a confident and intelligent Marquez. And let the Pacquiao-Marquez IV be a repeat of nothing in their three encounters. Let it rather be a repeat of the classic knockout fights on record exhibiting pugilistic abilities par excellence under the dominant grit and courage of true battlers, sans excessive violence by “wandering” referees and “slumbering” fight officials.
It would be inspiring, though, if the Pacquiao-Marquez quadrilogy would turn out to be another Ali-Frazier, Haggler-Hearns, Corrales-Castillo or Gatti-Ward In terms excitement, suspense and gallantry. And fascinating it may prove to be if the clash and collision in the fight would bear the semblance of the matchup of a Barrera-Morales, Vasquez-Marquez, Leonard-Duran or Holyfield-Bowe.
Dinamita would have to face insurmountable odds, however, if that happens.
The tall order for Pacquiao is to “fight the good fight.”
If Pacman is geared to fight the way he should, Marquez would have a hard time delivering his counterpunches, much less being aggressive attacking Pacquiao for a knockout of “Pacquiao” (or of himself). The aggressive opponents of the Filipino boxing hero in the past have so learned their lessons, but only after having lost the gut and the right to fight Pacquiao again.
If Pacman fights the way he should, a young and hungry Mike Tyson may suddenly reappear against Marquez in the early rounds.
If Pacman fights the way he should, Marquez won’t be able to play his game effectively whatever the game maybe. He may at times get “lucky” pulling his counterpunches off, but he would be deterred from maintaining the poise because Pacquiao would have the answer to bash him with quick counters that would be followed up by powerful non-stop “Haggler-assaults” using the lightning, blinding speed of “Sugar Ray Leonard-combinations.”
If Pacman fights the way he should, boxing and the fans will be favored to see the “old” Pacman arise, twice as good.
If Pacman fights the way he should, the remaining door left for Dinamita to take could be nowhere to be found except outside the ring should he insist on being delusional. Wow for Mosley and Clottey who astutely took the “right door” to sit in the audience during the fight upon sensing bad omen. Thus, the two hesitant “spar-mates” seemed to have “won” when they lost. But that was when boxing motto became “run the good race.”
However, Marquez cannot afford to draw on the same map because he did his best en route to the fourth matchup chiefly not for the purse as he asserted, but for vindication. Dinamita should be tied to his promise of an exciting fight and tied to his boast of a knockout of Pacman. Or else, the Pacquiao-Marquez IV would be just a big night of broken promises and empty brags by him; a night of relief from hassles and pressures for the entire Marquez camp to celebrate, dancing their way to the coffer unashamed, or grieving.
Jeff Mayweather rightly said, “it is not a shame to lose to Mayweather and Pacquiao.”
That is if you lose by fighting, not ducking.
If Pacman fights, Dinamita is done.
renimvalenzuela@yahoo.com