by Ali Mehar – “I chose my path, you chose the way of the hero. And they found you amusing for a while, the people of this city. But the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you’ve done for them, eventually they will hate you.” ~ ‘Spider-Man’ (2002)
Over the past few years, Manny Pacquiao has been sweeping across the boxing world like a tempest, laying waste to all who stand in his way. Even Marquez — the man many view as the perfect foil for the cat-like southpaw — has never been able to avoid being quite literally floored by the startling ability of Pacquiao. Pacquiao has become an anomaly in the ancient machine of boxing; he achieves feats that laugh in the face of mere logic again and again, with his recent triumph over the dangerous Cotto being, perhaps, one of the most unbelievable in recent memory.. There was a time, if only a brief one, in which Pacquiao stood atop the boxing world like a colossus, incapable of vulnerability, with the loss to Morales a quickly forgotten dream in the minds of many. The only one who stood in the way of the highest peak of triumph was, of course, Floyd Mayweather Jr. The idea of a fight between the two men instantly intrigued many casual fans and experts alike; Mayweather, who combines an almost balletic grace with an ability to avoid punches that borders on prescience, and Pacquiao, powerful, relentless, and utterly aggressive. A rapier meeting a broadsword.
It is of little wonder, then, that such a potentially titanic match has given each man, veterans of their craft, something genuinely new to consider for the first time in a long while. Pacquiao has never fought a stylist anywhere near the level of Mayweather, and Mayweather has never confronted the combination of speed, stamina, determination and power that Pacquiao represents, even putting aside the southpaw style edge. If these are uncharted waters for the two men, then the recent events surrounding this fight have pushed the entire boxing world into the sea along with them — I speak, of course, of the explosions over the blood test and ‘doping’ allegations.
Many believe this to be a simple marketing ploy devised by both camps. I disagree. There are thousands of ways to ‘hype’ a match without playing with fire that could potentially destroy an entire legacy. Aside from this, there is too much of a chaotic feel to the issue — it feels far too fragmented and organic to be any sort of carefully structured plot for the masses, and the idea of Roach working with the Mayweather team is almost comedic material. No, this is very real, and it is Pacquiao — not Floyd — that has now found himself balancing on a precipice. Even if he is completely innocent, he is now in a position where refusing the blood test — or any test, for that matter — instantly summons doubt in the minds of even his supporters. He is quite literally in ‘check’ on the chessboard, and the only move that can save him is to submit to the tests, and pass them. Whether Mayweather Jr intended this to be a psychological ploy or not is actually impossible to determine — regardless of his intentions, however, it has taken on a life of its own and cornered possibly the most respected and well-liked champion in the sport today.
There is a certain fitting element in the fact that Pacquiao has been cast in an upcoming superhero film, as he is very much viewed as a superhero of the sport itself, through his weight-hopping ability and the way in which he dismantles larger, stronger men. But, as the quote heading the article indicates, many find a certain, oddly perverse pleasure in witnessing the birth and then destruction of a hero. When things become too smooth, too golden, too fantastic, cynicism descends with a stern gaze and a suspicious twist to his mouth. We can only brook a miracle for so long until the desire to undermine and question it forces itself to the surface of our minds. I truly believe that this is the real root of this explosion over the politics of the fight, rather than any objective, rational approach — consider that this entire situation arose from the comments of Mayweather Sr, who had to witness the fighter he trained get utterly obliterated by Pacquiao within two rounds. Malignaggi, who also played a major part in reinforcing the credence of the rumour, had to watch Pacquiao brutalise Hatton and Cotto, both men that he himself had never been able to overcome. The idea of their stances being as objective as possible is thus dubious at best. It’s also worth noting that Malignaggi, before the Pacquiao/Cotto match, stated that if Pacquiao managed to beat Cotto, he ‘may be the best fighter in history’ ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZiBa0L123k ). After the fight, however, when Pacquiao did emerge the victor, the only possibility he could put forth was that Pacquiao was cheating. The alternative, the idea that Pacquiao could really be as great as he had previously theorised, vanished in the face of disbelief.
I don’t heavily blame Malignaggi, despite his utter inconsistency — I, too, found myself disbelieving at the very sight of Pacquiao, a former flyweight, knocking down, intimidating and simply crushing an elite welterweight like Cotto. Of course there would be doubt, and the refusal to take the blood test at random times can only reinforce such a doubt. Do I believe that Pacquiao is taking illegal substances? No. Do I nevertheless leave myself open to the incredibly unpleasant possibility that he is, in fact, taking them? Yes. There is no concrete proof to support either side, and thus no fan can be completely sure of their perspective.
The only path left is to take the tests, and resolve matters one way or another. Simply dropping the Mayweather fight and moving to other opponents won’t solve anything; the question over the drug accusations will forever linger like a stain, and fans will never forgive the loss of one of the potential biggest fights in the history of the sport. It is also relatively safe to assume that Mayweather’s camp will continue to insist on the tests, and even if they did finally drop the issue, the seed of doubt will have been planted, and the damage will be done. If Pacquiao is indeed innocent, as I hope he is, then taking and passing the test will be a perfect way of turning a potential disaster into a springboard for even greater heights and triumph. One thing that I believe the quote at the opening of the article failed to recognise is that, yes, many love to see a hero fall, but how many more wish to see one rise from the ashes and return to grace? Boxing fans most of all should recognise the love many of us bear for the fighters that come back from devastating losses stronger and better than ever before. It was only after Ali met defeat at the hands of Frazier and yet returned to defeat a monster such as Foreman that even his biggest, most ardent critics began to warm to him. I maintain that we are mostly cynical, pessimistic people, but there is always that small desire to be proven wrong, the slightest wish to really see logic usurped. Pacquiao represents this ability, and in that respect he is unique in a broken, tainted sport. If he is indeed guilty, it will only serve to strike a critical blow against a sport that many already view as a morally shady, dying creature — however, if he is innocent, and manages to win the biggest fight of his career, there is every chance that we will see more respect and warmth for him and the sport as a whole than we could ever expect.
So take the test, and let us see where this twisted play leads. Pacquiao has everything to gain and everything to lose, and we, as the audience, may only watch and wait for a coronation or cataclysm.