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"The one who figures on victory at headquarters before even doing battle is theone who has the most strategic factors on his side." — Sun Tzu, "The Art of War"
(In the light of Pacquiao’s TKO victory on November 14, 2009 over the great Puerto Rican boxer Miguel Cotto, the PACMAN’s career has become an unprecedented juggernaut in boxing history. Manny Pacquiao is now being regarded by boxing authorities, as someone who can be regarded among the great ones like Ali, Leonard, Robinson, Hagler et. al. This force of nature, in a 5’6" package, who seems to defy the laws of physics in speed and ferocity is sparking a revival of interest in boxing not only among ethnic communities, but among American mainstream society and perhaps, even the entire world. I am reprising an earlier article I wrote in the wake of his stunning victory over Ricky Hatton in May 2009 to update and refresh the latest in his victory over Cotto.)With his latest win, some boxing pundits the world over, on print and on the web, are quite ready to crown Pacquiao, as one of the great ones of boxing, putting him up there alongside the likes of Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard and even Ali.
The fedora wearing, cigar-smoking boxing historian, Bert Sugar ranks him in the top 20 of boxing’s all-time greats. Pacquiao is being compared with the 1930’s Henry Armstrong, who won on 3 weight divisions out of 8. With his latest triumph, the scorecard for Pacquiao is 7 weight divisions surpassing dela Hoya by 1.
Others beg to differ. Some pundits who have always predicted Pacquiao’s loss each time and picking the bigger, more powerful opponent and are proven wrong each time, are whispering in mild protest saying it’s premature to line him up with the great ones. They say dela Hoya was washed up and Hatton was on his way down. Cotto, they said, would stop the Pacquiao juggernaut dead on its tracks. Cotto was bigger, stronger, more powerful and menacing, at the peak of his career and a true welterweight. They were proven wrong. Now they say Cotto was never the same fighter after Margarito gave him his only loss allegedly cheating with loaded gloves. They add that Cotto’s coach, the 32 year-old Joe Santiago was so green, his inexperience in a fight of this magnitude was so telling, Cotto’s corner hampered more than helped.I have never been a boxing aficionado—till now. Watching Rocky Balboa get bloodied and beaten to a pulp, even if I knew that was pure Hollywood, has given me an aversion for any contact sport where someone is bound to get hurt. Who can forget Mike Tyson biting off Evander Holyfield’s ear? Talk about appalling. Maybe it’s a chick thing or an overly active empathetic hormone making me feel another person’s pain on the gut level. I had to turn away at the sight of Cotto’s bloody face. But I will push my queasy stomach aside for the moment because there’s a bit of Pacquiao’s tenacity and humility of spirit in every Filipino.
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