Boxing Community in Awe of Pacquiao's Performance

By Michael Marley

GRAPEVINE, TEXAS--Any and all future opponents can and must demand totally random testing be done on Manny Pacquiao.

Not to determine whether he is using any illegal drugs, but to investigate whether the Fighting Congressman from Sarangani Province is actually just a human being.

Like the old movie of the same name, this Brother could be from Another Planet.

You can't blame anyone for doubting Pacman's earthly origins on the heels of his dazzling 12-round shutout demolition of the game, but completely overmatched in every offensive and defensive department, Antonio Margarito.

Here's some of the snap reviews after 41,734 turned up Cowboys Stadium to watch the fighter who turned the bout against the formerly digraced Mexican into a complete and beautiful clinic of the truly Sweet Science.

You had to wait to get words out of people's mouths because when the no knockdown fight had ended, their jaws were dropping to the floor with admiration and marvel at the ring masterpiece Manny had written.

"Incredible, really incredible, I was so impressed," Puerto Rico's rising, diminutive superstar Juan Manuel Lopez said, smiling brightly.

"Fantastic, really fantastic," Hall of Fame fighter and Ghana's greatest sports hero, Professor Azumah Nelson said.

Even fellow Pinoy and world champion, the classy and cerebreal Nontio Donaire and his gorgeous wife Rachel, stood in the front lobby of Gaylord Texan Hotel, surrounded by hundreds of so happy Filipinos and Filipino-Americans, and spoke words of astonishment.

"That was not something you see from a normal human being," Nonito said, laughing. "It was unwordly, not what Manny was able to do but also how perfectly he did it. It was really just awesome."

I've always opinned that if a rough and rugged Manny could turn the usual Mayweather jab, prance and dance recital into a brawl, he could beat the undefeated American.

During this bout, the great notion filled my head that Mayweather can also get outboxed by the whirling, unorthodox lefthanded dervish we were witnessing as he toyed with Margarito, once a feared foe perhaps most feared by L'il Floyd.

I bounced the idea of noted trainer Joe Goossen.

"I think the same thing now," Goossen said. "Manny put on a great, great show and Margarito tried everything. Pacman was just brilliant and he looked unbeateable because a guy who is almost unhittable and hits you with four or five shots to your one, well you won't beat him."

One of the Pinoy fans in the lobby getting a lot of attention was young man wearing a black teeshirt that read simply:

"FLOYD, WHERE YOU AT?"

Or, as a ring announcer named Michael Buffer said, "That was the kind of performance that could make Floyd want to go to jail."

I took pause on that remark, made off the cuff in a short elevator ride but Buffer is right with the wisecrack.

The slammer is generally a lot safer than trying to beat the still ascending Pacman over 36 minutes or less.

Powerful Illocano Gov. Chavit Singson picked up the same theme.

"Mayweather will never go looking for Manny, not now, not after this performance."

While Mayweather presumably watched the boffo showing on the big screen TV in his Big Boy Mansion in Las Vegas, a familiar cat named "Sugar" Shane Mosley stood on the sidelines of the post fight press conference and made it clear he stands ready, willing and able to be Pacman's next foe.

Mosley was asked when he wants to fight Pacman and I thought he might say "on the first, first chance I get" but he spun it differently.

"When Manny wants it," Mosley said.

It's Manny Pacquiao's World and the rest of them are just living in it.

Someday, we may even find out what strange and wonderful planet that Pacquiao actually came from.

L'il Floyd's will reap untold riches for sure but his chances of beating Pacquiao are looking smaller and smaller with each passing day.

Mayweather is only best boxer in the world who was born on earth.

This interplanetary invader named Pacman is a friendly alien who keeps claiming his stake more and more in the annals of ring history.

Hyperbolic Bob Arum said, "Sugar Ray Leonard was a great fighter and he is my great friend but he can't compare with Manny Pacquiao.

Maybe I can check that opinion with another ringsider whose jaw dropped.

You may have heard of him, I know the great Leonard did.

A guy named Roberto Duran.

Finally, remember how Mayweather annoyingly and prematurely placed his status ridiciulously above Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali?

Who's being talked about as an all-time great these days?

And Pacquiao lets others put his name into those starry categories.

Mayweather would rush to fight Pacquiao, of this I am certain, if only he could be convinced he was crossing gloves and matching skills with another member of the human race.

The world's greatest boxer and most entertaining fighter (or athlete in any category?) is alien life form wearing human being mufti.

Of this I am now sure.