By Richard McManus
Before I go on I would just like to say that I love the Pacquiao fans. I think they add a lot to our boxing debate and they bring enthusiasm and energy to the fight fan message boards where the hardcore public congregates daily the world over. They keep us all in check with their ardent defense of Manny, never allowing a critical word to be uttered without a ten-fold hyper-aggressive response. They move en masse, as a bloc to attack and pacify any critics.
I think Manny Pacquiao is a great fighter and he deserves a tremendous amount of credit for taking on Erik Morales in their PPV showdown Saturday night. He also deserves lots of credit for his devastating win over Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003 and for his tough 12 round draw against the skilled and tough Juan Manuel Marquez last year.
He has gone from virtual unknown, anonymous status outside of hardcore boxing circles and his rabid fan base in the Philippines to a young boxer on the cusp of super stardom in the span of about 4 fights.
I think the match-up with Morales is a toss up. It’s a pick ‘em fight with the slight edge going to Morales because of his versatility, strength and chin. However, it is not unforeseeable from my point of view to see Manny winning the fight.
I’ll never forget the e-mails and messages I received from the Pacquiao faithful in the days that followed the Pacquiao – Marquez draw. I wrote in a story the day after the fight stating that I felt, in my humble opinion, that a draw was a fair decision for that fight. Despite Manny’s dominance in the first round scoring three knockdowns of Juan Manuel in my eyes Marquez did enough over the next 11 rounds to earn the draw. From my perspective he more than made the necessary adjustments and effectively
neutralized Manny’s left hand while in turn landing many effective combinations.
After stating this as succinctly as possible I received approximately 15 responses to my column, 14 of them negative. I was called a fool and an idiot for even questioning the foregone conclusion that the judge’s collective decision was anything less than the biggest heist to take place between the ropes since Ike Quartey had his expectations dashed when confronted with real world economics following his bout with Oscar de la
Hoya.
Some offered me the option to simply take the blue pill, stating that everything could go back to normal and my days of writing nonsense could be over once and for all. But that wasn’t possible since I had already taken the red pill and was forced to see things exactly as they really were. I simply filtered the fight through my unbiased lens and came to the natural conclusion that a draw was fair.
Finally, I am brought to my point. I think Manny’s fans are simply too close to the situation to see things objectively and for what they really are. But unfortunately, that is the sign of a true fan. The word “fan” is derived from the word “fanatic” which is defined as 1) A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause 2) Fanatical.
I believe that good or bad, Manny Pacquiao’s fans fall into that definition.
The upside on this fight is great for Manny and his fans. A win would solidify his reputation among his fans as the Mexican Destroyer since a win would signal the perceived domination over the 3-headed featherweight trifecta of Barrera-Marquez-Morales.
Not the mention the fact that a Filipino boxer would be at the top of the sport in a competitive and international boxing scene, a rare occurrence for sure, and his fans would have all the excitement that comes along with closely following his rise from the start.
But the downside is also great. And the downside is real. A loss would put a stop to Manny’s upward momentum. However, losing to Erik Morales isn’t exactly anything to be ashamed of. He himself is a great fighter with a great resume of wins and he’s been in many legendary wars. He’s the stuff that champions are made of and he’s the epitome of a tough Mexican warrior.
A knockout loss, which I know is unthinkable for his diehard fans, would send him back to the drawing board where he would have to rebuild things from scratch. And remember, he has been knocked out before, twice.