It’s next to impossible to try to follow in the footsteps of a living legend.
Manny Pacquiao Jnr, aka “Jimuel,” was never in his professional debut going to be reminiscent of how his Hall of Fame father performed in his prime. But Pacquiao Jnr failed to impress viewers, his opponent and – most importantly – the judges.
Instead, Pacquiao’s fight with fellow lightweight debutant Brendan Lally ended as a majority draw. One judge somehow saw it 39-37 for Pacquiao, fortunately countered by a pair of 38-38 tallies from the other two scorecards. BoxingScene scored the fight 39-37 for Lally.
The show, promoted by the elder Manny Pacquiao, took place at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.
Round 1 began with Lally – a 23-year-old high school teacher who was a college boxing champion – showing that he didn’t care about the 24-year-old Pacquiao’s pedigree. Lally came out throwing first, bulling Pacquiao into a corner, doing what he could to make Pacquiao uncomfortable with activity and awkward aggression. Pacquiao sought to fend off Lally with combinations and hard single shots, but he couldn’t create enough relief.
That changed at the start of the second round. Pacquiao figured out the right timing and distance, throwing as Lally approached but before Lally got too close. Pacquiao couldn’t sustain the strategy for the entire three minutes, however, which meant Lally had his own moments in the round.
Both men flurried within a phone booth at the outset of the third. Lally soon took over, regularly forcing Pacquiao to the ropes and landing in greater volume and impact than Pacquiao’s volleys. The fourth seemed to follow a similar pattern.
Lally bounced and celebrated while awaiting the judges’ verdict. Although the result didn’t go his way, he and his team remained the happier ones after the scores were read.
Both Pacquiao Jnr and Lally are now 0-0-1.
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
