By Ronnie Nathanielsz
A nation and people will hope and pray like never before that a gallant young Filipino who has broken away from the bondage of his childhood poverty with his fists of fury and indomitable courage will once again give some 80 million countrymen a glorious Sunday of celebration with a victory over his legendary Mexican opponent Erik “El Terrible” Morales.
Manny Pacquiao carries the weight of a nation’s fervent hopes and indeed their dreams when he enters the ring at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, the boxing capital of the world, in a rematch billed as “The Battle”. The clash between these two boxing heroes of our time may well decide the end of the war or probably prolong it, should Pacquiao erase the memory of his gallant stand even in defeat the first time around last March 19.
The moment Pacquiao lost a unanimous decision last March 19 plans were already underway for a rematch because fight fans wanted it and Pacquiao who fought through the blood that oozed from a nasty gash caused by an accidental head-butt in round five, deserved it. Should Pacquiao win - and his adoring fans believe trainer Freddie Roach when he says he will – then a third encounter in another celebrated trilogy is bound to happen .
Top Rank’s wily and financially astute promoter Bob Arum will figure the millions of dollars to be milked from a third fight while Pacquiao’s promoter Gary Shaw and manager Shelly Finkel will surely see their opportunity to make more money out of their prized possession.
While defeat is the last thing on the mind of Pacquiao and his legions of fans at home and abroad, the reality does dawn on some astute observers of the fight scene that the bigger Morales with his natural physical advantages, a stinging left jab and a solid right straight may have spotted some of Pacquiao’s weaknesses from the first fight and capitalize on them. Of course Pacquiao too has the advantage of knowing what Morales can and cannot do and Roach has made sure the charismatic southpaw with the devastating left learned his lessons the hard way.
Pacquiao also picked up strategic pointers from the manner in which the quick-handed and quick-footed Zahir Raheem bothered and bewildered Morales while inflicting an embarrassing defeat on Morales last September 11 at the Staples Center. But while Pacquiao obviously learned a lot , the fact is learning cuts both ways and Morales too must have learned from that moment of embarrassment.
But what if Pacquiao loses? The nation will weep and the agony may well be almost unbearable. Confident of victory no matter what the odds, Filipinos are preparing, each in their own way, a spectacular celebration that would send our collective pride soaring and respect for the Filipino and the Philippines earned by a national treasure and a genuine hero of our time, reinforced.
If defeat is the painful result then Filipinos who are devout Catholics may well take heed from the First Reading this Sunday when Ezra the teacher of the Law of God said to the people “This day is dedicated to Yahweh, your God, so do not be sad or weep. Go and eat rich foods, drink sweet wine and share with him who has nothing prepared. The day is dedicated to the Lord, so do not be sad. The joy of Yahweh is our strength.”
Win or lose let us truly be proud of this courageous young Filipino who has fired our imagination, filled our hearts with joy, restored our dignity and self-respect as a people and emerged as a hero when we cried out for one so very badly. And let us, as always, thank God for his wondrous gifts.
