Further reflections on Pacquiao/Barrera II

Since I watched the fight live I'd had the opportunity to watch it two more times to get further impressions about what I witnessed. First off I am deeply saddened that this will be remembered forever as Barrera's last fight. I'm also saddened that so many people have come out of the woodwork to take any opportunity they can to attempt to degrade Marco both personally and professionally. I realize Barrera did not fight the fight any of us thought he was going to, it was neither a war nor a technical battle. But the majority of the critics are focusing solely on Barrera, and ignoring the fact that Pacquiao did not deliver the good either. Barrera was not the only fighter in that ring who failed to deliver any kind of excitement at all, Pacquiao also did. So many of Pacquiao's supporters and members of his camp and the boxing press were banking on Pacquiao to knockout the legend Barrera early. He failed to do so in the same fashion that Marco failed to do anything he promised to do. Coming into the fight Pacquiao fans were promised a brutal knockout for Manny, and Barrera fans were promised a stunning technical performance. Nobody got what they wanted in this fight. Instead what we saw was Pacquiao's inability to catch Barrera with anything solid while chasing him around the ring all night, and Barrera's inability to let his hands go. This fight was a bomb, pure and simple. The only positive thing to come out of it was that A.) I did not have to pay $50 to see it. and B.) I got to see one of my all time favorites in the ring one last time, even though it was about as entertaining as watching paint dry. Criticism follows every fighter and there's certainly no shortage of critics on this message board. It's no secret I'm a Barrera fan and I was highly disappointed in Marco's behavior and fight plan on the night of the fight. Upon further reflection I do not feel disappointed anymore, but at peace with Barrera's legacy. In this fight, both men won, and all of the fans lost. Manny Pacquiao won because he got another technical victory over a Mexican legend. Marco Antonio Barrera won because this fight was never about the technical victory for him, but rather the moral victory. "If I can just last 12 rounds, I will have proven all of the naysayers wrong." was his M.O. He even said it to Larry Merchant after the fight. The fans lost because we didn't see anything, there was no fireworks, just one or two small sizzles as the curtain closed on another legendary boxing career. I just wanted to point out that criticism goes both ways, and Pacquiao should be getting it as badly as Barrera is now. I wouldn't go as far as some on here, by calling a legend like Barrera a "pussy". Keep in mind that he still had the balls at age 33 with eroded reflexes and power and having had a brain operation, to get in the ring with a guy as fierce as Pacquiao and use his wits just to survive. But what does it say of Pacquiao as well? For a guy as highly regarded as he is in this sport, to not be able to KO an aging fighter whom he detonated 4 years ago, let alone land anything solid or even hurt Barrera? Disgraceful fight on both fighter's parts. It takes two to tango, that's all I'm saying.