- UncategorizedStyleFood & DrinkWomenTechPosted: Monday, November 14, 2011 | By: Esquire Philippines | 1 comment
Words By Gary Andrew Poole
Manny Pacquiao wore his brown and rather gaudy championship belt as he left the ring on Saturday.
The crowd thought he had stolen it.
Photo by Roy Macam for the October 2011 issue of Esquire PhilippinesManny Pacquiao won a majority decision against Juan Manuel Marquez in a megafight. The crowd, and just about everyone in attendance–except the 60 Congressman from the Philippines–watching it thought he lost the fight, or maybe, just maybe pulled out a draw. Maybe. But probably not. It was a close fight to score, but Pacquiao came in as a 10-1 favorite and everyone expected an early knock out. No man went down. Marquez landed the heavier punches.
After the decision was announced the crowd booed relentlessly. Marquez left the arena. The crowd cheered: MAR-QUEZ! MAR-QUEZ!
His trainer, Nacho Beristain, said, “It was a robbery of the utmost.”
Pacquiao stood in the middle of the ring. Then the crowd turned on Pacquiao again and booed him. He looked crushed, like a little boy being punished. No one on press row had Pacquiao winning, and only a few had him stealing a draw. (I scored the fight a draw.) Pacquiao said, “It was clear to me I won. I clearly won.” The PacMan said he blocked a lot of Marquez’ punches and claimed that the Mexican fighter consistently headbutted him.
What will this do to Pacquiao’s legacy as a boxer? It wasn’t his fault that the judges scored the bout his way. But there will now be many doubts about his supremacy in the ring. He talked constantly about wanting to show everyone how he was the better fighter after the two controversial fights with Marquez. Pacquiao is in his prime. He is 32. He had an off night against a thirty-eight-year old warrior. Pacquiao didn’t look better. And, let’s not forget, his arch-rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. had no problem with Marquez, and in light of that it will be difficult to rank him as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The fight itself had some thrilling rounds, and exciting exchanges but Marquez appeared to be landing the bigger punches. Pacquiao looked out of rhythm; he lost his mouthpiece once. Blood was coming from his lip. He looked tight, and didn’t move to his right, as his corner kept asking him to. He was a 10-1 favorite. Bob Arum, his promoter, said he wants to match them again in May. I guess that means Pacquiao-Mayweather, the so-called fight of the century won’t be happening anytime soon.
___
Gary Andrew Poole is a contributor of Esquire Philippines and is the author of PacMan: Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao, the Greatest Pound-for Pound Fighter in the World, available in all leading bookstores.
Follow Esquire Philippines on twitter: @EsquirePh and Gary Andrew Poole @orangerose /// The November 2011 issue of Esquire Philippines is available now
One thought on “POST-FIGHT: A NIGHT IN LAS VEGAS”
Leave a Reply
THIS MONTH in ESQUIRE
ARCHIVE
ESQUIRE PHILIPPINES
on FACEBOOK
© 2011 Esquire Philippines. All Rights Reserved.
Manny to needs to focus. Politics will not do any good on his career. He wants to retain his title, he needs to focus. He can be in politics later when he retires, but I think to be able to prove himself a real winner, he has to set politics aside until the right time. One at a time, Manny. You cannot catch two birds at the same time with one arrow. It was clear in the last fight you were not what you were. Anyway, you still have time for the next fight. Focus in one direction, that is the clue. Prove that you are the winner until the end. Politics is the Philippines has yet to change. There is one truth about it: change is constant in Philippine politics. But it always change for the worst, than for the better. I hope you can do something about it, at the Lord’s appointed time. If, you are meant for it.