August 23, 2021
3D-ADDICT
Pacquiao’s defeat has domino effects?
Was the defeat of Manny Pacquiao in the hands of Yordenis
Ugas in their 12-rounder last Saturday the closing canto of the PacMan’s
legendary domination of several weight divisions in the boxing world and some
political initiatives in the Philippines?
Ugas took the fight on 11 days’ notice when unified champion
Errol Spence Jr. withdrew after suffering an eye injury. The 35-year-old Cuban
substitute had the pro-Pacquiao crowd in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
howling as he pounded the 42-year-old “Pambansang Kamao.”
CompuBox saw Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs) outlanding Pacquiao
(62-8-2, 39 KOs) 101 to 88. Registering an impressive 59 percent of his power
shots, Ugas hammered out a unanimous decision (115-113, 116-112, 116-112) to
win the WBA welterweight title.
Ugas scored with his double-jabs to the head followed by a
right hand to the body. His high guard picked off Pacquiao’s blows before a
sharp right looped around PacMan’s gloves and connected to the head over and
over, finally inflicting a cut over his left eye.
Pacquiao’s defeat sort of validated the handing over to Ugas
earlier in the week of his WBA “super” welterweight title on account of the
senator’s not defending it in the ring for two years. (More details in the
Sports section.)
The victory of Ugas, a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, over
Pacquiao looked like fate was working in the background.
The Cuban pug said of his victory, “I’m very excited, but
most of all, I want to thank Manny Pacquiao for giving me this moment in this
ring today. Now the plan is to unify the title at welterweight. ...Errol Spence
is the next one on the list. I am praying that he recuperates.”
In March 2019, Ugas dropped a split decision to Shawn
Porter. Four months after, Pacquiao regained the welterweight title from Keith
Thurman in an impressive performance that showed Pacquiao’s champion qualities.
But with Pacquiao’s inactivity or failure to mount a ring
defense of the belt, it was taken from him and given to Ugas. Then the Cuban
suddenly found himself replacing Spence and inheriting the task of taking back
the title from Thurman – which he did Saturday by beating Pacquiao.
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Will Pacquiao’s loss have a domino effect, such as a series
of setbacks, that will force him to scale down his various plans that include a
run for the presidency in May 2022? Having felt the stiffness creeping in his
knuckles and legs, will he now consider hanging up his gloves?
In a post-fight press interview, Pacquiao was saying, “I had
a hard time in the ring making adjustments. My legs were tight. I’m sorry I
lost tonight, but I did my best. I don’t know. Let me rest first and relax
(before) I make the decision of whether I will fight or not.
“I will make a final announcement (about running for
president) next month. I know that I am facing a big problem that’s more
difficult than boxing but I want to help the people. I want to help them. I
will make a final announcement next month.”
From our corner, we tweeted yesterday this unsolicited
advice for him: “Don’t run for president. Mag-endorse ka na lang.
Commit funds and time to pro-poor advocacy. Continue Bible study. Ingat ka
sa Covid at sa magnanakaw. You’ll be OK!”
While training in California for the fight, Pacquiao must
have been distracted no end by the political noise back home. It must have been
difficult, for instance, keeping his mind away from his ouster as president of
the PDP-Laban party in his absence.
He had already announced his intention to run for president
when a faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi nominated President Duterte
as the party’s bet for vice president and gave him a free hand to choose his
aide Bong Go as his presidential running mate.
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Pacquiao’s defeat will dampen the excitement over his
champion attraction because most Filipinos want identification with a winner.
They want to be on the side of the bida (hero) always. That is why
politicians commission surveys purporting to show their alleged popularity.
A decision to run for president would depend not only on
Pacquiao’s assessment of the political lay of the land and his chances of
winning, but also on his personal relationship with influential figures,
including President Duterte, and power brokers.
Pacquiao still has considerable mass following, but it may
not be enough to clinch victory.
Unlike others who run for the funds of it, the question to
ask in his case is why run if he would lose anyway?
It would make more sense for him to just support the
candidate who best reflects his political views, and whose best intentions for
the people coincide with his.
It could also happen that a person would support a winnable
or relatively strong candidate to be able to bring down or get even with big
politicians who had done him much harm over time.
This talk about Pacquiao, btw, should not draw attention
away from the win in the undercard of another Filipino, Mark Magsayo, via a
10th-round knockout of Julio Ceja. Magsayo, 26, has thus risen to be the No. 1
contender for the WBC featherweight title held by Gary Russell Jr.
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