Fighting the Good Fight

     The only goal a good documentary should have is to shine the light of truth on an otherwise hidden or unknown subject.  Whether it's to expose a government's ineptness to handle a terrorist attack or the terrifying effects of eating fast food everyday, documentaries need to surprise and move people and their emotions with an unadulterated dose of the truth.  The problem that faced the directors, Oscar winner Leon Gast (When We Were Kings) and Filipino american Ryan Moore, was that their only subject, Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, is one of the world's most recognized faces.  Pacquiao's day to day routine and life story have been well documented, too well documented , in fact, that showing a new side, a new truth is a herculean task.

     Predictably, the documentary tracks Pacquiao's rags to riches story, from a small fishing village in General Santos to the small city in Saranggani and then later the streets of Malabon.  It also predictably tracks Pacquiao's amazing (and still ongoing) boxing career, from his early Philippine and Asian wins to his startling rise to greatness on the world stage.  But to say that the documentary is a predictable reel with the hopes of bolstering Pacquiao's future political career would be just too lazy.  The documentary provides a hidden, unexpected gem that only real silence will allow.

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Typing with Iole: An Exclusive Interview

     With the deluge of bloggers everywhere, it's sometimes difficult to distinguish the real experts from the angry fan and it's no exception in the fighting world of boxing and mixed martial arts (mma).  While I claim to be no expert in these two fields, I do know an expert when I see one.  In boxing and mma, there is no bigger name than Yahoo! Sports' resident expert Kevin Iole.

     Covering boxing since the early 1980's, Iole has an impressive army of insightful and entertaining articles, not only about boxing, but also mma, which he started covering in 2000.  His articles combined the right amount of facts, drama and comedy all within a mostly objective tone.  T

hat's why I it was my great honor and pleasure to pick his brain about the burning questions I have about boxing and mma.  

     In this exclusive web interview, Iole discusses, among other things, his theory on why he's labelled "anti-Pacquiao," and who he believes to have the best chance of becoming the next Filipino boxing star.

Sharwin Tee:  Of all the fights you have covered, what would you consider as the greatest boxing match ever?  What MMA match you covered would you consider 

as the greatest?

Kevin Iole: 

The best fight I ever saw in boxing was Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo I. In MMA, the best was Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar I.

ST: With Marquez and Mayweather fighting soon, do you think it is possible that one of the two could fight Pacquiao by the end of the year?

KI: Unlikely either will face Pacquiao in 2009. I expect Manny to fight Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14

ST: Gerry Penalosa has announced he would fight at least one more time, planning on challenging for the 118 lbs belt (against the winner of the Fernando Montiel vs Eric Morel, if I recall).  Do you think it's a good idea for him and if he does fight for the title, what would his chances be?

KI: I think Gerry would beat Morel, but I think Montiel would beat him. He's younger and still in his prime.

ST: Shane Mosley has been saying all the right things (his willingness to drop weight and take less money) to get a fight with Manny Pacquiao, meaning he really thinks he ca

n handily beat Pacquiao.  Do you agree with him or will the drop in weight mean Sugar will have a difficult time?

KI: I think Shane's going to have a tough time getting to 144. When is the last time he made that weight? I believe it was in 1999.

ST: Other than Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire, are you familiar with other Filipino boxing stars like Z Gorres, AJ Banal, Bernabe Concepcion and  World Champions Donnie Nietes (minimum weight), Brian Viloria?  Who among them would you say has the brightest future in the sport?

KI: I'm familiar with all of them but Nietes. Of that list, I think Viloria has the best sh

ot at becoming a star.

ST: While you have been fair in your articles, there is still a sentiment among others that you are anti-Pacquiao.  Why do you think this sentiment exists? 

KI: I'm not anti-Pacquiao, but I think Manny's fans don't want someone to say what they feel. I felt Oscar would beat him, feeling he was too big, and they took it that I didn't like Manny. Just because I don't believe a fighter is going to win a specific fight doesn't mean I'm against him.

ST: Let's switch to MMA.  With the impressive victory by Lyoto Machida over Rashad Evans, do you think it proves that a wrestling background isn't necessarily always the best base to train for MMA? Or do you think that Machida is merely an exception?

KI: Wrestling isn't a requirement, though it helps. But there are plenty of fighters in MMA who are successful w/o wrestling backgrounds.

ST: Personally, do you feel that Rampage Jackson ducked Machida by choosing to coach TUF 10 instead of challenging for the title because he feels he needs more time to train or does he really hate Evans so much he needs to coach against him?

KI: No. I don't think he ducked him. I think he is trying to make the most money and he'll make himself more known appearing on TV in the US on a weekly basis for three months.

ST: With the countdown to UFC 100 on Yahoo Sports, which would you consider to be the best and most spectacular knockout in the first 99 UFCs?  Best submission?  

KI: Best KO in my mind is Gonzaga over Cro Cop at UFC 70. Best sub was when Frank Mir snapped Tim Sylvia's arm, at UFC 48 (I think)

ST: The UFC is gaining prominence in the Philippines, especially with fighters with Filipino heritage like Brandon Vera, Philippe Nover and Mark Munoz making the UFC shows.  Unfortunately, they have all seemed to run into big time losses.  Which of the three do you see has the brightest chance to achieve popularity and success in the future?  Will any of the three win UFC titles?

KI: Vera is the best by far of that group, but I don't think any of them will win a title.

ST: Again, with regard to the popularity of UFC in the Philippines, is there a chance the UFC would put up a show here?  Maybe feature the Filipino fighters in three matches and then bring in a main event?

KI: UFC will eventually hold a show in Philippines, but will wait until the economy improves.

ST: Thank you for your time.

KI: Thank you for asking me.

How Now, Pacquiao?

     With his stunning second round demolition of Ricky Hatton last May 2, 2009, Manny Pacquiao is on top of the boxing world, with some claiming he is history's best.  Meanwhile, the very world the,  "Pacman" had enthralled is still under his spell, as everyone is awaiting word on what he is to do next.  Currently, Manny has been rightfully taking it easy and celebrating his latest conquest.  Pretty soon, though, he will have to decide what to do next.  Whether it be about his legendary boxing career or his polarizing political one, everyone seems to have an opinion on what Manny should do.  Of course, being the meddler that I am, I have some suggestions too.

Boxing Career

     Obviously, if Pacquiao stopped now, he would leave with a tremendous career and legacy that will be remembered by the world for generations to come.  I think, however, leaving this early will leave his legacy in question.  There are some unanswered questions I think he should answer before he retires and I have a plan of action that is not only feasible, but also fit perfectly into his desire to retire early and to run for congress.

     First, Manny should take on the winner of the fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr., the man he replaced as boxing's pound for pound king or one of his greatest rivals, Juan Manuel Marquez.  Pretty Boy Floyd has talked some trash since announcing his return and some have already drank from the irradiated Kool Aid he has been serving.  Taking on Mayweather will finally answer the question of who is the best boxer in this open era, and Manny should not let an opportunity pass him by.  As for fighting Juan Manuel Marquez in what should be a farewell fight for both pugilists, Manny has the opportunity to finally rid himself of the pesky Mexican.  As Manny has been enjoying number one status in the "P4P" rankings, many consider Juan Manuel Marquez as "1A."  A third and final fight would be a fan's dream fight as we finally close the chapter on a wild and exciting rivalry.  This fight could indeed happen sometime in December, giving Pacquiao ample time to rest and prepare his political party for the May 2010 elections.

     Second, Manny should take a good look at Miguel Cotto.  While Cotto possesses power that could mean trouble for Pacquiao, I feel it is worth the risk because beating Cotto would give Manny a sixth world title.  This would enable him to match his idol, Oscar de la Hoya's belt career belt haul.  Now that would be a great way to end a career.  This fight could be penciled in at around September or October of 2010, giving Manny lots of time to rest and train after the elections.

Political Career

     I don't like the idea of Manny running for congress as much as anyone, but with having "Kabayan" Noli "extortion" de Castro as Vice President (and maybe even President) and Lito"the sound of silence" Lapid as Senator, how can we tell Pacquiao he isn't ready to lead us?  He should run if he truly wanted to and believe it or not, I would seriously consider voting for him if he ran in our district.  I, however, have an even better political plan for Pacquiao.

    If it were up to me, I'd have Pacquiao become president... of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP).  For years, athletes have begged to have former athletes lead their respective Nation Sports Associations (NSA), so that the leadership could empathize better, and Manny leading the ABAP would be great.  He knows boxing, its training, scouting, weight cutting, etc, and he would be in a prime position to advise ABAP on how to train and care for our boxers.  I understand amateur and professional boxing are different animals, but surely his talent would not be dominant on the pro ring alone.  Meanwhile, his current fame will go a long way in uniting a usually fractured ABAP leadership.  Furthermore, his international stardom will bring a level of credibility to our NSA, which would help garner more respect from the international boxing committee.  This, in turn, would help lessen the questionable judging we are always a victim of.  

     If Pacquiao is really determined to go along way politically, he can serve the ABAP for a while, then run for the presidency... of the Philippine Olympic Committee.  If Manny serves the ABAP well as president and unites it, then he deserves to be POC president.  In this position, Manny can take care of all the athletes and his well-respected character and discipline transcends all sports, so uniting the athletes is certainly doable.  I mean, if he can unite an entire nation enough to stop crime and war, he should be able to do it in sports.  I know he has mentioned that all he wants to do by running for congress is to help the people.  What better way to help than to unite a nation through sports?

     In the end, it's really up to Manny.  He's the one with five titles in five divisions.  He's the P4P King.  I think, though, my plan would certainly appeal to him.  After all, my suggestions for his boxing career would close his career and legacy elegantly, while my suggestions for him politically would help him achieve his goals.  

     The best part?  After he executes my plan successfully, he would still be young enough to run for congress.