Shorts: Powerful Pinoys

Forgotten But Not Gone

     It's easy to understand but not altogether forgivable that most people forgot that Manny Pacquiao was not the only Filipino that fought in a boxing ring last weekend.  Filipino pugilists Richie Mepranum and Eden Sonsona also took to the ring and like their idol Manny, ended up victorious.  (Michael Farenas also fought but the fight ended in a no decision because of a clash of heads)  Mepranum outworked and outpointed previously undefeated flyweight Hernan Marquez in their 10-round battle in the Gaylord Hotel on the eve of the Pacquiao fight. Meanwhile, Sonsona reminded the world he was the Sonsona to remember (and not Marvin) as he knocked out former world champ bantamweight Mauricio Pastrana in the 8th round.  So devastating was his knock out that the referee didn't bother to count out the Colombian when he fell to the canvass.  Mabuhay!

Fill 'Er Up

     If people are still wondering just how many Pinoys are already in the U.S., they need to look no further than Sunday's Pacquiao-Clottey fight.  Cowboy Stadium, configured for 45,000 seats, welcomed 50,994 people, the third largest boxing audience in an indoor arena in U.S. history.  Judging from the amount of flags seen along the stands and the deafening roar for Pacman, it can easily be surmised that Pinoys made up a good number of that crowd.  Pinoys, not only from Texas but as far as New Jersey and Chicago, according to an AP Report.  Talk about people power.

Action Star

     Of course, the best example of Pinoy dominance last weekend is the planet's best boxer, Manny Pacquiao.  Pacman unleashed a flurry onto challenger Joshua Clottey, pounding the Ghanian into a dominant, unanimous victory.  While many concentrate on Clottey's reluctance to punch (actually I did too on my Facebook status), what many should consider is that Clottey's intention to not get knocked out is not the only reason he didn't punch.  For anyone who doesn't, here are two questions.  Have you seen what happens to people (like Miguel Cotto, David Diaz and Ricky Hatton) who trade punches with Pacquiao?  What do you do when a hurricane of punches named Manny comes?  The answers are, "They get knocked out," and, "Cover up like hell."  So, as much as last weekend's massacre was a function of Clottey's lack of resolve, it's also about Pacquiao's sheer brilliance, ferocity, speed and power.  

photos courtesy of the AP and special thanks to Tiborce and his tremendous blog

3 Reasons to Get Even More Excited for Sunday

     It could be Pacquiao's sheer dominance and brilliance in his past 5 fights or it could be Clottey's relative anonimity.  It could even be disappointment over the postponed fight against Mayweather.  Whatever it is, there just doesn't seem to be enough buzz for this Sunday's fight between Manny Pacquiao, the Philippines' greatest boxer and Ghana's former Welterweight Champion, Joshua Clottey.  While many people scoff at Clottey's chances, I think there is more  than one reason to find this fight more than exciting.


Machete?

     Despite being a heavy underdog, people don't seem to remember that Clottey has never been hurt in a fight.  He has lost, twice by (controversial) decision and once by disqualification, but no opponent in his career has ever hurt him enough to get him in trouble.  Even when Miguel Cotto knocked him down, it was one of those flash knockdowns, and Clottey promptly stood up and almost ended up beating Cotto.  Clottey is always chiseled and in shape.  He has excellent defense (even Kevin Iole calls him a modern Winky Wright), making him tremendously difficult to hit and when he does get hit, he has shown he can take it.  That's why this fight, as much as it is a test for Clottey, it is a actually a true test for Pacquiao.  If people want to see just how strong Pacquiao is and exactly how technically sound his offense is now, this is the fight that will show them.


Three Handed Monster

      Joshua Clottey, as powerful as he is, is even more dangerous because he is, as my brother calls it, a "three handed monster."  Aside from his heavy right hand a capable left, Clottey has a penchant for using his head, the illegal way.  Call it whatever you want, dirty or just lunging, the fact of the matter is, Clottey's opponents have a high percentage of getting hit with a head butt.  That's why a lot of Clottey's opponents have ended up bleeding.  This is a significant problem because as tough as Pacquiao is, he hates bleeding.  He hates blood tests and he loses speed and ferocity when he starts bleeding in fights.  It can be remembered that he had a lot of trouble in the fights against Agapito Sanchez and Erik Morales, where he was bleeding from head butts.  (He lost to Morales, while Sanchez was disqualified)  That's why this fight is a lot more dangerous than people anticipate.  It's hard to fight an opponent who uses his head (illegally).


Pressure Points

      The problem with being the great one like Pacquiao is, everyone now expects him to dominate everyone not named Mayweather.  Now, Manny is the ultimate favorite, and all the pressure to dominate and win is all on him.  That, coupled with the pressure to win for the entire Philippine nation is more than enough for mere mortals to carry.  That's why this fight is tougher for Pacquiao than usual.  This time, he has to win and dominate. Otherwise, his aura of invincibility loses a lot of luster.


      Of course, like any other FIlipino, I am still 100% behind Pacquiao.  I'm still predicting an impressive win, 9th round or later.  It's just that, I think I'm going to be a lot more excited than others about this fight.  You would be too if you agree.


photos courtesy of AP and Yahoo! Sports

5 Questions on Pacquiao Cotto Answered: Post Fight

    


 First of all, thank God I got tickets to watch the fight live in Crown Plaza.  I can't stand the thought of not witnessing this historic fight live.  With that in mind, thanks to Paul Cheah, who got me the tickets, even if he wasn't watching with us.  Now, it's time to check the answers in my fight primer.

 1.  Can Pacquiao take Cotto's power?


Original Answer: No.


Post Fight Answer: Man, Manny really did his best to make me look bad.  Not only was he able to take Cotto's power, he actually went out and tested it.  I couldn't believe my eyes as my brother and I were watching.  I could see Manny's plan as soon as he held his hands up and stood his ground.  While others (including the commentators and people in the Crown Plaza Ballroom) were panicking, I muttered to my brother in disbelief, "He's doing it on purpose to mess with Cotto."  True enough, after the fight, Manny himself said he wanted to see if Cotto could hurt him.  He then took those punches, shook them off and attacked and destroyed Cotto.  If I can ever get consolation, it's that Pacquiao had been candid and admitted that Cotto's punches really did hurt him.


2.   Can Cotto nullify or match Pacquiao's speed?


Original Answer: No.


Post Fight Answer: This was an easy question as everyone has had problems with Manny's speed.  After his "experiment" with Cotto's punching power (and giving trainer Freddie Roach a heart attack) Pacquiao relied on his superior speed and outclassed Cotto.  Even Cotto, in a show of gentlemanliness and respect, spoke of Pacquiao's blinding and unworldly speed, saying he, "couldn't see where the punches where coming from."  


3. Will either fighter's training camp distractions prove fatal to their bid?


Original Answer: No.


Post Fight Answer:  Well, obviously Manny was not distracted as he was again at his best, displaying tremendous speed coupled with crunching power.  In fact, so confident was Manny in his focus that he reportedly even spent time practicing for his post-fight concert!  Heck, he even found the time to sing, "You Raise Me Up" before he returned to the locker room after the fight!  Meanwhile, Cotto, as outclassed as he may have been, showed that he has fully recovered from the beating he received from Antonio Margarito and the distraction named Evangelista Cotto was a distant memory, even displaying an effective left jab against Pacquiao.  He was also moving a lot better than his previous fights.  Of course, he didn't move fast enough against the world's top pound for pound fighter.  The bigger question now is, "Will he recover from the beating he received from Pacquiao?"  

4.   What will happen in the fight?



Original Answer: Manny will be too much for Cotto.


Post Fight Answer: At the risk of sounding arrogant, the fight went on as I envisioned, save for Pacquiao's experimentation with Cotto's power.  What made Manny's latest triumph especially awe inspiring is how this fight went like his past three fights.  David Diaz, Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton were all supposed to be stronger than him and all three were supposed to be ready for his speed.  Instead, they were all mowed down by the buzzsaw from the Philippines.   His blinding attack and hand speed overwhelmed Cotto, and I couldn't believe that Cotto trainer Santiago didnt stop the fight by the 9th round.  Cotto later revealed he refused to stop, but the trainer should take charge in these situations as obviously pride and adrenalin will not allow Cotto to consider his own safety.   

5.  What will be next for both fighters?


Original Answer: Pacquiao vs Marquez and Cotto vs Margarito


Post Fight Answer: Obviously Cotto and his camp cannot be making decisions and plans at this point.  It's in his best interest to rest and recuperate, then have a long talk with his family regarding his plans.  I still think that Cotto will be looking at Margarito, maybe Shane Mosley for his next big fight.  Arum might set up a tune up for him first though.  As for Manny, the clamor to fight Floyd Mayweather has begun and it is getting loud.  I still have a gut feeling that Pacquiao will end up fighting Juan Manuel Marquez.  Mosley presents too low a reward for the risk he presents and Mayweather, while exuding bravado, has not backed off his asking price of 65% of the purse share, which is absolutely absurd.  If Mayweather will not agree to the 50-50 split Manny is proposing, then no further proof is needed to prove that "Money" is afraid to dance with human dynamo from the Philippines.


photos courtesy of Yahoo! Sports and Getty Images

5 Questions on Pacquiao Cotto Answered

     Time Asia's newest cover boy Manny Pacquiao takes on Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto on Sunday (Saturday US time) in the aptly-titled pay per view, "Firepower," and to serve as the fight's primer, I will answer five of the most important questions surrounding their bout.

1.  Can Pacquiao take Cotto's power?

     No.  Despite Manny's unbelievably gruelling training of having someone hit his body with a stick, Cotto's power is hard to overcome.  Cotto's attack, which usually involves very punishing body blows (and even low blows), really can hurt welterweights, much more welterweights who came up in weight like Manny.  His sterling record of 34 wins (27 by knockout) is littered with big welterweights, so Manny will feel the power of each of Cotto's vaunted body punches.  If Cotto catches Manny with more than a few body blows, it could be a long night for Pacquiao.  Now, before everyone panics and calls for my head, read on.

2.  Can Cotto nullify or match Pacquiao's speed?

     No.  Every single opponent of Pacquiao had said that they had studied and figured out Manny's speed and quickness (both in foot movement and punching speed) before they succumb to it in the ring.  Cotto has joined those ranks by claiming he can fight speed as proven by wins over Shane Mosley and Joshua Clottey.  While those two are bordering on great as well, Pacquiao's speed is nowhere close to theirs.  Manny's unworldly hand and foot speed is what truly makes him great, not his punching power as a large number of fans are wont to believe.  The problem for Cotto is that he can prepare as much as he wants, but no sparring partner on this planet, much less in his camp, approximates "Pacman," so he has not prepared adequately for Manny's speed and quickness.  While Cotto's powerful punch can knock people out, a barrage of "Pacman" punches, some of which Cotto might not even see, can knock him out too.   

3.  Will either fighter's training camp distractions prove fatal to their bid?


       No.  Manny's camp was littered with distractions, from the two super typhoons, to infighting between adviser Michael Koncz and trainer Alex Ariza, to Freddie Roach scoffing at Manny Villar's pandering to the, "Pambansang Kamao."  All these, however, distracting, are par for the course for every "Pacman" camp.  Expect Pacquiao to be ready for fight night as he himself recognizes the tremendous opportunity laid before him.  Meanwhile, Cotto's camp which was a little busier than usual watching Cotto's weight, was rocked by former trainer (and Cotto's uncle) Evangelista Cotto, who slapped a lawsuit on the fighter, the culmination of years of infighting with the Cottos, Miguel Sr. and Jr.  Just like Manny, though, expect Cotto to be ready for what is easily the biggest fight of his life.  While he has expressed respect and admiration for Pacquiao, it is also important to remember that the Puerto Rican covets all the admiration, riches and glamour Pacquiao has earned.

4.  What will happen in the fight?


      Many boxing experts differ on their predictions, with some counting on Pacquiao's speed to win and some counting on Cotto's power.  My fearless forecast?  Pacquiao will win in either late round knockout or unanimous decision.  Manny will be well wary of Cotto's power and he will be highly motivated to frustrate Cotto and take away his strength advantage.  The last thing Pacquiao needs is to lose by knockout, expect Manny to do everything in his power to avoid it.  Manny doing everything in his power usually means lights out for his opponent.


5.  What will be next for both fighters?


     Considering the fight goes as I predicted, expect both fighters to still be in the fight game.  A loss diminishes Cotto's marketability and charisma, but it won't be too bad that Bob Arum can't find a fight for him.  A rematch against Antonio Maragarito is being floated around and expect Shane Mosley to come knocking if he sees Cotto has slowed down.  For Manny, a showdown with Floyd Mayweather would be golden, but don't wait with bated breath.  Mayweather will angle for more money and slow down negotiations and don't be surprised to see Manny face Juan Manuel Marquez instead.  A third fight in that rivalry would be a good pay per view and with both fighters aching to defeat the other convincingly, should be a slam-bang affair.


Next Week: I will do a checklist of these five questions to see where I went right and wrong.


photos courtesy of Getty Images and the AP