Quijano: ‘Money’ buys time from doing time in Vegas

Monday, January 9, 2012

NOW I’ve heard it all. And all the while our third world criminal justice system has been pilloried for being slow, inefficient and crude.

Yet, in Las Vegas, USA, they can actually postpone service of sentence and in Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s case, the ground invoked was the economic benefit he can provide to the community if he is allowed to fight in May 2012.

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Excuse me? If any, it sends a wrong message to the recalcitrant Floyd who might perceive that his status as a boxing superstar transcends other considerations, including the dispensation of justice.

ABSURD. The sheer absurdity in the ruling lies in the fact that there is absolutely no guarantee of any fight yet, as no contracts have been signed, much less presented to the court for its perusal.

Fights have been rescheduled or postponed for the flimsiest of reasons. If Mayweather is injured while training, or if an opponent backs out due to a similar reason and the fight is derailed, will the sentence be suspended again?

REASONS. Do mere allegations of alleged economic benefits outweigh the primordial purpose of justice, which is to punish, rectify and deter wrongdoing?

Remember that this is no jaywalking charge, people, but domestic violence against his wife/partner committed by a champion fighter whose fists are licensed to do damage.

On that note, if ever you have to serve time in the US, here’s a possible list of
excuses that may come in handy just in case:

1.) I can’t go to jail yet for embezzlement. I’m dying of cancer and I intend to give away a sizable portion of my estate to the poor and needy by issuing post-dated checks.

2.) I can’t go to jail yet. I’m currently perfecting the invention of a pill that will do away with a human’s need for food and water, thereby saving us billions.

3.) I can’t go to jail yet. I’m currently ranked 23,324 on the Angry Birds all-time list and at the rate I’m going, in six months I will crack the top 10,000.

Ridiculous, you say? My point exactly.

PACQUIAO. On this score, and for the sake of boxing, the only fight that Floyd should take on May 5, 2012 should be against Manny Pacquiao. To fight fans, that’s the only fight that really matters out there.

It should happen now or it might never come into fruition.

There’s no telling how serving time can affect Floyd Jr. physically and mentally if he thinks he can leave the window open for a Pacquiao fight next year.

The mercurial “Money” has been known to do strange things and I won’t be surprised if he decides to retire after his jail stint.

At 34 years of age, there might not be enough motivation and desire left to compete at the highest level after months of inactivity and incarceration.

Hey Judge Saragosa, I have a suggestion. While you’re at it, might as well put in place a stipulation that if he has to fight on May, then it should be against Manny Pacquiao.

If you’re dropping the ball on this one, might as well bounce it with aplomb.

No other fight out there would justify invoking alleged economic benefits that would warrant the suspension of service of sentence.

URCC 7. On the under-card this Friday for URCC Cebu 7 is Cebuano fighter Cary Bullos, who is on the comeback trail after losing via TKO to Leonard Delarmino at URCC 6.

In that fight, Bullos had several opportunities to finish off Delarmino, but the latter’s superior conditioning proved to be the crucial factor. In the end, his corner
had to intervene to save a gassed-out Bullos.

I’m eager to see if “The Prince” can recover the top form he once had, which had some MMA pundits bullish on his career.

LAST ROUNDS. Are on the Cebu Executive Runners Club, organizers of the recently concluded and hugely successful Cebu City Marathon 2012. Cheers!

(jingo_quijano@yahoo.com)