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Thursday, February 23, 2006
Taneo: Hawaiian punch almost bids aloha
By Paul J. Taneo
Free-for-all
Brian Viloria is a very good fighter, a complete boxer. He is the WBC light-flyweight champion right now but if he chooses to fight stupid, his reign could be a very short one.
In his title defense against Jose Antonio Aguirre last Sunday, Viloria wanted to end the fight early. With a flurry of punches in the first round, he backed down Aguirre into the ropes but failed to take him out.
Aguirre, the former champion, knew he had to take the fight to Viloria if he wanted to win. That’s exactly what he did, rocking Viloria in the second and third rounds. In the third, Viloria was ready to fall, allowing himself to get trapped in a corner with both mitts up to protect his head but Aguirre had his way with the Fil-Am, several of his punches getting through.
In the sixth round, again Viloria was a sitting duck in a corner, taking abuse from Aguirre.
It took Viloria half the length of the match to learn his lesson and do something about it. In round seven, he finally figured it out. He got cornered but quickly escaped while hitting Aguirre thrice on the head.
The last four rounds were all Viloria, more than making up for his lack of domination in the first eight rounds, which he practically split with Aguirre on the judges’ scorecards.
Viloria’s skills are not ordinary. Even in the talent-laden US boxing milieu, Viloria, a former Olympian, was recognized. But in the pros, Viloria must realize he can’t go on sheer talent alone. He can box when he wants to, he can slug when necessary. What he should do is minimize his machismo like when he stands still and takes punishment from an opponent.
They call him Hawaiian Punch but he need not be punch drunk to prove he is tough.
THE LEGEND PASSES ON. Few local journalists can boast of the kind of longevity Manuel N. Oyson Jr. enjoyed. As he occasionally reminded his readers, he had been writing a sports column for Sun.Star Cebu as long as the paper had existed. Sadly, last Monday he died at age 71.
Noy Maning’s style is the kind that makes friends and foes. There is no middle ground. You either had to agree with him or disagree. He was feisty, bludgeoning an issue until all the blood was drained.
A lawyer by profession, he was a journalist, particularly a sportswriter, by avocation. And he wrote on sports matters like a lawyer, arguing his case and letting the feathers fly.
He will be remembered for being the only local columnist who said that Manny Pacquiao would lose to Erik Morales in their first encounter. LTO big shot Ely Bohol probably bet on Morales on advice of Noy Maning.
When Noy Maning wrote of his opposition to the plan to make Pacquiao an adopted son of Cebu City, he got flak from all over.
He wondered what Pacquiao had done for Cebu that he should deserve such accolade, adding that Pacquiao wasn’t even a world-title holder.
There were also times when he made public his opposition to sending Philippine teams to international basketball tournaments for the simple reason that the country had no hope to do well outside Southeast Asia.
He opined that money spent on such teams was better spent on teams that had better chances of winning abroad in events like boxing or billiards.
In local gatherings of sportswriters, Noy Maning was always one of those who stood out. His a cappella version of Yoyoy Villame’s “Magellan” may not make it to any top 10 radio lists but no Cebu sportswriter can sing that song again without being measured up to Noy Maning’s rendering.
The first time I covered the PAL Interclub in Davao City, Noy Maning was my roommate. Forewarned that Noy Maning was a great snorer, I tried to go to sleep before he could, or I’d be humming “Magellan” in time with Noy Maning’s snoring to lull myself to sleep. Incidentally, or should I say, uncannily, I was assigned to the same room in this year’s PAL Interclub in the apartelle where Noy Maning and I stayed in 2003.
Noy Maning’s passing is a great loss to local journalism. If there’s a sports heaven, I’m sure Noy Maning has found a slot in a team up there. And he’d be arguing with the coach.
(paulotaneo@yahoo.com)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 23, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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