Wednesday, February 28, 2007 Wenceslao: Gorres’ loss, Pacquiao’s running By Bong O. Wenceslao Candid Thoughts
I WAS still in the Sun.Star newsroom when boxing icon Manny Pacquiao entered the Cebu City Sports Center with an entourage that included Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and businessman Rex "Wakee" Salud for the main bouts of Feb. 24's "Moment of Truth" extravaganza. So I was not around when that well publicized booing incident happened.
But I did rush to the "boxing arena" in time for Cebuano Z Gorres' showdown with World Boxing Organization superflyweight champ Fernando Montiel and was met by a pleasant sight: the size of the crowd at the grandstand and in the oval was Sinulog-like. I agree, Cebuano boxing fans are too intelligent to pass up a world championship bout.
While watching a report on the bout on TV a day before the fight, my wife Edizza commented about how emaciated the Cebuano boxer looked during the weigh-in. That quip came to mind as I watched Gorres unable to lift his legs in the decisive 12th round, parrying Montiel's blows with heavy hands and desperately trying to embrace his foe.
When you dance a-la Sugar Ray Leonard or Floyd Mayweather, bring a full tank, even two full tanks, of oxygen with you. Jog, er, run like Pacquiao in practice, on plains and up the hills. Condition the body well. Because when your legs betray you and you can no longer dance away from your opponent, you'll get hit often and…that will be it.
Anyway, Gorres is still young and surely got a handful of lessons from that world title bout. I doubt, however, if we ever learn our lessons in dealing with Manny. Hours after he was booed, people close to him claimed he was quitting politics for boxing. But when interviewed live on GMA 7’s “24 Oras” the other night, he hemmed and hawed.
Golden Boy's Oscar de la Hoya will tell you that you can’t rely on Manny to stick to promotional contracts that he signs. Officials of the political party Kampi will tell you that even when Manny already schedules his oath taking as new member of an organization, there is no assurance he won’t be taking oath with another party instead.
Is it true then that Pacquiao won’t run in May? Here’s my take. The deadline for the filing of the certificates of candidacy for local posts is still a month away. In that span of time, many lips will be whispering sweet nothings on Manny’s ears. The sweet nothing that the last lip will whisper on the boxer’s ears when deadline comes will win in the end.
So let us pick out those leaves one by one: Manny will run, Manny will not run, Manny will run, Manny will not run, Manny will run…
