Sports

Mendoza: Show respect to our rocking chair folk

Al Mendoza

MANNY Pacquiao isn’t fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. in December. N’yet.

No Christmas purse of at least $20 million for Pacquiao?

That’s bird feed if compared with Pacquiao’s take of more than $100 million in the Pacquiao-Mayweather 1 in 2015.

But should their rematch materialize—reportedly in May 2019—Pacquiao can’t really complain. Mayweather, too.

Both do not have the luxury of time anymore. Pacquiao will be 40 by May, Mayweather 42.

Not even the luxury of movement, whether in footwork, arm speed or body weaving and ducking.

Swift swing in dance a la John Travolta is out, Baryshnikov ballet in.

As I keep saying here, when Pacquiao and Mayweather make a go of it again, the world will watch senior citizens trying to wrestle each other to the ground in their own sweet time.

But whether in slow motion or slow drag, stop whining.

Being surefire suckers yourselves—most boxing devotees are like that, anyways—learn to live with it, love it in all its soulful splendor and boundless beauty.

When our rocking chair folk do their thing, show respect. You’ll also get there, sooner or later.

Meanwhile, who is this Adrien Broner being bruited about as Pacquiao’s tune-up foe on Jan. 12?

Don’t look now but “The Cincinnati Kid” is a four-time world champion: 2011-2012 of the WBO junior lightweight division, 2012-2013 WBA lightweight, 2013 WBA welterweight and 2015-2016 WBA light welterweight.

And Broner, 29, has a 33-3-1, win-loss-draw record, with 24 knockouts. Never been knocked out.

I saw him fight the undefeated Mikey Garcia, losing on points after giving the Mexican a hell of a brawl.

Broner is no patsy for Pacquiao, whose last victory recently over Lucas Matthysse was easily the Filipino icon’s most distasteful knockout win ever.

Why, because Matthysse had literally begged for his own stoppage by dropping to his knees at least twice, forcing the referee to declare the Argentinian out of it.

If their fight pushes through, I hope Broner will not make Pacquiao a fake KO winner two in a row.

The thought sucks.

Screenshot from CCTV footage

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