The air was thick with anticipation, and the crowd roared as Manny Pacquiao made his return back to the ring after four long years.
It was a surreal moment to be sure, looking at Pacquiao fighting again under the unforgiving glare of spotlights, adrenaline clearly surging through his 46-year-old veins.
I thought Manny had to win the fight early as I was not sure those old legs could hold up against a younger, bigger opponent in the later rounds. Sadly, I was correct, but nonetheless I thought he did enough to deserve the victory.
THE FIGHT. Remarkably, Manny still had some of the old moves. There were times his feet were like a blur in the canvas as he weaved through Mario Barrios’ reach with the grace of a dancer in the early rounds.
Barrios, with his menacing and chiseled frame, tried to stay in front of Manny throwing jabs and straights. Most of the early rounds were close but by the middle rounds, it was clear that Manny was winning the fight.
Barrios’ jabs were heavy and deliberate, but yet there were moments where he hit nothing but thin air. He found some success by targeting Manny’s body which seemed to bother the Pacman as he kept on telling Barrios to punch higher. Actually, I thought the blows were legal and on the borderline.
Manny kept pouring it on in rounds 7 and 8, left hand cracking like a whip with a southpaw’s venom, catching jaw time and again. But in the championship rounds, his activity started to wane.
Barrios was unyielding, and he was planning on testing the older man’s resolve. I thought he won two of the last three rounds as he was more aggressive and active. He clearly was the stronger, fresher man by the time the bell rang to signal the denouement of the fight.
VERDICT. The Last Round had it 115-113 for Manny and I was being generous to Barrios as I thought there were some rounds that were very close and difficult to score.
Was it a robbery? Not really. We’ve definitely seen worse before. The fact that two judges had it 114 even is emblematic of the close nature of the proceedings. A draw was well within the realm of possibility.
Still, Manny acquitted himself quite well and now he has commandeered even more respect and adulation from fight fans. There is always a sympathy vote for the older fighter and because he surprisingly did so well, his place in the history books has to be re-evaluated.
Had he won that fight, I thought he had a good case for being called one of the greatest fighters ever. Sadly, it was not meant to be and apparently, a rematch could be in the works.
My problem with a rematch is that Barrios can only get better, while time is not on Manny’s side. While some of the speed was there, gone were the 6-8 punch combinations we were so used to seeing him unload. Of course, that is expected from an older Pacman, but another thing I noticed is that he didn’t like it at all when Barrios targeted his body.
If he fights again, he has to undergo a longer training period and make sure his 46-year-old body is ready for another war.
Still, what Manny did was something we can all be proud of. He showed resilience- a trait our people have been known for.
If he doesn’t fight again, Pacquiao walks away as a legend etched in the annals of the sweet science. Thank you, Manny, for proving that us old guys can still kick some butt.
LAST ROUNDS. Are on two dear friends, Atty Kenneth Yap and Liezel Gedorio who recently celebrated their birthdays. Cheers!