Philippine Daily Inquirer: There's The Rub: F--ked!

 By: Conrado de Quiros
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The comments that followed Tim Dahlberg’s article on the Pacquiao-Bradley fight in Yahoo Sports spoke of the incredulity of the public. This came out immediately after the fight so the reactions were raw and spontaneous. And honest. Except for one or two who lauded the decision, the rest were furious.

From Sean: “Well, that’s the last boxing match for me. Death of boxing.” From David Love: “Absolute last for me, rest of my life. Screw them.” From Sam: “My fart is better than the judges’ decision.” From Randy: “Boycott the rematch!” From Thomas: “Boxing is a joke of a sport. Corruption is worse in boxing than in our government.”

Dahlberg’s article itself began with this sarcastic line: “Timothy Bradley promised to shock, though the biggest shock in his fight with Manny Pacquiao came from the judges’ scorecards.”

I saw the fight in Toronto, in a pizza place cum bar toward midnight last Saturday, and there was a good crowd there, half of them Filipinos. My reaction to the decision was closest to the guy who said, “Screw them,” though I had a more common and vulgar word than “screw” in mind. Some things lend themselves to expletives, and expletives were what came rushing through my mind, and mouth, when the decision was read.

But before that, I was stunned. My mind blanked, the world dissolved in unreality, everything seemed as distant as the moon. That Pacquiao should only have a two-point edge over Bradley in the scorecard of the judge who voted for him, I was shocked. That the second judge would actually have Bradley ahead of Pacquiao, I was zonked. That the third judge would actually agree with him and give Bradley the win, that was when I felt the gates of hell open, darkness filled the earth, the world turned upside down. And that was when I shouted, if only in my mind, “F–k you!”

The Filipinos, who burst into a spontaneous roar every time Pacquiao sent a flurry of blows into Bradley’s face and body, to the amusement of the customers that hovered in the wings, though many of them were caught in the heat of the fight too, were stunned to disbelieving silence. Though they would hiss and curse as they filed their way out. Even the non-Filipinos were disgusted by the decision and made their sympathies known to the Filipino crowd.

This was by no means close. This was by no means near. This was by no means contested. This was lopsided. This was a mugging. I had thought earlier that Pacquiao would need nothing less than a knockout to get back to his lofty perch after he fell to the same ground the rest of us mortals lived with his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. But this was the next best thing to it. Pacquiao fought masterfully, choosing his spots, toying with Bradley like a cat does with a mouse before deciding to make dinner out of him. The announcers themselves, such as I could hear them over the din, confirmed the fact.

I was with the guys from Ryan Cayabyab’s musical troupe and the only thing we were betting on after the first three rounds was what round Bradley would fall. He seemed on the verge of it a couple of times. Only his stamina or fortitude or heart kept him standing. That was impressive too, the fact that he did not go down, the fact that he fought on, though I wondered how he would be feeling at the end of the fight. Maybe not as agonizingly as Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito whose faces bore traces of the war they had been in and had ended up in hospitals afterward. But not much better.

I was prepared to laud Bradley. To say that it wasn’t Pacquiao’s undiminished skills that had made the fight exciting, or last to the bitter end, it was Bradley’s unimaginable capacity to take punishment. Until the decision was read. Until that mind-boggling, brain-addling, reality-altering proclamation that he had won the fight was made.

Pacquiao himself showed grace in his (manufactured) defeat, appearing in the post-game ring interview, though he could very well have snubbed it and the world would have understood, and saying wryly those were the rules of the game, the judges decided things, and that was their decision. He could have added such as their decision had anything to do with rules, such as their decision had anything to do with sanity. But he refrained from doing so, managing at least to snatch from that loss a moral victory of sorts. He may be gaining in his battles in life what he has been losing of late in his battles in the ring.

In the end, this fight was lopsided—against Pacquiao. This fight was a mugging—of Pacquiao. But Bradley did not account for the lopsidedness, Bradley did not account for the mugging. The judges did. Pacquiao stepped into that ring with more than Bradley to fight. He stepped into the ring with organized crime to fight. Oh, yes, that was organized crime plain as day. To say that that fight was rigged is to say that this country’s 2004 elections were rigged. You could smell the stench of that corruption from Las Vegas to Las Palmas. As one Filipino put it, na-Comelec si Pacquiao.

The media have been calling the decision controversial. It is about as controversial as the proposition that Zaldy Ampatuan is a mass murderer. There is nothing controversial about it. This was barefaced cheating. This was plain-as-day-highway robbery. This was in-your-face shoving the dirty finger and saying “F–k you.” In the face not just of us Filipinos but of boxing itself, in the face of those who elevated the game from savageness to human striving, from primitiveness to art. Like every Filipino and fans of boxing everywhere, I feel sore and raw and angry. It is the feeling of having just had the Akyat Bahay Gang go every square inch through my home. It is the feeling of being screwed.

It is the feeling of being f–ked.

The Perfect Storm: Manny Pacquiao or Timothy Bradley?

In just a few hours, the boxing world will know what kind of stuff the muscular and cocky Timothy Bradley is made of -- is he a tough and worthy opponent for Manny Pacquiao, or just a B-plus attraction pushed up there by Top Rank, aided by some paid hacks in the media to make it appear that this fight is a compelling one even if it is not?

Timothy Bradley, on paper, is a quality and dangerous foe. He is fast, slick and undefeated. Aside from having youth on his side, he also wields an extra weapon in the form of his head, a weapon so lethal that his fight history is riddled with fighters that were victimized by his sweet old noggin. By these attributes alone he surely deserves a shot at Manny Pacquiao. Or does he?

In Manny Pacquiao, Timothy Bradley will face the toughest test of his boxing career as well as square off with one of the most devastating punchers in the history of the sport -- a tall order for anybody in the boxing world.

But because of Pacquiao's inability to deliver destruction in his recent fights that was attributed to turmoil in his personal life, Timothy Bradley, according to some 'well-respected' boxing analysts who will not be named, is a 'live dog' and therefore has a fighting chance and will score the biggest prize of his life -- the scalp of the Pacman and every bounty that goes with it.

And tonight, Manny Pacquiao is the one who is under heavier pressure to perform well. In many observers' eyes, Pacquiao needs to reclaim his stature in the eyes of both his fans and critics alike as the best fighter in the world today. He needs to get back to his old devastating self, of being the most fearsome and exciting fighter that he is, the whirlwind from the Pacific who electrifies the crowds everytime he fights.

A lot of people blasted Manny Pacquiao for being 'un-Pacquiao-like' for performing below par in his recent fights, most notably in his 'touched-glove' diplomacy with Shane Mosley that ended in a unanimous decision win, as well as his controversial split-decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, a fight that many observers still claim he lost (although this writer had it 7-to-5 rounds in favor of Pacquiao).

By virtue of Manny Pacquiao's recent so-so performances, some boxing observers have been emboldened and declared that the Filipino fighter is on the decline as a prizefighter. His age and hectic lifestyle have finally caught up with him and he is now ripe for the picking. The same observers opined that they will not be surprised if a catastrophic upset of the once invincible Pacman is in store tonight.

But let us consider some hard facts: Timothy Bradley may be fast, but Manny Pacquiao is faster. Timothy Bradley may have some pop in his punches, but Manny Pacquiao packs a wallop in his hands. Timothy Bradley takes pride in his durability, but Kendall Holt shows us that his chin is vulnerable from a big punch, while Manny Pacquiao's chin has withstood bombs from the likes of Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, two fighters who possess power in their fists. Timothy Bradley may be a blue collar worker inside the ring, but Manny Pacquiao's stamina and work rate are legendary. Timothy Bradley may be a brave soul, but we all know that Manny Pacquiao is a warrior.

And lastly, Timothy Bradley may have been nicknamed as the "Desert Storm," but lest we forget Manny Pacquiao used to be called the "Pacific Storm" as he dismantled, with stunning ferocity, every fighter that stood in his way.

 *This article was originally published in Detroit Fight Sports Examiner

Timothy Bradley has 'no fear' of Manny Pacquiao

“I’m in the best shape that I could possibly be in. There’s nothing that I fear. No one that I fear. I don’t fear Manny Pacquiao... I’m ready for anybody.”

Undefeated WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley has the physique of a fighter: young, ripped and muscular. Timothy Bradley has the proper frame of mind for a fighter going to war. Timothy Bradley has the talent to make it happen and battle plan to emerge victorious against any fighter out there.

But he is not fighting against any ordinary fighter. He is fighting against Manny Pacquiao, the only eight-division wold champion, a fearsome fighter that if focused and properly motivated is a human dynamo who can whip a firestorm in the blink of an eye. Manny Pacquiao is the kind of fighter who can blow you out to smithereens if he catches you with his powerful blinding fists.

Yes, Timothy Bradley is aware of his opponent’s formidable weapons in his arsenal that has smoked many great warriors before him on the wayside. But Bradley insists that he is made of a different stuff and that he and his team have devised their own mode of action to counteract whatever weapon Pacquiao can unleash at him: "I know that I've got to stay tight, I've got to stay behind a good jab and I've got to keep moving. I've got to have great defense and I've got to counterpunch the hell out of this guy with combinations.”

Timothy Bradley, being the challenger and a 4:1 betting underdog, is doing everything in his power to believe and motivate himself to counter whatever lingering doubts that are left in his mind on whether he will be able to withstand Manny Pacquiao’s fire power when the time of reckoning comes.

“I don’t even think about that. I never go into a fight thinking of somebody’s power, thinking about being hurt or thinking about ‘What if he touches me.’ I just go in there and live in the moment. If he hits me like they said ‘Casamayor. Oh watch out for his left.’ He hit me with that left and I was like ‘That’s it? ‘That’s it?’ I was like ‘Oh let me just walk this dude down. I’m going to get in there and if (Pacquiao) doesn’t hit like they say, he going to get walked down, too. I’ll be able to make my adjustments. In the first round I’ll know about his power and see if I need to get my hands tighter, keep my chin tucked. And we’ll go from there.”

“Everyone is human. I don’t see him as a god. I don’t feel threatened by his ability. Every fighter is dangerous, but every fighter is human, too. If you cut him, he’ll bleed. If you hit him right, he’ll go down. I know what the fight will come down to. It will come down to what it always comes down to. It comes down to his will vs. my will and his skill vs. my skill.”

For his part, amid all the circus surrounding the fight, Manny Pacquiao ever the gentleman can only offer an enigmatic smile, and like in his previous fights, refused to be drawn into a word war with Timothy Bradley. With a very good training camp behind him, the WBO welterweight champion exudes an aura of peace and quiet confidence. Whether this is the proverbial calm before the storm, we will find out about that tonight.

And when HBO color commentator Max Kellerman asked the Filipino fighter during the weigh-in about his game plan, Pacquiao just offered his usual stock answers and cliches: “We will see tomorrow. I’ll give you an idea tomorrow,” and ended the interview with a laugh while thanking the fans for coming to the event.

As for Timothy Bradley when asked with the same question, he responded with the conviction of a very determined and confident fighter, “I am ready. I am ready to shock the world. I am ready to do anything that takes in there to win this fight. It’s going to be a great fight. I thank Pacquiao and his team for giving me this shot. Let’s get it on baby. It’s going to be war. I am ready. I am ready!”

He better be.

*This article was originally published in Detroit Fight Sports Examiner
*photo credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The gospel according to Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao once shared a story that one night: after his life and death experience inside the ring with his nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez in November 2011, he was awakened from a nightmare in which God had talked to him about him straying away from His teachings. He promised Him that he will do everything in his power to change and lead a better life.

Manny Pacquiao now avers that he is a completely different person from his old self.

"The old has passed, the new has come."

Manny Pacquiao, as a result of that 'conversation' with God, has transformed himself into what he is now: a man who is at peace with himself and with God, which in his opinion is a turn for the better.

"It's better for me. I know if I die today where I'm going. I'm not worried about what fits in this world. I'm worried about what happens to me in my eternal life."

But we may ask ourselves, how can a man who makes a living through violence, by hurting other people inside the ring, at the same time preach about peace among his fellow men without affecting his job and the manner on which he does it?

The contradiction is obviously not lost to his critics who called his sudden transformation from a man who openly wallowed deep in sin into a Bible-quoting preacher just plain hypocrisy. The same people also quickly jumped to the conclusion that Manny Pacquiao's so-called awakening is nothing but for show. Yes, the transformation has elicited both negative and positive responses from every man on the streets, to everyone who wants to have his two cents heard on the matter.

But Manny Pacquiao's transformation will not come as a surprise to many who religiously followed the Filipino fighter's career. Despite his frailties as a human being and the trappings of being a celebrity in his chosen profession, deep inside Manny Pacquiao is a very religious person and has a huge heart for the downtrodden.

Even when it comes to his rival Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s baseless accusations of PEDs use and constant tirades (that on many occassions border to the absurd) against him, Manny Pacquiao elected to be the better man and never uttered a single bad word against the American (although he opted to charge him for defamation but still, Pacquiao is giving Mayweather a legal forum to defend himself and a chance to prove his allegations).

And with Mayweather's latest predicament that landed him in a Las Vegas jail for domestic battery charges against the mother of his children, Pacquiao has only this to say-

"I don't judge people, I don't condemn people. I'm praying for him that everything will be fine and he will realize the truth."

Manny Pacquiao admits to having erred in his life by indulging in many sinful activities in the past, including indulging in alcohol, womanizing (which almost cost him his marriage), cockfighting (search YouTube for videos showing him betting millions of pesos on a single fight) and other forms of gambling. But now Manny Pacquiao proclaims that since following the teachings in the scriptures and giving up all his vices, he is now a happy and contented man.

"I don't like anymore gambling, drinking, girls, stuff like that, because I was reading the word of God. The sins we committed over and over, I stopped doing that. I found it in my manual for life, the Bible"

Because of Manny Pacquiao's recent pronouncements, a lot of people are wondering whether he still has the desire to fight and inflict harm on his opponents. Yes, a lot of people are now questioning whether Manny Pacquiao still has the heart and the fire to demolish his opponents the way that he used to throughout his storied career. The answer to those questions will eventually be answered on fight night, but here was the answer coming from the man himself-

"This fight?" Pacquiao referrring to his advertised battle royale against Timothy Bradley this coming Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, "this is my job. I have a job to make people happy. . . Yes, I'm happy doing this. This is what God made me to do."

So there.

Manny Pacquiao's claims of finding solace in the word of God is nothing to sneer about. The man is serious regarding his newfound calling. We can just view this as another phase, a stage of man's never-ending search for answers to his questions about Life and Faith.

So instead of casting the first stone, we should just respect his beliefs and be happy for the man as long as he does not renege on his promise to deliver his usual mayhem on fight night.

*This article was originally published in Detroit Fight Sports Examiner

Photo Credit: David Becker/Getty Images

Timothy Bradley vows to beat Manny Pacquiao and shock the world

Timothy Bradley, the undefeated American WBO light welterweight champion, who will move up in weight to challenge Manny Pacquiao for the latter's welterweight belt, is 'talking the talk.' Timothy Bradley is saying all the 'right' things prior to his championship fight with the Filipino superstar this coming Saturday in Las Vegas.

In Timothy Bradley's mind, he has Manny Pacquiao all figured out. He opined that he has the answers to whatever Manny Pacquiao will bring on the table come fight night.

Oozing with self-confidence, Timothy Bradley has been on the warpath for some time now and has been employing his own blitzkrieg to anybody who cares to listen on why Manny Pacquiao cannot beat him as he proclaimed that "I'm going to wear this dude out."

Although Manny Pacquiao is known for his speed and unconventional fighting style, Bradley's team believes that Pacquiao is just a 'one-dimensional' fighter and that once Bradley is "able to adjust to his speed, and settle down" Bradley will "start picking his a** apart."

Timothy Bradley is of the belief that he can neutralize Manny Pacquiao's vaunted left straight and stated that he has no problems in handling southpaws, having fought and won over Devon Alexander and Joel Casamayor, both southpaws like the Filipino champion.

"I'm more comfortable with southpaws than ever. This is my third one in a row. I'm 10 times better than in the Casamayor fight. I've had eight different sparring partners for this event, because these guys get into the ring, and they can't hang,"

Timothy Bradley does not believe himself to be the underdog in this fight, despite the betting odds not in his favor. He believes that he is ready to 'shock the world' by taking out Manny Pacquiao in their fight. In fact, he is now so sure of victory that he proclaims during the fight's final conference that he is willing to give Manny Pacquiao a rematch and has produced an over-sized ticket with the date November 10, 2012 that he gave to his wife onstage to complete the stunt.

Such confidence in one's own ability and talent is commendable. And by saying the right words in his latest pronouncements, Timothy Bradley is a promoter's dream to stir up interests from the casual boxing fans who have no idea of his existence. By pressing the right buttons, Timothy Bradley has now transformed himself into a media darling by never running out of quotable quotes to spice up every scribe's works.

But words are nothing but empty rhetorics if one cannot back them up when the time of reckoning comes. And if Bradley wants to tame the 'animal' in Manny Pacquiao, he will have to let his hands do the talking come Saturday night. If he can do that, then we will be treated to a good fight.

*This article was originally published in Detroit Fight Sports Examiner

Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito

video credit: YouTube/luigivis

Nike's BOOM ad features Manny Pacquiao, Tim Tebow and Ndamukong Suh

Nike has recently released several set of ads called BOOM that feature athletes, celebrities and ordinary people that became part of those 'boom' moments captured on film either as participants or eyewitnesses that left many of them in awe of the spectacle that they had just seen.

The BOOM: Tailor commercial, which was aired on NBC's Sunday Night Football, showed the Detroit Lions' Ndamukong Suh and Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos being measured by the tailor inside his shop and watching a clip of the Manny Pacquiao- David Diaz fight on an old TV set when suddenly, BOOM!

The new BOOM series are short features which are less than 20 seconds that are fast and catchy that if you happen to blink your eyes you might miss something. Nike explains BOOM as "that game changing moment. It's the play that you want to put on replay."

This writer has found some connection between himself and the personalities featured in the ad; Manny Pacquiao and Tim Tebow were both born in the Philippines and both athletes have also spent their spare time in the war-torn and poverty- stricken island of Mindanao. Manny Pacquiao is now the representative of the province of Sarangani while Tim Tebow helps his missionary father ran an orphanage in Cotabato in the off season.

And of course, Ndamukong Suh, the young defensive tackle of my favorite but hardluck NFL team, the Detroit Lions. This writer is hoping that Suh and the Lions can get out of the funk and finally get that long overdue "W" so that the Lions faithful can finally say BOOM!

*Note: This article was previously published on Detroit Fight Sports Examiner