How many adjectives can be used to describe the talent of Manny Pacquiao? Frankly, I can’t think of any that have not already been utilized. I could make some words up I suppose, or start writing in another language. But that is unnecessary, I’m sure. One only has to watch the master at work to understand how great he is.

I did not get to see the fight until today, as I was out of town. I did know Manny won, which pleased me, but I knew very little about the manner in which he accomplished that. Then I began hearing from some people that it was a boring event and that Joshua Clottey did not come to fight. I read that on some websites as well, so I when I finally sat down for the twelve rounds of what many were saying was not action, I was prepared

Maybe it was because I already knew he won, or perhaps it was because I am unashamedly a rider of the “Pacman Train”. Having had the opportunity to watch him train recently, I was pretty certain that he could withstand whatever would get thrown at him. And that was just it – now I realized where the boring comments were coming from. The fact is, as almost all of you know, not much was thrown at him at all.

Because Clottey stayed in a defensive position for the entire fight, the action that one would expect to see in this type of contest wasn’t there. So instead, I spent my time watching Pacquiao give a clinic. And I must admit, I wasn’t bored, not for one round. His command of the ring, his aggression, and his quickness were things that I really enjoyed watching.

He got stronger as the fight went on. If Clottey was waiting for him to tire, that wait was going to be a long one. One of the announcers even made mention of those four-hour workouts that Manny has become so famous for. The differences in the number of punches thrown was staggering – 399 for Clottey, compared to a whopping 1231 for Pacquiao, who averaged 100 punches per round!

One other thing that was a bit refreshing. These two men like each other. It was obvious from the start that the respect was there. And after the fight, Joshua said, “I got beat tonight. In other fights I thought I might have won, but tonight I got beat.”

Manny, as we have heard before, simply said, “It’s not personal, it’s my job.”

Fast-forward to May 1, MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley. This is a fight both men are capable of winning, and as is the word at this time, the winner will get a chance at Pacquiao. Myself, I would like to see Mosley take out Floyd. But the fight everyone wants to see is Mayweather against Pacquiao, and even though I would like Shane to come out on top, I too want to see The Mouth fight The Man.

And make no mistake about it, if we ever get to see this match-up it will not be good guys’ club as was the fight last week. No, neither trainer likes the other, and nether fighter likes the other. The camps will be at odds from the moment (assuming) Mayweather wins his fight. Actually, it has never completely stopped, and began once again when immediately after their victory; Freddie Roach called out Floyd for yet another time. 

So while we will have to be patient and wait to find out if that ‘fight of the decade’ will take place, Pacquiao will step into another arena, as he will begin to campaign for Congress immediately. That Philippine general election will take place in May. While Manny says that every fight brings honor to the Philippines, this is certainly a different and more powerful way to repay his people.

“The Filipino people don’t just give me their support, they also give me their strength, their pride, and their love. If my being in public office can attract new businesses to relocate to my province and shine a light on the neglect my people have endured, I am only too happy to serve.” 

Some think that Pacquiao could not handle any more, that he has too much on his plate already. Well, if there is one man who can focus completely on the issues at hand, it is Manny. There is no reason to believe that he will not continue to be able to do so. But I do hope that this was not the last time we see him in the ring – his time there is not finished, and I want to watch another boxing lesson!

And finally, I have to give a big shout-out to the many, many Filipino boxing fans that have emailed me and contacted me on FaceBook with all their kind words of appreciation. It has really been amazing, and I thank you all so much!

Be safe and God Bless

Viva La Raza,

Barb.