Pacquiao-Hatton Fight: A Much Improved Fight-Choreography by Two Elite Boxing Stuntmen

 

My personal belief as the title conveys, is the continuation of the article in my blog about Pacquiao vs. Dela Hoya. This time Manny Pacquiao surpassed Batista’s greatest performance in the WWE while Ricky Hatton outdid the memorable capers of the British Bulldog tag-team wrestlers, decades ago, in the forerunner wrestling organization.

 

Pacquiao’s career has been discreetly reconfigured from purely boxing competition to sports-entertainment. But who’s complaining? Everybody is happy! Except, perhaps, Hatton’s fans who are thinking without malice that, “…The lad did all he could. Never mind that although he was the defending champion, he came up to the stage ahead of Pacquiao because Pacquiao is the pound-for-pound title holder. The poor chap earned his biggest, which might be his retirement pay too. It doesn’t matter now to keep on wondering… 1) ’Was he that weak? 2) How could his defense be that open, very uncharacteristic of him. The way Ricky held his fists way down low during the exchanges, seemed almost expecting something. 3) He tried to bulldoze into the ropes the hefty Mayweather in almost every round but not the Pacman. 4) On the 10th round versus Mayweather, Ricky got up to his feet, every time, after one knockdown and one knockout from the stronger punches (than Pacquiao’s) of Mayweather. Against Pacquiao, why couldn’t he stand up after the third knockdown on the second round, when he has just rested for one minute before that round? Was it convenient for him to remain lying down?’ ” Barrera and JM Marquez remained standing. All of Pacquiao’s pommelled opponents from Ledwaba to David Diaz, immediately sat/stood up after being counted out.

 

I am truly sorry my British friends. It will be so easy to brush it all aside by saying, Pacquiao is faster, stronger and more durable than Mayweather. He is slicker too. That’s it. It’s water under the bridge. Oh, really?

 

THE BIG PICTURE

 

It’s all about money. A) Ricky Hatton received a mere $400,000 in his fight with Mayweather. Against Pacquiao, $6 million. The question that, “…Why must Hatton agree to a sell out if he could really win, collect the money and become more highly priced thereafter?…” again, as mentioned in my previous article, deserves an interrogative answer: Do you think Pacquiao could have risked suffering liver and kidney injuries as Jose Luis Castillo and Kostya Tszyu did? Pacquiao’s manager and promoters successfully stage-managed the Pacquiao-Morales 1 and the Pacquiao-Dela Hoya fight. Hatton had to agree or they could have simply selected from a list of veteran contenders who, have big following and, are out to earn their first million by hook or by crook. It has become a promoter’s market with the ingenuity of interspersing dubious fights with credible bouts, depending on the strategic potential of a fight.

 

B) The three knockdowns “imposed” on Hitman Hatton could be willingly absorbed and be recovered from within a few minutes by millions of males on the planet, for much less than his contract price . Many athletes in the UFC (like Randy Couture, Chuck Ledell, Rich Franklin and Vanderley Silva, just to name a few) and sports-entertainers in the WWE (e.g. Batista, the Undertaker, John Cena and Kurt Angle, among others) suffer graver injuries and recover after lengthier periods for low six figure contracts. The Hitman is still young. If he can win another bout convincingly, he’s back in business or he can retire comfortably. Only a chronic griper would not accept Hatton’s “conditional” contract.

 

If I were Manny Pacquiao who’s twenty-nine, grew up in poverty and was given the same once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I would have succumbed. Was it not practical to fight Morales three times than knocking him out only once and earning a single prize of $400,000? If friend Oscar Dela Hoya couldn’t make more money as the sole promoter of Pacman because of Bob Arum, then the Golden Boy could earn the bigger money as the opponent of Pacquiao. Manny would surely agree in fighting him, his biggest opponent, “under certain conditions.” Thereafter, it’s Hatton’s turn.

 

Most Filipinos came to the US, not for advocacies but, for a better life. The fanatical fans of Pacquiao serve as the greener pasture of their idol’s manager and promoters. The business group’s cash cow is Manny. Before one can become a cash cow, one must be justifiably world class and build an impressive stat. Many world class boxers with impressive records fell on the way side unlike Pacquiao, because Filipino fans are quite a big market and unique.

 

The country is in dire need of a hero, at least, of a one-day uniter. We may be hungry but we will be happy, as our national pride is stoked by Manny’s victories. That’s why we all love Manny.

 

Ricky’s well deserved bounty could be an additional financial stimulus for the UK. Needless to say, I would have also done what he did. Was there a crime? Is this not the equivalent case, in boxing, of the regulators’ negligence on and ignorance of the credit and financial malfeasance? Those so called financial genius claimed they were merely being creative. Understandably ahead, the professional boxing world has become very creative since the heyday of Sugar Ray Leonard.

 

A Subic rape victim settled for much less; many local and national voters sell their right of suffrage for the equivalent value of their next meal; congressional voters against impeachment complaints, allegedly, sell theirs for peso six figures. Do these money matters make the moral high ground adjustable? We’re only human. God will understand. Give to charity after raking it in.

 

“Do you want me to lose to Pacquiao….How much”? Mayweather’s first loss against Pacquiao will cost the boxing patrons a lot more.

 

Marquez, obstinately, doesn’t want a piece of it. He wants all of it. He wants to replace Pacman as the undisputed Best Pound-for-Pound. He recently flattened Casa Mayor, following it up with a hard fought KO of Juan “baby bull” Diaz. He said that Pacquiao is avoiding him, and rightly so. To overtake the Pacman, he has challenged Mayweather and his challenge was accepted. Filipinos aren’t weary of watching Pacquiao fight Mexicans, are we?

 

At this stage of Pacquiao’s career, he needs a credible bout against   *an opponent who is not susceptible to an “incentive”, or   **someone who will only accept a deliberate defeat at a very exorbitant price. That price must be a lot higher than Dela Hoya’s $10 million, hopefully rendering the incentivized fight unviable. Under the first option, Julio Cesar Chavez is the hungriest in making a name for himself. He wants to outdo his legendary father. But, judging from his recent unimpressive (no shifty footwork) win over Cuello, he might be slaughtered by the Pacman. So far, only Mayweather and J.M. Marquez fit the second option.

 

I knew I would be swimming against the current when I previously opined on the Pacquiao-Dela Hoya fixed fight. I am now determined to scuba dive beneath a tidal wave because of my firm belief about this recent Pacquiao-Hatton charade.

 

It cannot be overemphasized that the lives of our national heroes are subjected to scrutiny. Are the exploits of the “pambansang kamao” (national fist) exempted? Please remember that the truth is not a matter of popular opinion. Truth has always been a function of time. Let’s see whose belief will pass the test of time.

(As previously featured in thefightcountdown, June 5, 2009)

Tags: Jr. & Pacquiao; Controversial Boxing; WWE Controversies; UFC Controversies; Golden Boy Promotions; Bob Arum Promotions; Recession; Stimulus Package; charade, Pacquiao-Hatton Analysis; Pacquiao-Hatton Post Fight; Pacquiao’s Future Prospects; Hatton After Defeat; Pacquiao & Mayweather; Pacquiao & J.M. Marquez; Mayweather & Marquez; Marquez &am, Sr.; Julio Cesar Chavez