AFTER Manny Pacquiao’s garbage-like disposal of Jessie Vargas on Sunday, talk quickly shifted to a Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch.
So decisive and crystal clear was the victory that all doubters about Pacquiao’s speed and ring savvy—despite his pair of 37-year-old knees—had become instant converts again.
I gave Pacquiao 10 rounds and I thought I was super generous already giving Vargas two rounds (4th and 6th).
Turns out my 118-109 score had been xeroxed by two of the three ring judges. Validation to the max. With that, might I return to judging fights again—a job I used to like, what with my two stints at international judging in Seoul and Tokyo some years back giving me unforgettable thrill?
Ah, such good old days. Memorable as my first kiss. Judging being a taxing job, it usually interfered with my main work as sportswriter for the longest time. Out the window my boxing license to judge.
Now back to Sunday’s fight.
Didn’t the Associated Press act a bit too cruel? It gave Vargas just one round to Pacquiao’s 11 rounds. Selfish to the hilt.
But fight judging is also sometimes stranger than fiction: One of the three judges saw it a mere 114-113 win for Pacquiao.
I leave it to your judgment why that judge was in the fight in the first place.
From judge to junk.
I’m beginning to think he even gave the second round to Vargas, when Pacquiao floored Vargas early in that round with a left straight to the face. Enough already.
Now, why should Pacquiao and Mayweather fight again?
Because Pacquiao had promptly performed again like the Pacquiao of old, definitely defying Father Time in virtually toying with Vargas, who was not only 10 years his junior but was the defending world welterweight champion himself, as well.
His hand speed, body contortions and flashy footwork were as indelible as voter ink—Pacquiao trademarks that should send chills down the spine of Mayweather, who, at 39, is older by two.
Mayweather, invited by Pacquiao to watch the fight and arriving with a seven-person entourage, described Pacquiao’s performance “as not that bad.”
The first time they fought, in May 2015, Mayweather had won it even before the first punch was thrown: Pacquiao came in with a shoulder injury suffered during training.
The insufficient shoulder was revealed by Pacquiao only after absorbing a unanimous decision—his sixth loss against 59 wins (38 KOs) and two draws since he turned pro in 1995.
With the injury totally healed, Pacquiao has now won back to back after Sunday’s victory, adding his unanimous decision win over Timothy Bradley Jr. only in April. The fighting senator is now 5-3, win-loss, from 2012-2016.
Yes, Mayweather isn’t biting the bait of a rematch. Not yet.
But soon, he would. Patience, my dear. I see it happening in May 2017, as the Senate is in recess from March to May. Isn’t Bob Arum, the shrewdest boxing promoter of all time, coming here in January to talk to Pacquiao, his ward of 11 years?
The fight might not fetch the $600 million-plus generated by their 2015 “Fight of The Century,” but it, sure, would still draw some crowd. Of all sports, it is in boxing where suckers abound.
Humbly, my batting average in making predictions is quite high. In my November 2 piece here, my column had this heading: “Pacquiao on points.”
This early, I’d dare go careless, if not fearless, again: Pacquiao will win his rematch with Mayweather. Next, prepare for a deciding Fight 3. Isn’t trilogy we all want?
THAT’S IT I insist that the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) ruling disqualifying Ricky Vargas from running as president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) on November 25 is not absolutely correct. The Comelec’s action might even be unconstitutional. On matters of disqualification, by practice, the Comelec of any association can merely recommend the disqualification of any candidate. The final decision to disqualify rests mainly on the entire membership of the association (POC), if not on the call of the 40-member POC general assembly itself. In golf, the Rules Committee cannot disqualify a player but it can recommend a player to be disqualified to the committee handling the entire tournament.