December 6, 2008. It was tagged as the "Dream Match". On one corner, Oscar Dela Hoya. Golden Boy. Boxing Legend. An ageing fighter looking for a comeback. On the other corner, Manny Pacquiao. Pacman. Pride of the Philippines. A man of humble beginnings rising from obscurity to become one of boxing's best.
It was like Rocky Balboa vs. the Cinderella man. Dream Match however it wasn't. From the sound of the bell for round one, it was all Manny Pacquiao, hammering, jabbing, pounding, connecting. De La Hoya however could not connect; he was faltering, he was dazed, he was vulnerable. By the 5th round, the golden boy's knees were buckling, his face hardly recognizable from so many blows, his legs nearly giving way,a knockout becoming more and more imminent. De La Hoya must have realized it too and decided that enough is enough; by the 9th round it was over.
Looking at the match it was pretty much a lopsided event in favor of the Pacman. The match was so one-sided I initially thought the match was rigged so as to make Pacquiao more menacing to future fighters and Dela Hoya go down in a blaze of glory. Rethinking it over, however, I though it could not be the case. For how can someone rig a fight and turn one's opponent into a busted pinata? This was not a Hollywood movie; Dela Hoya's scars were real. As real as the damage inflicted by Pacquiao's fists.
So what happened? For Dela Hoya I see this as a case of age and the rigors of battle catching up on the grisled veteran. It's like the age old adage: You can't teach an old dog new tricks. As for Pacquiao, he had a few tricks up his sleeve: he did his homework on Dela Hoya, listened to his mentors, one them being at one time a former trainer for the Golden Boy. And from the start, took advantage and did not give Dela Hoya even the slightest breathing space.
So in the end, one fighter slumps down in defeat, his career biting the dust. The other fighter rises to victory, gains another foothold in boxing history and basks in the glory, albeit temporarily until the next fighter comes...
It was like Rocky Balboa vs. the Cinderella man. Dream Match however it wasn't. From the sound of the bell for round one, it was all Manny Pacquiao, hammering, jabbing, pounding, connecting. De La Hoya however could not connect; he was faltering, he was dazed, he was vulnerable. By the 5th round, the golden boy's knees were buckling, his face hardly recognizable from so many blows, his legs nearly giving way,a knockout becoming more and more imminent. De La Hoya must have realized it too and decided that enough is enough; by the 9th round it was over.
Looking at the match it was pretty much a lopsided event in favor of the Pacman. The match was so one-sided I initially thought the match was rigged so as to make Pacquiao more menacing to future fighters and Dela Hoya go down in a blaze of glory. Rethinking it over, however, I though it could not be the case. For how can someone rig a fight and turn one's opponent into a busted pinata? This was not a Hollywood movie; Dela Hoya's scars were real. As real as the damage inflicted by Pacquiao's fists.
So what happened? For Dela Hoya I see this as a case of age and the rigors of battle catching up on the grisled veteran. It's like the age old adage: You can't teach an old dog new tricks. As for Pacquiao, he had a few tricks up his sleeve: he did his homework on Dela Hoya, listened to his mentors, one them being at one time a former trainer for the Golden Boy. And from the start, took advantage and did not give Dela Hoya even the slightest breathing space.
So in the end, one fighter slumps down in defeat, his career biting the dust. The other fighter rises to victory, gains another foothold in boxing history and basks in the glory, albeit temporarily until the next fighter comes...
No comments:
Post a Comment