Pacquiao: Against All Odds

"And you coming back to me
is against all odds
it's the chance I've got to take..."

Dear Kids, Who would have thought that he'd win the fight convincingly? Not me. I actually prayed that he won't get hurt too much. I figured Oscar can only lose if the businessman part of his brain clicks and he takes a fall to set up a rematch with a bigger purse. I must have over-prayed too much (I'm kidding).

I watched the fight on the silver screen with Dad and your Ninong Noey. I cautioned them not to get their hopes too high. Dad even said that we could be watching Manny's funeral. I figured, "what the heck, it's gonna be my first time to watch a fight with a crowd so I shouldn't let this opportunity pass."

While in the queue for a ticket, I noticed that everything in the cinema complex makes your testosterone level pump higher. The deodorant sponsors of the fight brought in skimpilly clad models distributing their products. Because of the macho atmosphere I felt like spoiling for a fight too when the burly guy in the snack counter asked for a smaller bill from me and made a snide remark that made my grip on the soda can really, really tight. I guess he noticed my grip and imagined it colliding with his face. so he just shut up and gave me my change which he counted carefully as he averted my murderous stare.

There are so many things going against Manny Pacquiao. I'll let the experts elaborate. He came into the fight as an underdog. That status didn't last long. Especially when we noticed Oscar closely talking to Pacquiao's gloves-- and nodding in agreement to whatever it is telling him. That was just the first round.

By the 7th round, when Manny caught the golden boy in the corner several times, I was already shouting "No mas, No mas!" in a vain attempt to stop the bloodbath (In the other welterweight title bout of my youth, I remember Roberto Duran shouting those same words when he decided to prematurely end his fight with Sugar Ray Leonard after getting out-classed for several rounds).

Nobody thought Pacquiao would win. Right after the match, I overheard the chick beside me and her boylet ruing the fact that they did not bet any money on Manny. And while making the beeline for the john, some guy was cheerfully talking with somebody on his phone telling him that he lost a thousand bucks because he placed his bet on Dela Hoya. That he was grinning from ear to ear was a clear sign that Manny's win made his being a stupid gambler forgiveable.

When the fight was over, Dela Hoya looked even uglier than king kong Manny. I couldn't help but say "Nice Job, Manny." It's one win for the Ugly Men of the world like me (and the ones reading this blog. umamin ka na Snglguy) against the Good looking golden boys who always get the girls. As I've said in the beginning of this entry, the place was full of Testosterone pumping decorations, but the organizers forgot one detail that was clearly, inappropriately present. When I looked up the ceiling I saw posters of the movie "Twilight" festooned all around the area-- It's A movie featuring a fictional character that will make the girls of all generations swoon. A character that no mortal guy could possibly compete against. Maybe Manny should forget about welterweight champion Hatton and concentrate instead on rearranging the face of that guy who played the lead character in Twilight: Edward Cullen.