We were first to warn about Pacquiao not qualified for Olympic Games

 

“My life needs editing.”

—Mort Sahl

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

SIX months after we wrote the story, “Stop the joke, Pacquiao not qualified for Olympic Games,” news websites in the Philippines and around the world started to buzz with the following news:

“Pacquiao denied Olympics entry by the IOC” (Boxing Scene); Boxer “Manny Pacquiao, 45, can’t compete at Paris Olympics” (ESPN); “Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao denied exemption to participate in 2024 Summer Olympics” (Fox News); “Manny Pacquiao, 45, denied exemption to compete at Paris Olympics by IOC” (Yahoo News).

“Manny “Pacquiao denied exemption to compete at 2024 Summer Olympics at 45 years old by the IOC” (CBS Sports); “Manny Pacquiao’s Olympic Dream Denied: IOC Upholds Age Restriction” (Boxing News 24); “Manny Pacquiao TOO OLD to compete at Paris Olympics… IOC refuses to change age limit to allow 45-year-old legend to return to the ring” (Daily Male Online).

We were actually the first to warn in an article in September 2023 that “Pacquiao can’t short cut his way to the Olympic Games.”

Olympic Games athletes—including boxers—cannot be 41 years old or older during the year 2024; and must be a minimum of 18 years old by date of birth by the first day of competition, or on July 26, 2024, the start of the Paris Games, which will end on August 11, 2024,” I wrote in my article for the Above The Belt and shared in my blogs on September 4, 2023.

“Pacquiao, born on December 17, 1978, will be 45 years old during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.”

 

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My article further stated, thus:

Even if Pacquiao is 18 or 25 years old when he told Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino he wanted to be in the RP Team, the slot in the 71kg (welterweight) category can’t be handed to him on a silver platter.

This is not professional boxing where astute promoters and other demigods in Las Vegas can make anyone an instant challenger to battle for the world championship like what they did to Pacquiao and many other marquee names in prizefighting.

Frankly, Pacquiao became an eight-time world boxing champion not because he was superman or bionic man.

It’s because he was an instant challenger to reigning world champions in eight different divisions. Thank you, Bob Arum.

If professional boxing has godfathers, amateur boxing—the Olympic Games—has strict rules and qualifications.

Pacquiao can’t shortcut his way to the Olympic Games.

 

-o0o-

 

My article added: Even if the rules will allow a 45-year-old beakbuster to participate in the Olympic Games, younger and faster amateur boxers nowadays—even in the Philippines—will eat him alive.

In order to qualify for the Paris Games, the boxers must be able to roll past other competitors in the three qualification tournaments: continental, first, and second world qualifying stages.

They must pass through the proverbial eye of the needle. No palakasan system. No Bob Arum or Don King.

The continental tournament for Asian Olympic boxing aspirants is the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8, 2023.

With lack of preparations (granting he is 18 or 25 years old today), I don’t think Pacquiao is a shoo-in to take part in the continental tournament.

The first world qualification tournament is slated in Busto, Arzizio, Italy from February 29 to March 12, 2024. The second and last world qualification tournament is scheduled in Bangkok, Thailand from May 23 to June 3, 2024.

Again, even if Pacquiao is only 18 or 25 years old, he can’t be ready for the aforementioned world qualification tournaments since he has been inactive in the ring except in the exhibition bout against Korean patsy DK Yoo in December 2022.

Pacquiao is also set to tangle with Thai boxing legend Buakaw Banchamek in another exhibition match on July 21, 2024.

Before wounding up third in the May 2022 Philippine presidential election, Pacquiao lost his farewell fight against Yordenis Ugas in August 2021.

Thus, all these funny talks about boxing’s most celebrated grandpa donning the Philippine flag in boxing in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games are nothing but jokes. It’s time to pull the plug on this hilarious story.

I hope the issue has been settled with finality to avoid confusion and distortion of facts.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

No evidence, no case

“Blessed is the man, who having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact.”
—George Eliot

By Alex P. Vidal

I TRULY care for my country, but I have nothing concrete to say yet as regards the controversial outcome of the May 9 presidential election unless there are pieces of evidence that will surface.
If none, everything will remain as speculation. Even in a court litigation, the most important element of surprise is the testimonial and/or documentary evidence. With any evidence, the case will falter.
Like many political observers, unsatisfied voters and curious analysts, I also have misgivings with certain figures that came out in the Comelec Transparency Server.
It’s so unbelievable that Vice President Leni Robredo got only 14 million votes (almost the same number of votes she got in 2016 against the same rival in the vice presidential contest) and the presumptive winner, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., got a whopping 31 million votes.
The wide margin is so incredible and mysterious, to say the least. It has never happened in the history of Philippine elections even when the counting of votes was still done manually.
The automated canvassing of ballots is really something that needs a total review and thorough investigation.
But I can’t conclude yet with absolute certainty that a fraud of horrific magnitude attended the recent presidential election in the absence of any solid evidence.
As Archimedes had famously said, “Give me a lever and a place to stand, and I’ll move the world.”
Give me pieces of evidence and I will make a loud voice.

-o0o-

THERE are predictions that after his failed presidential bid, Senator Manny Pacquiao might next attempt to erase the world record established by Bernard Hopkins: to become the oldest world boxing champion.
Pacquiao, 42, was the only presidential candidate in the recent Philippine election who supposedly spent his own money during the entire campaign period and did not solicit any financial help from private donors.
If he wants to quickly recover the millions of pesos he spent during the electoral process, where he garnered 3,629,666 votes and was running for third in the Comelec Transparency Server as of this writing, he will need to step on the ring once more.
Now retired from boxing and is not anymore active in election campaign, he might decide to stage a comeback if he is still physically fit, according to many observers.
Even if he is now past his prime, Pacquiao continued to be a household name in the world of prizefighting, having been considered during his active years as the best boxer pound-for-pound.
He could still bankroll a huge prize if he will fight for a cause, or to seek to establish a certain record.

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In his last fight before hanging up his gloves on August 21, 2021, he lost by a 12-round unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas.
The oldest boxer to win a world title is Bernard Hopkins, who at age 46 on May 21, 2011, took the World Boxing Council’s light-heavyweight title from Canada’s Jean Pascal in a 12-round unanimous decision at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
He actually erased the record established on November 5, 1994 by George Foreman, who became boxing’s oldest heavyweight champion at 45 when he defeated 26-year-old Michael Moorer in the 10th round of their WBA fight in Las Vegas. More than 12,000 spectators at the MGM Grand Hotel watched Foreman dethrone Moorer, who went into the fight with a 35-0 record.
Foreman had dedicated his upset win to “all my buddies in the nursing home and all the guys in jail.”
Pacquiao’s only obstacle is that he has to wait until he turns 46 and several days and win the fight that would make him the new titleholder of the oldest world boxing champion.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

Rich Pacquiao ‘allows’ rich junior to box

“A father is a man who expects his son to be as good a man as he meant to be.”
—Frank A. Clark

By Alex P. Vidal

IF I were Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, I would not allow any of my children to join boxing.
Boxing is normally the chosen sport of poor boys who risk their lives and limbs in the ring to escape from dire straits.
The Pacquiaos aren’t poor. The children don’t need to risk being hurt in this violent contact sport to eat three square meals a day.
Unless their father didn’t make it big as a prizefighter, or failed to earn enough for his retirement and wants his children to pick up the cudgels and continue his legacy both for fame and money, there is no sense for any parent to “compel” the kids to follow his footsteps as a boxer especially when there are opportunities for the kids to excel in other fields of endeavor.
But we learned that Pacquiao, who is running for Philippine president in the May 9 election, is actually against the decision of his 21-year-old son, Emmanuel Jr. to box.
“It pains me to see him box because I know how hard it is,” Pacquiao was quoted by Mirror, a UK-based publication.
This came after Emmanuel Jr. recently won his amateur debut representing Wild Card Boxing Club in San Diego, California.

-o0o-

Even if it’s the son’s decision to become a boxer, the father Pacquiao—and also the mother—still have the authority and power to prevent it if they’re against it; the wealthy parents have the final say what’s best for their children, who grew up with a silver spoon, other than watching while they participate in a dangerous and cruel undertaking.
But since Emmanuel Jr. has already logged his first win, it’s now a case of water under the bridge; the decision to let him box and probably pursue and duplicate the father’s stardom, if necessary, has been permitted by the family.
The list of Filipinos who seriously became boxers primarily to escape poverty is long. Some of those who captured world titles did not amass a wealth like Pacquiao, who was already 42 when he decided to quit, but they never allowed their children to choose boxing as a permanent livelihood.

-o0o-

I WAS among the millions of people worldwide who watched and listened “live” on TV to the powerful speech of US President Joe Biden in Warsaw, Poland March 26 where he emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” after launching his brutal invasion of Ukraine—a closing, off-the-cuff message issued in the final moments of Mr. Biden’s tour of Europe that the White House swiftly walked back.
It was the first time I heard the President speak like a true leader of the free world, which, I think, was very necessary in this crucial moment when the Russian invaders haven’t yet captured the Kyiv.
It was also Mr. Biden’s impromptu call for an end to Mr. Putin’s reign—a month after he launched a deadly and destructive war with neighboring Ukraine; it was his first time broaching the subject.
Top administration officials, including Mr. Biden’s secretary of state, have stressed that they were not advocating a change in Russian leadership for weeks.
The line sent ripples throughout the U.S. foreign policy community, before the White House quickly clarified that Mr. Biden was not calling for regime change in his speech, contending that the president’s point was that Mr. Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region.
“He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change,” an official said in a statement.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

Pacquiao isn’t a thief like P-Noy

 

“It’s discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.”

—Noel Coward

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IF Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao will win as president, he will not steal, according to his mother, Mommy Dionisa.

“Totoong matatakutin. Hindi magnanakaw ang aking anak. Tinuruan ko syang wag makialam kahit piso,” Mommy D said during her son’s recent proclamation rally in his bailiwick, Gen. Santos City, as quoted in the Philippine press.

We agree with Mommy D. In our short list, the 42-year-old former world boxing champion is one of the only three presidential candidates who might resist the temptations to steal from the government.

Like the late former President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III, Pacquiao is not a thief.

Based on his humble background before seriously embarking on a life-threatening sports career since he was 16, Pacquiao would be an ideal but not necessarily competent president.

What he lacks in intellect, Pacquiao compensates with a good heart, sincerity and, perhaps, honesty.

We’re not saying that the other remaining presidential candidates are not honest. We always declare that no one walks a saint in public service.

“Might resist” is different from being honest.

 

-o0o-

 

If Diogenes of Sinope were alive today, he would be frustrated if he carried the lamp during the day looking for an honest presidential candidate or any public servant for that matter.

Mommy D’s worries that her son’s spending during the campaign might drain his resources are, of course, valid.

Pacquiao’s wealth came from his multimillion-dollar purses as a former 8-time world champion in eight different divisions, not from the real estate or industrial investments.

He is a retired boxer who struggled and absorbed physical punishments for a living for years, not a business mogul.

Unless he will fight again and risk his life as an aging fighter, he can’t instantly recover all his political expenses—win or lose.

In a presidential campaign, a P500 million kitty is like a drop in the bucket.

In fact, based on studies, a serious presidential candidate in the Philippines needs at least P5 billion in his war chest to mount a nationwide campaign that will last for three months.

If we consider Pacquiao’s numbers in the surveys, Mommy D has all the reason to worry. Money, after all, doesn’t grow on trees.

 

-o0o-

 

Another email from New York Governor Kathy Hochul:  Alex, I want to give you an update on our progress in the pandemic and the blueprint for moving forward. Our overall cases, positivity rate, and hospitalizations are down, while our hospital capacity, vaccination rates and booster rates are up.

Back on January 9, the peak of the winter surge, there were nearly 382 cases per 100,000 people. Today, there were under 31 cases per 100,000 people — among the lowest in the nation.

The numbers are clear — we are seeing major improvement on the key metrics we’ve been tracking throughout this pandemic.

We are not where we were in early December, and I want to thank New Yorkers for doing the right thing to help us get through this winter surge.

But make no mistake about it: This pandemic is not over. Our fight against COVID-19 continues, and I’ve put together a five-point toolkit that ensures we keep New Yorkers safe and plan for the future, including a first-in-the-nation effort to help those experiencing long-term effects from COVID.

We’re moving in the right direction and our winter toolkit lays out our path forward.

Given the rapid decline of cases and hospitalizations, we are now lifting the statewide mask-or-vaccine requirement for indoor businesses starting today, February 10. Counties, cities and businesses can still choose to require masks.

The mask requirement remains in effect statewide for specific settings like health care facilities, nursing homes, and schools.

We’re continuing to track many key metrics and to take steps to keep kids safe, including sending every K-12 student home with two COVID tests ahead of the Midwinter break.

I’ll continue looking closely at the numbers and working with education partners, and I will make an assessment on school masking in early March.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

I did not endorse Manny Pacquiao

“I’m not exactly the endorsement people are seeking.”

—Jack Abramoff

By Alex P. Vidal

SOME of our friends misinterpreted the recent article I wrote entitled “Ingrato”, where I criticized Chavit Singson and Jayke Joson, two of Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao’s former bosom friends who turned his enemies, to be an endorsement of his presidential bid in the Philippine election on May 9, 2022.

One of them is Las Vegas-based Republican party factotum Raleigh, who ribbed me: “Didn’t I inform you only in August that Pacquiao’s campaign team was hard-pressed to raise funds for his candidacy here in Vegas because he’s hard to sell in the Pinoy community? And you are now endorsing him?”

“Your endorsement of Pacquiao means you have become his fanatic outside boxing?” bewailed a Sacramento-based Trump loyalist who fled the Philippines in 2001 as a political refugee.

I never endorsed Pacquiao for president in that article.

I wrote the article only to defend him from ingrates who badmouthed him because he was no longer active in boxing (and isn’t anymore a lucrative prizefighter); and it happened when he is running for president against the administration candidate.

I needed to express my own point of view as a moral obligation because I know both Singson and Joson benefited a lot from Pacquiao during the retired boxer’s heydays, and I thought they should be the last persons to mimic Cassius and Brutus when push comes to shove.

-o0o-

I made it clear from the beginning or since rumors made the rounds that Pacquiao was eyeing the presidency of the Philippines (that was way back in 2008 when he was still active in professional boxing) that I was against Pacquiao as a boxing icon joining the dirty world of politics.

That stand still holds until today.

I have covered the retired boxer’s biggest fights in the United States since 2007 and met some of the most prominent and controversial characters who surrounded and bilked him, including some Good Samaritans whose intentions were purely to provide him moral and spiritual support and nothing else.

Some of them also became my good friends; in fact, many Team Pacquiao insiders became my sympathizers and even supporters during the turbulent moments of my legal tiff against Freddie Roach in California 12 years ago.

I was prompted to expose Singson and Joson in my recent article after watching their videos on Youtube where they separately impeached the former boxer’s reputation at the time when their former benefactor needed a moral support as a presidential timber, now being poleaxed by political tormentors in the mainstream and social media.

I thought it was inappropriate for the two to abandon a friend “when he needed them most” and to humiliate Pacquiao in public without taking into consideration their past joyful moments where they once literally ate on Pacquiao’s plates and benefited politically and financially from the former boxer’s popularity.

I just couldn’t keep silent.

-o0o-

AFTER Iloilo City mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Trenas, we expect Iloilo governor Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. to follow suit in the endorsement of Vice President Leni Robredo for president in the May 9, 2022 election.

It’s not really difficult to read between the lines.

When it comes to decency, straight shooting and intelligent choices, we can always count on the Ilonggo leaders.

This is very possible judging from the recent statement made by former Iloilo governor, Arthur “Art” Sr., who expressed displeasure that the election law allows the last-minute substitution tactic, which is being exploited and employed by other political parties that field presidential aspirants.

We know which political party or camp has been a consistent advocate of last-minute substitution.

We know who are the political allies of Robredo supporter, Senator Franklin “Frank” Drilon, in the city and province of Iloilo.

If this will materialize, Robredo and her pink phenomenon will be a force to reckon with in Western Visayas, not Bongbong Marcos.

We also expect the other Ilonggo constellation, the Bacolod and Negros electorate across the sea, to join forces with the solid Iloilo.

History is being made.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo—Ed)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingrato!

“Does not the gratitude of the dog put to shame any man who is ungrateful to his benefactors?’

—Saint Basil

By Alex P. Vidal

I WAS disgusted when I saw on Youtube Chavit Singson and Jayke Joson saying nasty things against former world boxing champion and now presidential candidate, Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao.

The first, a former governor of Ilocos Sur, belittled Pacquiao’s candidacy and predicted that the retired boxer would end up financially bankrupt if he loses in the presidential race.

The second, a movie producer, accused the 42-year-old senator of pocketing P160 million the former boxer had allegedly took as cash advance of his fee in a fight with UFC superstar Conor McGregor that never happened.

I don’t have a complete detail about the foiled UFC duel, and I don’t have any idea if it is true that money changed hands between Joson and Pacquiao.

I am also not privy to the true genesis of the feud between the former governor and the former boxer.

All I know, as someone who has covered most of Pacquiao’s fights in the United States for the past 13 years, is that both Singson and Joson were always in the entourage of Team Pacquiao.

And judging from the way they treated the now presidential candidate Pacquiao, I can say, without any second thought, that both of them are ingrato.

They have no manners.

If they have nothing good to say about their former friend, it would have been better if they shut up now that Pacquiao is a presidential candidate and is being lambasted and ridiculed by his political opponents left and right.

-o0o-

I personally witnessed how both of them benefited tremendously from Pacquiao during his salad days as a former 8-time world boxing kingpin.

Singson was never an original member of Team Pacquiao.

He was just a fan who idolized Pacquiao as a prizefighter.

Singson gatecrashed his way to the circle of Pacquiao, who couldn’t shoo him away because of his stature as a prominent Philippine politician.

Bob Arum once berated him like a kindergarten pupil in front of the world when he gatecrashed in the presidential table of the Pacquiao vs De La Hoya fight during our press conference at the MGM Grand.

Joson is an eyesore in the Team Pacquiao. His presence inside the ring during the introduction of Pacquiao’s fights was a big disgrace because he had no official role. He was not a trainer or a water boy.

I know a lot of stories about this ingrate. I know why Jinkee Pacquiao once wanted to ban him from the team.

As I said, I know a lot of things about Singson, or how he became a “member” of Team Pacquaio; and I know why Joson is one of the most hated personalities in the Team Pacquiao.

I am an eyewitness. My memory is clear.

When I start to tell my own story, many people who were with me when I covered Pacquiao’s fights in the U.S. since 2007, will definitely stop, look, and listen.

-o0o-

Like her predecessor, resigned governor Andrew Cuomo, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, has been sending me a regular email, which she also sent to other New Yorkers, about updates on the state’s  fight against COVID-19.

Let’s dive in.

“Alex, Since Day One as governor, I’ve been committed to transparency — that means communicating openly and honestly with you. That’s why starting today, I will be sending updates on our ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19 and vaccinate New Yorkers — straight to your email inbox.

SHARING THIS WEEK’S COVID TRENDS. As of October 19, 2021, there were 2,144 New Yorkers hospitalized with COVID-19. Our 7-day percentage positivity average was 2.33%, which is down from 2.53% last week.

Per the CDC, 86.2% of adult New Yorkers have at least one vaccine dose. So far, 26,412,510 total vaccine doses have been administered, and 58,380 doses were administered over the past 24 hours.

ANNOUNCING A NEW DATA HUB. We launched a new portal that will house all of the state’s data related to our COVID-19 efforts.

GETTING KIDS READY FOR THE PFIZER VACCINE. We expect authorization to come soon, as soon as November, for kids ages 5-11, and New York State is ready to go when it comes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parents: Make a plan now so you don’t have to wait once approval comes.

The State is also working closely with schools so they can help get shots in arms.

TWO WEEKS LEFT TO VAX AND WIN. Get vaccinated and enter to win tickets, gear, and more from your favorite New York football teams.

GET YOUR FLU SHOT. Good news! You can receive your COVID vaccine and the flu shot at the same time. Get your flu shot as soon as you can. Don’t forget to wear a mask and stay home if you’re sick — helpful advice for avoiding COVID, too. Watch our new PSA encouraging everyone to get their flu shot.

Every week, we’re answering some commonly asked questions about COVID-19 and vaccinations.  You can submit a question for a chance to get your question answered in next week’s newsletter. Submit your question here.

QUESTION: Are COVID-19 vaccines safe for pregnant people?

ANSWER: Yes. The CDC recently released new data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccinations among pregnant people and encourages vaccination for all people 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future. The increased circulation of the highly contagious Delta variant, the low vaccine uptake among pregnant people, and the increased risk of severe illness and pregnancy complications related to COVID-19 infection among pregnant people make vaccination for this population more urgent than ever.

My friends, I hope you stay safe this week. There’s only one way to get out of this pandemic, and it’s by working together.

Ever Upward, Governor Kathy Hochul”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo—Ed)

 

Time to ‘force’ Pacquiao to retire

“You can never have the comeback if you don’t have the retirement.”

—Chael Sonnen

By Alex P. Vidal

WHEN he lost his final fight against unknown Hiroyuki Murakami by unanimous decision in Japan on May 20, 1971, the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) in Manila reportedly “forced” Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Jr. to retire by canceling his professional boxing license.

The brave former WBC junior lightweight champion from Bogo, Cebu was only 37, and he wanted to continue his boxing career despite absorbing his 27^th loss since turning professional with a KO win against Little Dundee in Davao City on August 12, 1952.

 

Can Ugas defeat Pacquiao? Why not?

“Boxing is like jazz. The better it is, the less people appreciate it.” —George Foreman

By Alex P. Vidal

I WON’T be surprised if the 12-round WBA super welterweight (147-lb or 66 kilograms) championship fight between champion Yordenis Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs) and challenger Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) on August 21 in Las Vegas will last the distance.

If the result will be decided by the three judges, there’s no guarantee that Pacquiao would be the winner—unless he scored a knockdown in the early rounds (where a mandatory eight-count is administered by the referee) like what happened in his title fight against 32-year-old Keith Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) in Las Vegas on July 20, 2019.

If not for the flash knockdown Pacquiao scored in the first round, his split decision win against Florida-based Thurman after 12 stanzas could have turned the other way.

A split decision means only two of the three judges saw Pacquiao the winner; the lone dissent thought Thurman was the boss.

As of this writing, many Filipino fight fans have already written off the 35-year-old Cuban, who stands five feet and nine inches, three inches taller than the Filipino senator, who started in professional boxing as a skinny light flyweight (108 lbs or 48 kilograms) in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro in 1995.

 

-o0o-

 

For being a “mere” substitute of 31-year-old Errol Spence Jr. (25-0, 21 KOs) and toting a not-so-scary ring ledger, Ugas failed to impress Pacquiao’s dyed-in-the-wool admirers.

They don’t give Ugas the ghost of a chance to beat Pacquiao; they predict the Cuban will capitulate in the first four rounds.

They think he’s a pushover with no impressive KO power; a dishwasher who could produce “only” a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics despite Cuba’s much-vaunted golden line-up and notoriety in amateur boxing.

His being orthodox in stance didn’t help lift his marketability among boxing aficionados, who believe Ugas would be an easy target for being lanky and flat-footed.

Once Pacquiao connects and catches the sturdy-chinned Ugas in the midsection, the Cuban defending titleholder will go down like a sack of potatoes because he doesn’t backpedal and sidestep like Vernon Forrest, Pernell Whitaker, Zab Judah, Andre Berto, Shane Mosley, and Felix Trinidad, they theorize.

 

-o0o-

 

But Ugas is not illiterate.

Having studied Pacquiao’s past ring terrorism, Ugas is expected to avoid a dark alley acquaintance brawl in the early rounds; the Cuban will not place his head on the chopping block and allow a free throw from the left-handed Pacquiao without detonating his own bombs during an exchange.

Ugas might take some cue from Jeff Horn (20-3-1, 13 KOs), the last fighter to beat Pacquiao by unanimous decision in Brisbane on July 2, 2017.

Unlike Ugas, Horn is a roughhouser who used all the dirty tricks in the textbook to befuddle and handcuff Pacquiao before a cheering partisan crowd.

Pacquiao absorbed all of Horn’s bullying tactics and couldn’t catch the Aussie who moved like a pendulum.

Aware of Pacquiao’s legs who now seemed like bony twigs at 42, Ugas might hold, push and embrace his Filipino challenger in a hope to tire him out and, thus, avoid an early trip to canvas for any of them.

There’s no way Ugas can settle the rivalry by knocking out Pacquiao as he apparently lacks the power to shake the Filipino’s ribcage even if Ugas will use a sledgehammer.

 

-o0o-

 

Ugas throws his right jab like a butterfly and traps his opponent with a searing left; he uses a long range to unload his combos and creates a web to confuse his rival who will end up eating Ugas blows.

Against the aggressive Pacquiao, Ugas will stay in front and cover the Filipino’s face with his own head to force Pacquiao to untangle and pave the way for his own artillery attack.

A clash of heads and low blows by Ugas won’t be far-fetched. The fight could end up as a draw if one of them suffers a nasty cut due to accidental headbutt before four rounds.

All eyes definitely are still on the 42-year-old Filipino ring superstar, once dubbed as the best boxer in the world pound for pound.

Fans used to watching Pacquiao dismantle his opponents when he was in the lower divisions, will hanker for a quick KO or TKO victory which he last scored three years ago against Lucas Martin Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur.

Whenever Pacquiao fights, the pressure put on his shoulders by bloodthirsty fans to wreck and blast to smithereens his opponent before 12 rounds is tremendous.

Against Ugas, Pacquiao will also be up against nature—the age factor; the wear and tear of absorbing brutal punishments in the square jungle for more than 20 years, not to mention the mental anguish of having to engage the powers that be in Philippine politics in a bone-jarring mind game in another dirty arena.

A stoppage win for Pacquiao may not come, this time; and if Ugas has a full tank and manages to extend the carousel, he can hack out a majority or split decision after 12 rounds, a major upset that would shock everybody.

In boxing we don’t underestimate an opponent and call him patsy even if he is a Johnny-come-lately.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorothy weeps

“You find out who your real friends are when you’re involved in a scandal.”

—Elizabeth Taylor

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

TWO “breaking” news greeted me as I entered Dorothy’s house August 10 noontime in Brooklyn.

The first, not really earthshaking because it’s only me who was actually astounded, was about Errol Spence Jr’s withdrawal from the unified welterweight tussle against Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao in Las Vegas on August 21; and second, embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, which will take effect after 14 days.

Since most people in the Philippines were already sleeping, I only shared the information about Spence’s exit to selected friends who had followed the Pacquiao-Spence fracas since day one through the Messenger.

As for the Cuomo l’affaire, it was all over the mainstream and social media; the flamboyant governor, accused of sexually harassing 11 women, spoke “live” from the capitol in Albany.

News nowadays travels via satellite across the globe and reaches the farthest enclaves from north to south and east and west like a bullet.

I could have broadcast the exclusive “double whammies” if I were a full-bore media network correspondent.

I was inside Dorothy’s house to perform an errand for the day.

 

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A nitpicking political acolyte, Dorothy, 80, wept when she saw a screaming “Cuomo resigns” clip in one news segment.

“Oh no,” she loudly bemoaned. “I thought he would only apologize and fight.”

She added: “He is a fighter, and I thought after apologizing in this press conference we will move on and continue with the programs that would improve the lives of New Yorkers and fight the pandemic.”

“We have more important things to do and problems to solve and this governor has been doing an amazing job even before and during the pandemic. This crazy political wrangling must stop. New York move on!”

Dorothy admires Cuomo, who had vaccilated between defiant and defeated before finally realizing he was up against a formidable political army that wanted him out as soon as the report from the Attorney General’s office came out accusing him of sexually harassing the 11 female state employees.

“Have you seen some of the 11 women who accused (Governor) Cuomo of sexual misconduct?” asked Dorothy. “They were all gorgeous. But why didn’t the state hire ugly women? Why did those accusers use their beauty in order to get employment?”

Fuming like a carnival sentinel, Dorothy furthered rued: “I haven’t seen desirable ladies who didn’t use their beauties to gain something.”

 

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Spence, 31, is officially out of the blockbuster card on August 21 after doctors reportedly found a torn retina in his eye during a pre-fight medical examination.

Yordenis Ugas, 35, the man who will replace him in the 12-round world welterweight championship currently holds the WBA 147 kg crown and represented Cuba in the lightweight division during the 2008 Beijing Olympics where he pocketed a bronze medal.

Ugas, who stands five feet and nine inches, reminds of the lanky but vulnerable Milton McCrory, a welterweight phenom in the 80’s who was blasted into smithereens by the deadly Don “Cobra” Curry also in a WBA, IBF, WBC welterweight unification bout.

I consider the McCrory versus Curry fisticuffs held in Las Vegas on December 6, 1985 to be one of the greatest and the most suspense-filled welterweight rumbles in history.

Curry flattened the once indestructible McCrory in only two rounds with a smashing left hook to the face.

I hope Ugas, who wasn’t yet born at that time, has seen the fight on video.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Diaz’s Olympic gold may be more valuable than Pacquiao’s world titles

“You have to beat the king to be the king. No one is going to hand you a gold medal.”

—Donovan Bailey

By Alex P. Vidal

WE can never produce another Manny Pacquiao in 100 years.

No doubt he is the greatest Pinoy professional boxer and the most accomplished and flamboyant to ever sweeten the dirty world of prizefighting.

The world boxing belts Pacquiao, 42, had collected in more than 20 years of lording over the brutal sport consisted of championships in eight different weight categories, a rare achievement for any pugilist since the adoption of the Marquess of Queensberry Rules in 1889.

In terms of popularity, Hidilyn Diaz, 30, who recently produced the Philippines’ first-ever gold medal in the Summer World Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, pales in comparison to the charismatic senator-boxer who aims to establish another record when he tackles Errol Spence Jr. in a 12-round world welterweight match in Las Vegas on August 21.

In terms of achievement in the world of sports, however, Diaz’s Olympic gold medal may be more valuable than the combined eight world boxing crowns Pacquiao had amassed.

The modern World Olympic Games (Summer and Winter) is the biggest and leading sporting event in the world participated by more than 200 countries. It was said that even the aliens from other planets monitored the opening ceremonies of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Not all athletes can qualify in the Games; they must pass through the proverbial eye of the needle in tough regional qualifying rounds. The system will ensure that only the best can reach and take part during the Day of the Reckoning.

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All competitors are as tough as nails; there are no pushovers, all world class athletes with scintillating credentials to parade and brag about.

In order to reach the medal column, an Olympian must labor hard like Sisyphus, condemned to forever roll a boulder up a hill in the depths of Hades as a punishment from Zeus.

Diaz went through that arduous and heavy sacrifices before pulling off a shock victory over her highly regarded Chinese rival for the gold medal. Petite but strong Diaz labored hard like digging the Gulag rocks before clobbering other qualifiers from weightlifting superpowers like Kazakhstan, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Russia.

An Olympic gold medal, the first since the Philippines joined the Games in 1924, can’t be matched by any medal or championship trophy outside the Olympic Games. It’s priceless, one of a kind, and the only medal that matters in any known sporting competition in the human history.

A boxing title, on the other hand, can be won by any handpicked (even substitutes who never went through the elimination process can participate in a world boxing championship) Filipino professional ringster in a commercial promotion anytime of the year.

Without defeating all the top 10 contenders in one division, a “world class” Filipino fighter can pole-vault his way automatically to the world championship through the “machination” and influence of matchmakers and promoters.

Which explains why 44 Filipino prizefighters have won world titles since 1923 when Francisco Guilledo a.k.a Pancho Villa bagged the world flyweight jewels by knocking out Jimmy Wilde to become the first world champion from Asia.

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The Philippines isn’t stranger to winning world boxing crowns.

From 1935 to 1997, 25 more Filipino boxers became world champions after Guilledo.

This was before Pacquiao clinched the Philippines’ 27^th world crown by putting away Chatchai Sasakul in a World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight duel in Thailand in 1998.

Pacquiao, to his credit, worked hard to topple an assorted list of Mexican terrors, mostly semi-retired, and bankrolled millions of U.S. dollars for his efforts.

In securing the eight world crowns in eight different divisions, Pacquiao also didn’t have to eliminate all the top 10 contenders in each division.

Through the arrangement made by Top Rank’s Bob Arum, he fought for the world featherweight title against Juan Manuel Marquez in 2004 three years after snatching the IBF super-bantamweight crown from Lehlo Ledwaba in Las Vegas in 2001. And so on and so forth. No fisticuffs against the top 10 contenders under Marquez’s division.

Diaz’s gold medal came when the Philippines, which waited endlessly and frustratingly for nearly 100 years, was not anymore expected to improve its past medal haul of three silvers and seven bronzes, having lagged behind other Asian countries in the Games held every four years.

We can win another world boxing crown and add it to Pacquiao’s rich collection of belts if lady luck will smile at him against Spence Jr. on August 21, but winning another Olympic gold for the Filipinos is equivalent to another trip to planets Jupiter and Mars.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)