If there is one thing that can be said about Manny Pacquiao; it is that the kid fights like he has something to prove. He proved it when he shocked the world in 2001 by knocking out then oft-strafed Super Bantamweight King Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. He proved it in 2003 when he sent future boxing Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera’s corner into tears waving the white flag after he demolished the Mexican legend through the course of 11 rounds. He proved it against Erik Morales - twice- after people said that he was merely a one handed puncher and had no skills to go toe-to-toe against the best boxers of the world. Moreover, as recently as his last date with destiny, when Manny went up to his highest weight class to date at lightweight, and challenged then WBC champion David Diaz, Manny has proven all his detractors wrong. Manny is at his best when he fights with a big Doritos chip on his shoulder. The more people say he cannot, the more it motivates him to do so.
“Real recognize Real.” In addition, as much as Pound for Pound king, Juan Manuel Marquez dismisses his loss to the Pacman, he would not be stalking the Pinoy Idol like some ex-girlfriend seeking abortion money, if Manny Pacquiao were just any other fighter (think Chris John). Manny Pacquiao is special. Love him or hate him, Pacquiao is a once in a lifetime type of athlete. Yeh, any Pacquiao fan will probably tell you that. You might even call them a “nut hugger” for doing so. (Though, I advise all decent living beings to eliminate that word from their vocabulary)
However, Oscar De la Hoya is no “nut hugger.” His moniker alone has created instant recognition for the sport of boxing the way Coke and Nike have. The Golden Boy picked Manny for a reason. Say all you want about this being merely a money fight and an easy cop-out fight for De la Hoya by picking a smaller guy, but Oscar knows how special Manny Pacquiao is. To his credit, Oscar is not really one to run away from a challenge. He went up in weight to face Bernard Hopkins in his prime, albeit a loss, it showed the kind of competitor he is. He made a name for himself as a boxer by fighting the biggest names the sport has to offer in the likes of Julio Caesar Chavez, Pernell Whitaker, Tito Trinidad and Shane Mosley to name a few. So why is it such a travesty really, for him to give another fighter the opportunity he himself was afforded in the past? True to his world, Oscar prides himself for staging big global boxing events that can put the sport back on the map. That is precisely what “The Dream Match” is.
In a matter of speaking, these two men are made for each other. In some alternate dimension where gods of boxing exist, these two men were predestined to slug it out inside the ring and write boxing mythology together. Forget all these concerns about money; greatness is priceless. Throw away all the antagonistic criticisms about height, age, reach etc. etc.; every fantasy needs some form of divine intervention for it to come to reality. Have we become such boxing purists (or perhaps stuck-ups) to neglect the impact of fights like this on the overall benefit it brings to the sport? In a normal world, where boxing is but a mere afterthought in a world dominated by main stream sports such as basketball and football, this match up would never happen. Yes, we know the facts. I can understand why this could be a mismatch. This fight would have been easily called ludicrous in the past five years. Nevertheless, this is now. The gods of boxing have smiled upon us and paved the way to make all the necessary precursors to make this Dream Match a reality.
This is a reintroduction to the golden ages of boxing. A flashback of what greats such as Henry Armstrong had to overcome when greatness preceded weight. This is the sport’s opportunity to reclaim center stage. Will Oscar’s Million Dollar Mug be Pacquiao’s proverbial piñata? On the other hand, will his size and craft be the final stop of Pacquiao’s Doritos tour? An actress once said to me “If I can't be beautiful I want to be invisible.” It is pretty much the only reason why this fight is really going to happen. It is too beautiful a match-up for it to go invisible. Just as each fighter is a once in a lifetime type of athlete, this is a once in a lifetime type of event. Love it or hate it, Pacquiao and De la Hoya have put boxing back on the map and made you together with the masses around the world sit up and look. Why be miserable and hate? Enjoy the promising beauty this fight has to offer while it lasts. We may never live to see one like it ever again.
