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Manny Pacquiao has won two world titles, and he now
wants to make pan-Asian boxing history by going for a third title.
If he succeeds he will be the first Asian to win world titles in
three weight divisions: bantamweight, junior lightweight and
lightweight.
His poundage has grown in concert
with his stature. It does not mean that Pacquiao has become fat. He
has merely become bulky, like his wallet. He has to fight excess
weight to continue to fight in a certain weight class.
People can relate with Pacquiao’s
struggle on the scales. Many of us face the same enemy: excess fat.
While Pacquiao’s weight grows in relation to his age, ours can be
traced to two major causes: fatty food and defective scales.
Pacquiao is the last man standing
in his class and he has beaten the best boxers of his generation.
Among those he demolished were the boxing legends of Mexico, a world
power in the sport.
But his success, which comes with
mind-boggling financial windfall, brings him face to face with a
craftier enemy who packs a bigger wallop: the tax collector. This
formidable enemy can deliver hard body blows aimed at cutting
Pacquiao’s ring earnings. Pacquiao can put up his hands to defend
himself, but it’ll be a futile effort.
When the taxman thrusts out an
open hand with the palms facing up, it means bigay ikaw regalo.
If Pacquiao dethrones the
reigning lightweight champion in his next fight, he will need a more
suitable opponent in the future. We should match him up with an
opponent who can knock him out quickly with a dazzling array of
moves he has never seen before.
How about separate bouts with
chess grandmasters Eugene Torre or Rogelio Antonio? Either of the
two men can quickly send Pacquiao back to his dressing room.
Of course, Torre or Antonio must
backpedal a lot and even run around the ring to avoid Pacquiao’s
deadly punches. Then when it’s Torre’s or Antonio’s turn to
move, either of them immediately delivers the crushing blows that
will knock out Pacquiao.
Is this possible?
Right now, Pacquiao is on top of
the world with his vaunted powerful left straight that has put the
lights out from his opponents. But it is not known how he will
measure up against chess grandmasters in the new hybrid sport called
“chessboxing.”
In this new sport for the brainy
and the brawny, bouts are composed of a maximum of 11 alternating
rounds of chess and boxing. The rules are simple: checkmates or
knockouts result in instant victory. Fighters also win if the
referee stops the match, or one of them times out at the chessboard.
So, the strategy for Torre or
Antonio is crystal clear. Run, run and run during the boxing rounds.
But quickly checkmate the king as soon as Pacquiao sits across the
board.
Chessboxing has developed a
strong following in central and Eastern Europe, according to press
reports. Exhibition matches have been held in Los Angeles in the
United States, Paris, Prague, Zurich and Moscow.
In a match fought before 1,200
raucous fans in Berlin recently, a German policeman, Frank Stoldt,
clinched the light-heavyweight title after parrying David “Double
D” Depto’s punches and checkmating the American in the seventh
round.
Pacquiao may have the edge in a
match against Torre or Antonio because the rules say that if there
is no winner after 11 rounds of punching and castling, victory will
be awarded to the fighter with the most points in the boxing ring.
But if he cannot catch the light-footed Torre or Antonio in the
ring, there is no escape from either of them on the board.
What if Torre or Antonio slips or
gets trapped in a corner? Well, it’s too harsh for anybody to
speculate. Torre or Antonio can shout at the referee for help, or
their assistants can throw in the towel and stop Pacquiao.
A victory by Pacquiao in
chessboxing will add to his legend as the greatest Filipino fighter
of all time. Of course, we assume that he knows how to move the
pawn, the horse, the bishop, the rook and the other pieces. If not,
it’ll be, “checkmate, Pacquiao.”
palaciosjp@sss.gov.ph
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