JUST like an ordinary athlete, Filipino pride Manny Pacquiao could rise up again.

Pacquiao suffered one of the worst defeats in his entire boxing career when long time Mexican archrival Juan Manuel Marquez knocked him out in round 6 last December 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas USA.

The last time he was knocked out was in 1996 when he lost to fellow Filipino Rustico Torreocampo.

But Pacquiao, who will turn 34 tomorrow December 17, has everything it takes to come back stronger than ever and get back against Marquez in a Pacquiao-Marquez 5 or beat any boxer late next year.

At his age, Pacquiao remains young and is considered at the peak of his boxing career, where he has made history by winning eight weight world division titles. This a record very hard to surpass or even match.

His feat is even more phenomenal for this Asian boxer started from flyweight and rose to light middleweight class through the years.

Counseling Psychologist of the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) Dr. Rey Canlas, Ph.D., told this reporter Pacquiao is mentally stable and has no sign of depression that usually leads to drug-use and suicidal attempts, which has happened to some athletes.

“Drug use is a coping mechanism to lessen the impact of loss [on the psyche],” Canlas, a Sports Psychology service provider for the Philippine Olympic Committee, told The Manila Times in an exclusive interview Wednesday morning

‘Devastating loss’
“Some athletes, after a devastating loss, also entertain suicidal ideation [thoughts of suicide], or worse, attempt suicide, because they cannot handle the pain or agony of defeat and would like to end or escape from the pain or embarrassment,” he said.

“However, not all drugs are legal. Drugs that are legal are those prescribed by Psychiatrists such as anti-depressant” to mitigate the effects of depression.”

“Extreme worry about what others might say would drive the person (somewhat) ‘crazy’ which is supposed to be temporary,” he explained. “However, for some, it lingers and becomes a “clinical” depression to a point that the person’s only solution is to end his life.”

Despite the knockout loss, Canlas believes Pacquiao has no tendency to end in this kind of situation since the congressman from Saranggani has a happier life outside boxing – from his own family, wife, relatives and friends.

More importantly he has a stable mindset.

‘Depressed’
Although there is no exact percentage how many losing athletes ended in becoming drug-users or suicidal, popular boxers Oscar Dela Hoya and British Ricky Hatton, whom Pacquiao roundly defeated, have admitted they were really depressed after their loss to Pacquiao.

They both admitted using drugs and thinking of or attempting suicide.

“Manny was and is the 8-division champ and it will be some time before someone would break that record,” said Canlas, a private practitioner and a faculty member of the Department of Psychology of De La Salle University-Manila.

Canlas said it is natural for the whole Filipino race to be sad after that loss.

“Naturally, we are sad. We are coping with a loss. It’s a natural human reaction. A loss is similar to losing someone, as if someone’s died. Filipinos identify with Manny. He is the “Pambansang Kamao” (the national fist). When he wins, we all win, when he loses, we all lose. We are one,” he added.

Asked if Pacquiao should continue boxing, Canlas said: “Tough question. Boxing is a dangerous sport. There are long term-effects. Take a look at what happened to Muhammad Ali and his trainer Freddie Roach. Does Manny want to end up like them? Only the Pacman can answer if it’s game over for him.”

Pacquiao, who holds a 54-5-2 win-loss-draw card with 38 knockouts, said right after his defeat that he wasn’t going to retire.

But as an athlete, Canlas said, Pacquiao must evaluate everything and decide what should be changed in order to improve his self and regain his old deadly form.

He must do this for a successful comeback against Marquez, whom he has defeated twice and was surely going to defeat by decision last Sunday if it had not been for that one Marquez punch that hit him at the last second of the sixth round..

‘Rocky 3’
“Manny should personally “reflect” what went wrong,” explained Canlas. “What works and what do not work. What changes were instituted in is camp and in his personal life? Is it change for the better or change for the worse?”

“Ultimately, Manny is the only who could answer these questions and personally decide for himself. For my part, I would like Manny to watch fictional Rocky 3 movie-and get ideas how Rocky Balboa bounces back from a devastating knockout loss to Clubber Lang.”

Pacquiao drew against Marquez in 2004 the first time they met and four years later he won via split decision. In 2011, Pacquiao won by unanimous decision before losing his World Boxing Organization welterweight belt to Timothy Bradley via split decision.

Pacquiao just like an ordinary athlete can rise up from that worst defeat if ever he wants too anytime.

Canlas explained that Pacquiao has beaten opponents who are larger and heavier than him like Miguel Cotto, Sugar Shane Mosley, David Diaz, Oscar Dela Hoya, Joshua Clottey, Ricky Hatton and Antonio Margarito that’s why there is no any reason for him not to comeback stronger.