Mendoza: Manny does not predict; I do the predicting

Al S. Mendoza
All White

MANNY Pacquiao has never predicted the outcome of his fights.

“I will just do my best, and hope to win,” is his usual reply when asked about his chances.

Yet, in his last 20 fights since 2001, he was almost always installed the heavy favorite to win. By knockout.

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Only in his first fight against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003 and in the first two bouts of his trilogy with Erik Morales in 2004 and 2005 was Pacquiao not picked to prevail.
Pacquiao knocked out Barrera in the 11th, and stopped Morales in 2006 twice in succession to more than avenge his 2005 loss on points in their first encounter.

The reason he refused to predict outcomes could be his innate humility. And his devotion to God.

“I always ask God to help me, protect me, when I fight,” he says time and again. “And I also pray that my opponent won’t get hurt by my punches.”

Yet, he has floored so many opponents (36) and has hurt so many of them--the last one being Ricky Hatton.

Only last May 2, lefty Pacquiao tagged Hatton in the jaw with a mighty left that decked the Briton cold in the second round.

It was a deathly scary blow as Hatton lay almost motionless on the canvas for quite some time before he was bodily carried to his corner.

In his fight against Miguel Cotto, the reigning WBO welterweight champ (147 lbs) at a catch weight 145 lbs, Pacquiao as usual has remained mum over which round he would knock out the Puerto Rican.

But not Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s American Hall of Fame trainer.

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“It could either be Round 1 or Round 3,” said Roach. “Otherwise, Round 9 should be it.”

Totally forgotten—intentional, as confidence is part of psy-war?—is Cotto’s impressive 34-1 record, 27 by knockout.

Oh, well, Pacquiao has become bigger than life, larger than reality, that it’d seem more of a suicide than anything now if you don’t pick him the winner yet again on Sunday (Saturday, Las Vegas time) at the MGM Grand Arena.

I am for Pacquiao if only to state the obvious.

But unlike Pacquiao, I predict outcomes of his fights.

And so, it will be Pacquiao.

By knockout.

(alsol47@yahoo.com)

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on November 14, 2009.