By Al S. Mendoza

MAYBE, as you are reading this, you already know if Manny Pacquiao beat Erik Morales or not.  You see, the two fought this Sunday morning in Las Vegas, Nevada (Jan. 22). The fight was supposed to begin at 8 a.m., Philippine time. (It is Saturday today in America.) I wrote this piece days before today’s fight time.   

As is my nature, I predict fights.  And the Pacquiao fight today is no exception. 

It’s a risky job, this writing thing, especially so that I am known more as a sports columnist than anything. And part of the sports writing job is predicting fights.  Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose.  My motto is, and has always been, that you can’t win them all.  

I get brickbats when my prediction goes awry.  I rarely receive praise when my prediction comes out true.   

Goes with the turf.   

As a sports columnist, people look at me as knowledgeable, a virtual know-it-all.  If people view me as almost infallible as the Pope, that is more of a compliment than anything.  Thank you very kindly.  I am grateful to people who buy me beer each time I make the correct prediction, which happens (ahem!) very often.  

Truth is, I can only know so much.  Or can only say so much.  The little that I know, I am always more than willing to share it with you. 

Thus, this belief: Pacquiao will beat Morales. 

I predicted Pacquiao to win, not because I am a Filipino, but because I believed in his capacity to beat Morales.   

As always, against any fighter in his 130-pound division, Pacquiao can beat anyone.  Pacquiao is the hardest puncher in his class that no one can survive his power once it hits the target. 

Pacquiao lost the first time he fought Morales on March 19 last year, but that is no reason I wouldn’t pick Paquiao to win today. The first fight is history and the second fight is a new ballgame altogether. I wouldn’t abandon Pacquiao for one loss, given the eerie circumstances that attended the first fight. 

First, Pacquiao seemed to have taken Morales lightly the first time around.  He indulged in show-boating before the fight, not to mention that he even went gambling in the casinos of Las Vegas. 

Second, Pacquiao started tentatively in that fight, allowing Morales to run and run and thus, dictating the tempo of the bout. 

Third, Pacquiao got head-butted in the eyebrow in the fifth, causing him to weaken as the fight progressed since blood kept oozing from the wound. 

When Pacquiao started to force his way into the fight in the latter rounds, it was too late.  Morales had piled up enough points – and confidence û so that it was merely hit and run tactic the Mexican employed to easily score a points victory.  Pacquiao just couldn’t tag him with the one BIG PUNCH. 

I predicted Pacquiao to win today – by a knockout no less – as I believe he has learned his lessons from the first fight. 

Thus, the first – and last – order of business for Pacquiao today would be to connect that knockout punch as early as possible. Nobody’s on his feet once he gets hit by a Pacquiao punch. 

I hope Pacquiao gets the luck to land that and, thus, make this blighted nation happy – even just for a fleeting moment.

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