Goofiness and greediness

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

FRESH reports in the boxing world say Top Rank Promotions top honcho Bob Arum is contemplating a plan for a possible collision between two world boxing titans of prize fighting: our very own Manny Pacquiao and Oscar dela Hoya.

That’s after Pacquiao gets lucky to win his next fight either against the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez or WBC lightweight king David Diaz tentatively scheduled on March 15 next year.

This early, pundits and connoisseurs are raising their eyebrows (including this writer) that if the project pushes through, it’s a kind of goofiness that I believe millions of boxing aficionados will not buy the idea. It is a mismatch and should not be done. It will be a massacre.

Well, we can say it could be a David against the giant Goliath fight. And we all know David eventually won.

But that’s a different story because according to the Good Book, David was consecrated by God to defeat Goliath and his troops.

Pacquiao, 28, is just a mere five-foot-six-and-a-half in height and a natural super featherweight (130 lbs.), while Dela Hoya, 35, is five-foot-eleven and a genuine super welterweight 154-pound class. 

You can imagine the huge disparity especially the difference in the reach between the two, and that counts a lot in boxing.

And remember, if we will base it on the record of the two, Dela Hoya got the big edge as he holds world championship belts in four weight categories aside from being a gold medallist during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, while Pacquiao held three and with an unimpressive amateur mark.

Arum said he will dub the match as the “dream fight” and both protagonists will receive their biggest   paychecks ever.   He didn’t mention how much.

I think what Arum wants is another windfall for his pocket. He doesn’t care who will be badly hurt as long as his bank will be filled with cash.

It’s goofiness and greediness.

Like my colleague, The PUNCH columnist Jun V, my brother-in-law and former amateur boxer Charles, 1995 SEA Games bronze medallist Jonjon Tamayo, we are among the several boxing buffs who will not buy Arum’s idea.

Ask your neighbors, I am sure they won’t take it, too.

We are not saying we are anti-Pacquiao because we believe Pacquiao will be beaten for sure.

No, it’s a big NO.

We will still watch the match if it pushes through to see if the new David can still whip the old Goliath. 

I hope and wish the ‘dream fight’ will not happen.

Why? Because I don’t want our sports hero to be seriously hurt and he could suffer what Muhammad Ali is suffering now. There’s always a possibility.

He is the model of our youth, and our youth is the future of this land.

* * * * *

Region 1 Basketball  Referees Commission (BARECOM) commissioner Jon Cancino buzzed me last Sunday to rectify what I wrote in last Sunday’s issue about the Bayawak Clan Basketball Tournament held almost three decades ago that it was his JAC’s team that won the championship and not the ERDC.

I double checked with Enan Mangonon and Jun Amado, my two sources, confirming that Mr. Cancino’s team was the champion.

Sorry for that, Jon. It was an honest mistake.

Belated congratulations.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/sports-eye/
Readers may reach columnist at biking.jess@yahoo.com . For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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