8th wonder of the world

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

I’M sure you sports aficionados like me saw the fight where our very own boxing superhero Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao pummeled another Mexican ring gladiator named Antonio “Tijuana Tornado” Margarito and wrested the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight, his eighth unprecedented world title — something that nobody else has done since the birth of world boxing. A truly great achievement for a boxer that I believe nobody in this generation could surpass or even equal. The guy that could maybe outdo Pacman’s attainment is probably not born yet. Maybe it will only be broken when we in this generation have already passed away. It’s the eight wonder of the world in sports, I must say.

Yes, the sports adage “records are made to be broken” has been proven many times. But in this era, no boxer comes close enough to Pacman’s accomplishment of winning eight world titles in different divisions and in different respected world boxing groups. Oscar de la Hoya, whom Pacquiao technically knocked out in 2009, is the closest with six world tiles in his belt. De la Hoya retired after that memorable battle.

What Pacquiao achieved is one for the books and could be printed in the Guinness Book of World Records, just like Filipino bowler Paeng Nepomuceno, who won the World Cup in a record of four times. It’s a major major crown ‘ika nga.

Pacquiao, 31, standing 5’6 ½” also proved that speed (his main weapon) can overcome height, heft and reach. His swiftness, aside from his barrage of heavy punches, clobbered the 5’11” Chicano from the opening bell up to the last round with much gusto. The pounding sent Margarito, 32, to the hospital after the bout for a check on his broken eye socket while Pacquiao, a day after the fight, drove himself to the hospital for a rib cage pain. Both protagonists are now in good health.

Maga rito, maga ruon, as how newspaper vendor Danny of sitio Aling, Dagupan City described the battered face of Margarito after the fight. “Pinakyaw na naman ni Pacquiao ang laban,” echoed Armando Lalata of Mangaldan. “David won again against Goliath,” said San Carlos City-born and now Houston, Texas-resident Blandino Caguioa when I talked to him a day after the fight. “The fight should have been stopped in the 10th to avoid more injuries for Margarito. Nagkamali yong referee,” Blandino added.

But there were two surprises during that fight. First was the mother of Paquiao who suffered an ‘anxiety attack’ and passed out during the sixth round after Margarito managed to sneak two solid and strong left shots at the rib cage that almost kneeled down Pacman. Those were the best shots that the Tijuana Tornado perfectly released. Margarito didn’t knock out the son, but did the mother, jested media man Atong Remogat.

The second was the attendance. Before the clash, promoter Bob Arum and boxing pundits said they highly expected that the 50,994 spectators that watched the Pacquiao-Clottey encounter last March will be surpassed. But only 44,734 attended this time. Surprising because there are a lot of Mexicans in Texas, which U.S history says the Mexicans actually owned until it was seized by the Americans through war. (If you watched the movie The Alamo, that’s the true story). Perhaps because many Mexicans also go for Pacquiao, that include my relatives in Pharr, Texas. Or maybe because the Chicanos preferred to buy the pay-per-view ticket for their home viewing instead of going to the Cowboys Stadium and spend more money and time.

The fight is another history for Paquiao. He originally came from 112 lbs. to claim the world flyweight crown, super bantamweight, featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight and now the super welterweight.

A ninth world title in the future?

I don’t think so. That will be very dangerous. Only Pacman can answer that question. And only Pacman can surpass his record. Period.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands, and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20: 26, 27, 28 and 29.

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