General Admission
Because Pacquiao turns his foes into pulp bits, he’s running out of worthy opponents
By Al S. Mendoza
IN December 2008, Manny Pacquiao knocked out Oscar De La Hoya in the eighth round.
Four months later, De La Hoya, a six-division world-boxing champion, announced his retirement.
In 2009, Manny Pacquiao knocked out Ricky Hatton in the second round.
Weeks later, Hatton, a three-division world champion, was a self-confessed drug-user and alcoholic.
Although Hatton hasn’t said he is finished in boxing, he hasn’t fought since.
Today, De La Hoya is in a rehabilitation clinic for substance abuse.
What drug, if, indeed, he’s into drugs, De La Hoya was addicted to, it was not revealed.
When Pacquiao heard about it, he said, “We should pray for Oscar.”
What a gentlemanly gesture.
A while back, De La Hoya agreed with Floyd Mayweather Jr. that Pacquiao used steroids to acquire extra power and extra speed.
Although relatively cool, Pacquiao somehow responded by suing Mayweather for libel, with De La Hoya as a co-respondent.
While the case pends in a Vegas court, the news came about De La Hoya’s admission into a rehab clinic.
As Christians, let’s wish him well.
Also presently, Hatton is in dire straits.
Hatton, one of the hardest punchers in the sport, has ballooned from 135 lb to 250 lb.
Since his 2009 loss by second round knockout to Pacquiao, Hatton has lost interest in fighting. Mostly, he was sulking.
Let’s wish him, well, too.
Boxing is so cruel a sport that if you are of the weak of heart, this is not the sport for you.
Our own Rolando Navarette, a former world champion and from GenSan, too, like Pacquiao, now leads a shattered life – a victim of his own folly when he wasted his money on mainly the good, at times, immoral life.
Today, Navarette, a knockout artist in his heyday, is a recipient of regular dole outs from Pacquiao.
No one likes to employ Navarette, whose volcanic temper would sometimes result to violence, domestic violence mostly.
Pacquiao has just defeated Shane Mosley in a shameful fight mainly because Mosley kept running instead of fighting during that farce of a fight.
The decent thing to do now for Mosley, 39, is to retire. If he should fight again, only a fool would watch him.
At the rate Pacquiao is turning his foes into virtual pulp bits, it will not be long when he’d run out of worthy opponents.
Juan Manuel Marquez could yet be the next best candidate to retire after he meets Pacquiao in November.
Now pushing 37, Marquez is himself on the brink.
Only pride is left in him. And pride is the most dangerous to deal with.
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