MANNY PACQUIAO - " THE BULLDOZER "

I waked-up early this morning eagerly anticipating the much hyped Pacquiao vs. Hatton boxing match for the pound for pound best boxer of the world title. The other night I dreamed about the fight whereby I saw the referee stopping the fight after the 3rd round and Pacquiao declared as the winner. Maybe that dream was influence by Manny's coach/trainer Freddie Roach prediction that the fight will not go beyond the 3rd round. At exactly 8:30 A.M I together with my brother Dandan and my father went to Jansar Vidoeoke Bar where my friend Dante and Engr. Jun had a reserved table for the pay per view coverage of the fight. The entrance fee was P 200.00 with free pack lunch. My wife arrived later accompanied by her friends and relatives who were all excited to watch the fight live. Previously, boxing in the Philippines was exclusively a man's game but due to Pacquiao's emmense popularity even the women are now also eagerly anticipating his fights.

At around 11:00 A.M the main event started. The place was full to the rafters, so to speak and was oven hot. In the first round, RIcky Hatton was dropped to the canvass twice to the delight of the predominantly Pacquiao crowd although some dehadista placed their bet on Hatton because of the doblado odds. Some were even shouting and jumping at the stage. In the second round, Hatton seems to regain his bearings and traded punches with Manny in the center of the ring. However, with less than a minute remaining of the 2nd round, a left cross of Manny hit Hatton squarely in the jaw causing him to drop like a log and he remained motionless for over a minute. Hell broke loose and everybody were congratulating and hugging each other except for the few dehadistas who were shaking their heads in disbelief.

I have no doubt that Manny would defeat Hatton but I did not imagine that kind of whipping. I had been transformed into a self-proclaimed boxing expert just like thousands of Manny Pacquiao's fans although modesty aside I was into boxing literature way back when I was still in high school as I had a weekly subscription of the Philippine Sports Weekly Magazine where all the boxing champions were posted. During that time I could memorize the different boxing champions in the different weight category as there were only two boxing bodies to reckoned with, the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the World Boxing Association (WBA)and the weight categories were not that many. My heroes then were the likes of Sugar Rey Leonard, Roberto Duran, Tommy " The Hitman " Hearns and Marvelous Marvin Hagler. It was also the prime of Rolando Navarrete " The Bad Boy from Dadiangas ", and Luisito " Lindol " Espinosa.

With that kind of performance there is no more doubt that Manny Pacquiao is the true pound for pound king as even Floyd Mayweather Jr. was not able to inflict that kind of punishment to Ricky Hatton when they fought. To MANNY " THE BULLDOZER " PACQUIAO ", CONGRATULATIONS!! MABUHAY KA!!