Nightmarish End for a Dream Match
This is just one of the many postfight commentaries of the recently concluded Dream Match. Manny Pacquiao’s stunning victory once more demonstrated that even in boxing, a big size does not necessarily mean much against speed and a big heart. The biblical story of David and Goliath might have been true after all.
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The much-awaited encounter of the two of the most popular fighters of the boxing world, Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao, ended into a stunning victory for the much underdog PacMan.
Dubbed as the Dream Match owing to the popularity and boxing skills of the fighters, both were closely watched and monitored the moment the match was announced, through their trainings and preparations, and into the time they meet for the official weigh-in a day after the bout.
With his vaunted punching power and his advantages in built, height and reach, de la Hoya is clearly the top pick of the fight. Pacquiao’s only hope is his speed, which later proved to be more than enough for the underdog.
As the result showed, Pacquiao’s speed of hands, footwork, head ducking, and sidestepping were more than de la Hoya could counter. True he has power, reach, and height but how could he have used these against an opponent whose stinging punches came out of nowhere, and suddenly he was not there when de la Hoya was ready to unleash his stuff.
It was not really an issue of age or of going down in weight for de la Hoya. That much could have been considered had not the Golden Boy been completely dominated right at the very first round.
He trained just as well. His weight reduction was scientifically and medically organized and monitored. He and his camps were themselves very confident Pacquiao could not go over five rounds but de la Hoya would knock him then.
The fight was just actually a classic “David and Goliath” battle, with the PacMan carrying on his shoulder the pride of his Filipino people against de la Hoya’s person. The battle was equally the same, the big man unable to dodge the missiles from the slingshot speed of Pacquiao’s hand. Speed was Manny’s weapon and it worked better than expected.
Moreover, de la Hoya faced a classic Filipino fighter. A breed of people who almost always goes to battle an underdog but with big heart, and strangely enough (more often than not) emerges victorious against seemingly insurmountable odds.
Look! Even Pacquiao did not falter when face with a barrage of interviews in English. He knows little of the language yet he answered those questions with confidence as if he was born with a native English tongue. Never mind if he answered them correctly or if the answers were what the interviewers were expecting. The real issue is that Manny, a typical Filipino, meet his challenges, be it against punches or unfamiliar tongue, with confidence and always, with a big heart.
It was a pleasant dream for Pacquiao and the Filipino people. It was a nightmare for de la Hoya.
De la Hoya said he was ready for King Kong. He was definitely good and he could have literally demolished a King Kong-but that was what his error was.
The Golden Boy prepared for King Kong, but he was due to face a Manny Pacquiao. He should have instead prepared for PacMan.
