The Manny Pacquiao – Miguel Cotto Fight: The Fight of The Century

I was getting frustrated as the live streams shared by a friend were failing to respond to my computer.  It was past 11, Philippines time and the main event of the boxing bout I have been eagerly waiting for, would soon be aired.

Luckily, my son had another stream going on in his own computer, so he hollered to all of us that it was the main boxing bout already; the Manny Pacquiao -Miguel Cotto showdown.  I moved to his room and with a fruit juice in one hand and a cookie in the other, I made myself comfortable in my chair.  I was as excited as everyone!

The camera focused on Manny Pacquiao; there he was my hero – our hero – looking so vulnerable and unassuming in his red trunks. He looked so small. The cam then showed Miguel Cotto. The first thought that came to my mind was: “This man is huge, how could Manny ever defeat him? Look at those muscles; they could put anyone to sleep.”

I was nervous for Manny, looking at his smaller frame and built; and believe me, I prayed! Soon, the bell rang for the first round.  My heart was beating so fast; I was hyperventilating, thinking,”How could Manny defeat this boxing machine?” 

The first round was a good one, as both boxers were still in their aggressive stances. I was relieved when the bout ended with Manny Pacquiao not getting hurt.  The second round came and Manny got hit with a stunning blow from Miguel Cotto.  I screamed! But our hero took the blow admirably.  He just shook his head and went on! What stamina! Then Manny released a combination of punches that stunned the reigning champion – Cotto.  And from that round onwards Manny Pacquiao with his right, left hooks and jabs made Miguel Cotto looked pitiful and small.  Miguel Cotto’s size got deleted from the equation.

 Manny Pacquiao’s speed and agility had come out to the forefront and he dominated, without doubt, the remaining rounds of the bout, while Miguel Cotto back pedaled and ran away from his powerful jabs and hooks. 

In the 12th and final round, Manny Pacquiao delivered a combination of punches that the referee – Kenny Bayless – had to stop the fight as he embraced protectively the battered Miguel Cotto. Manny won by Technical Knockout (TKO).

Manny Pacquiao was declared the New WBO Welterweight Champion!  Bob Arum labeled him the greatest boxer of all time. It was the 7th   Boxing title that Manny Pacquiao won in boxing.

There are certain realities that were delineated in this event:

1.       Size does not matter.  There are certain factors that you could utilize to win.  In this case, they were speed and agility.

2.       You will surely win, if you work hard for it.  It took months and months of training before Manny Pacquiao earned his victories.  In fact, he trained almost every day of his life; so you would definitely win, if you have genuinely trained for it.

3.       “Do not judge a book by its cover.” This is a cliché’ which is very true, especially in this match.

Image via Wikipedia

And with these few but very significant lessons learned from this boxing match, I clapped, stomped my feet and hollered joyously for the victory of one humble man who had always dedicated his victory to his people and his nation – the Philippines!