Manny Pacquiao’s odyssey: The end, and a beginning
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — If tha t was Manny Pacquiao’s last fight, then he surely went out with a bang.
The usual gang of Filipino politicians crowding Pacquiao for a share of the spotlight was nowhere to be found when the boxing icon floored Timothy Bradley twice en route to scoring a unanimous 12-round decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena here Saturday night. It was because they were busy campaigning for the coming elections, or perhaps interest in Pacquiao had waned after his lackluster showing in a loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. — a big money fight that failed to live up to expectations last May.
Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter to Pacquiao who went about his business like he used to in becoming the first and only fighter ever to capture world titles in eight weight divisions. Pacquiao, 37, turned back the hands of time to relive a glorious past in totally dominating Bradley in the rubber match of their trilogy that started in 2012. Bradley, 32, drew first blood via a highly disputed split verdict; then Pacquiao got even with a convincing victory on points in the rematch in 2014.
In the third encounter, Pacquiao left no doubt as to who is the superior fighter. A throng of 14,665 packed the arena to witness Pacquiao’s farewell outing. There were hardly any Bradley fans in the audience. He’s not a crowd pleaser because of his tactical and unexciting approach. Chants of “Manny, Manny” reverberated throughout the stadium and Pacquiao didn’t disappoint.
Pacquiao’s Canadian adviser Michael Koncz said it was the first time in the last five years that the fighter had endured training camp without an injury, cramps or major distractions. He was in top shape for Bradley and it showed in how he clinically thrashed the man called the “Desert Storm.” Pacquiao looked a bit rusty in the early going due to his 11-month layoff since the Mayweather outing. During the hiatus, Pacquiao underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder. He entered the ring to face Mayweather with a shoulder issue that was aggravated during the bout. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the operation in Los Angeles.
Pacquiao did some open-sea swimming to heal the wound but never took therapy. In the dressing room after crushing Bradley, Dr. ElAttrache congratulated his famous patient and marveled at his recovery. For 12 bruising rounds, Pacquiao exhibited no signs of shoulder discomfort. In fact, Pacquiao worked both hands feverishly from start to finish. Bradley tasted Pacquiao’s fists of fury in the seventh and ninth rounds where he took a pair of mandatory eight-counts. Also in the dressing room were former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis (Chavit) Singson, election lawyer Romy Macalintal, bass guitarist Mike Dirnt of the punk rock band Green Day and the Plunketts’ lead singer Patrick Scalise.
Bradley got rid of his long-time trainer Joel Diaz for his previous fight against Brandon Rios last November and hired volatile Teddy Atlas. Since Bradley handed Rios his first knockout loss, Atlas was retained for the Pacquiao fight. It didn’t make a difference. Bradley’s plan was to dictate the pace by boxing from a distance and circling away from Pacquiao’s power left hand. He didn’t factor in Pacquiao’s amazing hand and foot speed that kept him from executing what Atlas laid out.
The three judges had no difficulty determining the winner. Dave Moretti, Burt Clements and Steve Weisfeld all scored it 116-110 for Pacquiao, awarding Bradley only four rounds. Pacquiao finished the fight with two slight bruises under his left eye. Otherwise, he was unmarked. Mexican TV commentator and former WBC secretary-general Eduardo Lamazon said it was a vintage Pacquiao performance.
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach, always hard to please, said he couldn’t complain. There was some rust on Pacquiao’s armor, he said, but that’s understandable considering his layoff. Roach called it a strong first step on the comeback trail. However, Pacquiao said the comeback has ended: he’s running for a Senate seat in the coming elections and keeping his promise to his family to retire from boxing after the Bradley fight.
Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee said even though he was evidently in absolute control of the bout, she was nervous from the start to the final bell. She was happy but probably more relieved when it was over.
With his swan song now in the record books, Pacquiao rides into the sunset as the greatest Filipino fighter in history and one of the world’s all-time greatest. Since turning pro as a scrawny 106-pounder in 1995, Pacquiao has morphed into a global superstar with earnings estimated to be at least $450 million. He figured in 20 pay-per-view events with over 18 million buys, with gross revenues of close to $1.2 billion. The numbers clearly indicate a level of popularity unprecedented in the annals of Philippine sports. His final record is 58 wins, 38 by knockout, six losses and two draws.
Now, the question is: Will Pacquiao stay retired? It is often said that the hardest decision a fighter has to make is when to hang up his gloves. Pacquiao’s show- ing against Bradley proved he has a lot of fight left. His contract with Top Rank expires next year so that leaves the door open for a possible rematch against Mayweather or a blockbuster duel with WBC middleweight champion Saul (Canelo) Alvarez of Mexico. At the moment, Pacquiao said he’s retired and his priority now is to serve the Filipino people as a public servant.
The win over Bradley signaled an end to a historic career and the beginning of a new chapter in Pacquiao’s evolving life story.