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Monday, July 28, 2003
Sayson: A 'long way to go' for Manny Pacquiao
By HOMER D. SAYSON
SECOND OVERTIME
CHICAGO - The IBF junior featherweight title defense of Manny Pacquiao yesterday was like a Viagra experience. You wait a couple of hours for a few minutes' thrill ride. But like that magical little blue pill, Manny's third-round triumph was well worth the while.
This defense was supposed to be tough. There were reports that Manny was struggling to make the 121-pound weight limit. There was this mystery about his foe, Emmanuel Lucero, a Mexican living in the Bronx. Then there was hepatitis threatening to invade Pacquiao's system.
But when the bell rang on Saturday night, before a capacity crowd of 6,700 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, none of it really mattered. Manny destroyed a foe who clearly did not belong in the same ring with the world-class Filipino, a challenger who fought like a crouching tiger, and not the roaring lion that he was hyped up to be.
Lucero's awkward stance, ducking waist low and flailing aimlessly, denied Pacquiao a steady target that fits perfectly to his hard-charging, brawling style. But Pacquiao manifested a patience that reflects his continuing maturity as a pug. He didn't force the issue, picked his spots well, and connected on 56 of 147 punches.
After an uneventful two rounds, Manny saw daylight. And like a wild predator, the Gen-San native gobbled his prey before it could elude. It began with a stiff jab. It ended with a left cross. And somewhere along the way, you can only hope that Lucero found his way home.
That's all she wrote, as they say, and after only 48 seconds into the third round, after Manny delivered the last of his power punches (40-of-89 overall), referee Jose Cobain had seen enough, and Manny will come home with the belt firmly tucked on his waist.
An ecstatic Manny, who raised his record to 37-2-1 with 29 knockouts, called out the big guns of his division: Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, and Paulie Ayala.
Be careful what you wish for.
Although, I am overjoyed by Manny's performance, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that Barrera, Morales and Ayala are battle-tested, elite fighters of their generation. Manny might need a few more fights with really credible jocks to elevate himself into a higher fistic plane.
Lucero carried a 21-1-1 slate with 12 KOs. But that proved bogus. His exploits exposed a lack of power, while his 21 wins suggested a history of fighting caricatures.
Since hooking up with Freddie Roach, Manny is 20 times a better fighter. I'm sure he can trade leather with the best of them. I'm merely saying that a couple more fights will improve his chances exponentially.
Manny is only 24. The big paydays, the kind that could let him buy Cotabato, will come. Promoters will throw money at him. HBO will give him a multi-year deal. The world will wait.
Erik Morales is rangy, with a piercing jab that can drill a hole in anyone's forehead. He has a right hand that can kill a mule. Marco Antonio Barrera is flawless, a brawler who stunningly morphed into a deadly boxer/counter-puncher. He dismantled Naseem Hamed eons ago and the Arab from England has never been seen since.
Paulie Ayala is the least hard-hitting of the vaunted trio in Pacquiao's list. But Paulie is a machine who swallowed Johnny Tapia twice. He doesn't stop punching and he takes everything, heck, he can absorb a Tyson punch and ask for more.
Manny's time for true greatness will come. I really believe that. Just not now, not yet.
(Questions are welcome at homsay@hotmail.com) |
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