Calamity in Las Vegas

“AQUINO DECLARES STATE OF CALAMITY” – that was the headline story of some national papers yesterday. At the time he made the declaration, President Aquino was only referring to what had struck the country, particularly Mindanao, in Compostela Valley. He must never have imagined that yesterday would also see another calamity for his people, not only in the country, but even those abroad.

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This was the heartbreaking loss by knockout of the country’s idol, the beloved “Pambansang Kamao (National Fist)” at the hands of his old nemesis, Juan Manuel Marquez, who has been harboring and nurturing his hatred and desire for revenge against Pacquiao, for several years now. Their fight yesterday was their fourth encounter, and one that Manny Pacquiao did not have to entertain, until he allowed himself to be challenged by the frequent carping and boasting of Marquez.

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What was most heartbreaking about the defeat of our idle was that it came during the sixth round, when he was ahead in the scores, I think it was already 47-36 in his favor. Somehow, Marquez, who seemed to be reeling from his blows by then, caught him in an unguarded moment, and hit him smack in the jaw causing him to fall on his face and stay immobile for a moment. Later I heard that Pacquiao had let down his guard a bit, thinking the bell was about to ring – as it was the last second of Round Six already.

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To say that most of those watching the fight were stunned would be an understatement. How could it happen? How could Manny Pacquiao, who had never been seen on the mat in his latest fights, be vanquished in that way? Everybody had a theory, as one who asks around or listens to the men talk will learn. But one theory that several subscribed to was the same one that Manny’s mother, the irrepressible Mommy Dionisia, raved about shortly after learning about her son’s defeat.

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The angry and disappointed mother, raging like a wounded tigress, cursed and ranted at the people she considered responsible for making her son “change his religion”. Of course it is well known that Manny had been acting differently since he seemed to have been “captured” by a certain group that had gradually changed his praying attitude. In fact, even before yesterday’s fight, some matrons in Manila had pointed out that, in his fight with Tim Bradley, he was no longer wearing a rosary around his neck, which used to taken off when the fight started, but returned again afterwards. Also yesterday, some of the people watching the fight with us also commented that, unlike his previous fights, he no longer made the sign of the cross before coming back into the ring.

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Well, those were only observations, but I also heard that Fr. Be-of, the Thomasian priest who always said mass before and after his fights was also getting worried about him. Yesterday and last night, national TV kept replaying the tirade of Mommy Dionisia as she blamed the people she believed had caused the downfall of her son. She wondered if they could sleep after knowing what they had done.

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Well, we can say that, earlier, Manny gave as good as he got, and, indeed, wire reports said that Marquez had suffered a broken nose. As for Manny, it also said he had undergone hospital check-up and there was nothing seriously wrong, that he was not hurt so badly – except, maybe his pride. But he should be comforted by the fact that his countrymen are still very proud of him, and will continue to consider him their idol, because nobody else in the history of boxing has held EIGHT world titles simultaneously in EIGHT different divisions. Let Marquez gloat in his late victory, but he has not vanquished the likes of Ricky Hatton, Oscar de la Hoya, Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto, etcetera.

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What was further saddening about yesterday’s fights is that there were three other Filipinos fighting in the undercard and only one of them made it. The son of his father, Dodie Peñalosa Jr., knocked out his American opponent in the second round, but the two other Pinoys, Mercito Gesta and Michael Farenas, fought well, but lost to their Latin American opponents. By the way, we watched the fights this time again at L’Fisher Hotel’s La Proa hall that had few seats left, and where everybody cheered for the Pacman. But when the fight ended, and we proceeded to the Ripples area for buffet, the atmosphere was like that at a wake, so subdued and sad. It took a while before people started discussing what happened. It was so very different from those other times when they were glorying in Manny’s victories.*

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