Will they say he
was “Mexicuted”?

How can we stop writing and talking about the calamity in Las Vegas that had devastated our Pambansang Kamao? Up to yesterday, many Pinoys had still not gotten over their shock upon seeing their indestructible Pacman, flat on the canvas, face down. I confess that, when he didn’t seem to move for several seconds, I feared that he may have suffered a heart attack and died right there. In fact, a woman seated behind us at the L’Fisher Hotel’s La Proa, where we watched the fight, sighed aloud when he stirred, “Bisan pierde, basta indi patay (Even if he lost, so long as he is not dead)!”

***

It really seemed unbelieavable, because Manny Pacquiao appeared to be doing very well, and had already bloodied the face of Juan Manuel Marquez at that point. Reports later said that, at the time, all the judges were scoring in Manny’s favor, and compuBox records also showed that Manny had thrown 256 punches at Marquez, who only managed 246. And of those, Manny connected with 94 and Marquez 52. So what happened? Was it just a lucky strike, as those in denial would like to believe?

***

I bet many latter-day prophets will be saying now that they knew it already, that Marquez would win. (But they never said so BEFORE). STAR readers probably remember that this column had expressed several times trepidations over Marquez as an opponent because I had personally seen his effect on Pacquiao right after their second fight. Manny won that one by decision, but he really looked fagged out afterwards. When we went to his suite the morning after for the traditional mass I was about to shake his hand when I noticed it was swollen, so we did a high-five nalang. He could not even sign as many autographs as he used to because of that hand.

***

But now, I am inclined to believe his anguished mother, Mommy Dionisia, when she blames those people who have been, apparently hypnotizing or practicing mind control over her son. Yes, even foreign reporters noted that Pacquiao has really changed, and did away with the holy masses before and after his fights, even his wearing of the rosary before, and his unabashed making of the sign of the cross often, practically before every round. One cannot help concluding that his new “idols” have influenced him against those practices. That is what is hurting his mother so much.

***

I’m afraid I have no way of verifying this, but I read in some sports column before that Manny was also spending for the trips abroad of these new friends of his, whose members were also there in Las Vegas – at his expense, I am sure. He has announced plans to spend Christmas in Israel – will the hangers-on be with them too? Let’s ask Mommy Dionisia, who told the media they were going to make him poor. In an interview with the Inquirer, she mentioned that she was not able to attend the canonization rites of St. Pedro Calungsod in Rome because Manny said he didn’t have the money for her trip. Would you believe? Mommy D must know who influenced him against it.

***

Yesterday on TV, there was Mommy Dionisia, airing all her resentments at the company her son now keeps and she was not pulling her punches, so much so that Manny finally appealed to her to stop and they will talk about it when he comes home, which will probably be tomorrow, which is the birthday of his elder daughter, Princess. By the way it will be Manny’s birthday, too, on the 17th, and a big bash had been scheduled. I bet all his friends will make it a point to be there, for fear that they may be called “fair-weather friends.”

***

Meanwhile, I was again disgusted to hear the way that singer rendered our National Anthem at the fight. Where did they pick her up? Hasn’t she been warned that it is an offense to mangle the Pambansang Awit, that there is already a law with prescribed penalties for singing it the way she did? Of course she could have been better than the one who sang for Mexico who sounded as if she was losing her voice now and then. Or maybe she had tonsillitis?

***

I can just imagine the rejoicing in Mexico with the victory of Marquez. I heard that he is not very popular there, being quite a sourpuss, but we can’t blame them if they think he has vindicated all their losses at the fists of the Pacman. Already, a wire service reporter wrote that it is as if Marquez had made up for all the eight championships won by Manny. They used to call Pacquiao the “Mexicutioner”. I hope nobody will now say that our champion has been “Mexicuted”.*

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