the dream match?

the match was all hyped-up. the media blitz and marketing was unreal. it was touted as the dream match, a collision between two of the best fighters in our lifetime. a matchup that only happens in video games has become a reality. unfortunately, in the end, it was all hype and nothing else.

for a sports afficionado, the match was a total let down. there were parts during the match i caught myself booing… not because manny was winning but because it was not even a fight. it was as if only one fighter came (manny) while the other didn’t (oscar). what most experts predicted to be a lopsided fight did become one… but it was the other way around. while the whole country is in frenzy due to manny’s victory, i myself seemed perplexed and couldn’t find myself celebrating as much as i want to. no, it’s not that i am not happy that the “pambansang kamao” won, it’s the manner of how he won and the lack of resistance he got.

honestly, as most experts did, i thought oscar had a distinct advantage going into the fight. he was bigger (supposedly). he had the longer reach. he had the perfect weapons against manny, the left jab (to control manny) and the left hook counter (to make manny pay when he goes in). my only question before the fight, and i discussed this with one of my friends, was his age and how will he cope with the weight cut. those questions were answered immediately at the very first round. oscar was sluggish at best. he had no legs. he couldn’t move. his left jab? it wasn’t there. heck, he didn’t even throw it. left hook? nada. oscar was so pathetic that manny could leisurely walk straight at him and he wouldn’t even taste a punch. freddie roach was right, oscar couldn’t pull the trigger anymore… age has crept up to him. meanwhile, oscar’s sluggishness? blame that to the weight cut.

i’m a mixed-martial arts fan and many time it happens that fighters gas out too quickly when they couldn’t hydrate quick enough due to the weight cut. most of the time (not all the time), when a fighter fights not in his normal weight, he will gas. i thought oscar wouldn’t because he was down in weight weeks before the fight… but, obviously, with the weight cut, he got weak. way too weak.

as a result, it was a massacre. oscar became a punching bag. that’s wasted money for those who shelled out hard-earned money to watch it on pay-per-view expecting a competitive fight. it wasn’t even a competition… it became an exhibition of manny’s blazing hand speed and footwork. yes, manny has grown as a fighter. before he was just a slugger who would mindlessly rush a fighter and throw bombs from all directions. now, under the tutelage of freddie roach, he has been molded into one of the best, if not the best, pound-for-pound fighters in the world. hopefully though, next time, he would fight someone who would be willing and able to give him a fight. ricky hatton maybe? (i think, manny will pummel him to bits… even if it was fought in england). floyd mayweather? now that will be a fight… if somebody can convince pretty boy to come out of retirement.

personally though, i’d like manny to fight current title holders. aim for the titles and not the big cash prize. he has enough money already (thanks to this “dream match”), it’s time to collect title belts. it’s good to be a champ in the eyes of the people, but it would be better to be a champ in paper also.

as for oscar? it’s time to retire.