Mga panganib sa pagpili kay Peñalosa bilang taga-ensayo ni Donaire

Ano ba ang nangyayari kay world flyweight champion Nonito Donaire? Kamakailan nagpahayag ng interes si two-time trainer of the year Freddie Roach sa pag-ensayo kay Donaire para sa laban niya kay Fernando Montiel ng Mexico (na ayon sa bagong impormasyon, papalitan ni Jose “Carita” Lopez ng Puerto Rico) para sa super flyweight title sa Marso 15 ngayong taon na gaganapin sa Araneta Coliseum sa Cubao. Hindi ito tinanggap ni Donaire at sa halip ay pinili si World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Gerry Peñalosa at ang kapatid niya na dati ring world champion na si Dodie Boy at Jonathan Peñalosa, pagkatapos magkaroon ng di pagkaintindihan si Nonito at ang kaniyang ama na dati niyang taga-ensayo.

Hindi kaya nilalagay ni Donaire sa alanganin ang kanyang titulo at kinabukasan sa palakasang ito sa pagpili kay Peñalosa at mga kapatid nito bilang kaniyang taga-ensayo? Si Gerry Peñalosa ay nag-eensayo din para sa kanyang laban, at sa pahayag ni Donaire sa diyaryo noong mga nakaraang araw, tutulongan din daw nito si Peñalosa sa pag-eensayo sa pamamagitan ng paggaya nang estilo ng magiging kalaban ni Peñalosa. Sa madaling salita, sa panahong nag-eensayo si Peñalosa gamit si Donaire, tigil muna ang ensayo ni Donaire para sa kaniya mismong laban.

Baka naman masyado lang silang nagtitipid. Sa halip na kumuha pa ng mga boksingero na maging ka sparring ni Peñalosa, si Donaire na lang. O baka naman ito talaga ang pinili ni Donaire dahil luyag niyang patunayan sa buong mundo na di niya kailangan ang imported na taga-ensayo upang panatilihin ang kaniyang titulo. Ang masama lang, kung itutuloy niya ang planong pagtulong kay Peñalosa na malamang mangyari kung magkasama sila sa iisang training camp, mawawala siya sa focus.

Isa pang mahalagang bagay na kailangang pansinin ng kampo ni Donaire ay ang reputasyon. Hindi maganda ang tingin ng Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) kay Gerry Peñalosa. Kung inyong matatandaan, nawalan ng laban si Gerry Peñalosa noong nakaraang taon dahil inayawan niya ang inayos na laban ng GBP, ang kaniyang promotor, dahil, para kay Peñalosa, maliit masyado ang ibabayad sa kanya. Nagkaroon sila ng tampuhan kaya nga ayaw na sana ni Gerry Peñalosa makipag-usap sa mga taga GBP nang nabalitaan niya na inaayos na ang laban kay WBO 122 pound champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez na matagal na niyang minimithi . Subalit napilitan siyang kausapin ang GBP nang pinaliwanag sa kanya nina Ronnie Nathanielsz na wala siya sa posisyon mamili sa ngayon:

When we spoke to Penalosa about the chance to fight “Juanma” Lopez he said he was excited and “it would be great. That’s the fight I want.” However, in the same breath he said he didn’t want to talk to the GBP people. It was only when we explained that he had no choice because his hopes that Arum would sign him up were misplaced and he may wind up without a fight, that he agreed to call Golden Boy Promotions. (Source)

Kung titingnan ang tono ng kaniyang pananalita, mapapansin na pati si Bob Arum ay hindi rin maganda ang tingin kay Peñalosa. Sinabi ni Bob Arum na siguradong malaking pera ang makukuha ni Peñalosa sa laban nito kay Lopez, pero binabalaan nito si Peñalosa: "...if Penalosa keeps making things difficult Lopez is going to go up against another opponent.” Ang ibig sabihin lang naman ni Bob Arum kung humingi pa si Peñalosa ng halagang mas higit pa sa ibibigay sa kanya ng kaniyang promotor para sa laban niya kay Lopez hindi matutuloy ang laban. At sa huli, si Peñalosa ay walang kikitain ni kusing.

Hindi sa minamaliit ko ang kakayahan ni Gerry Peñalosa o di kaya ng kanyang mga kapatid sa paghanda kay Nonito Donaire sa laban niya sa Marso 15. Nag-aalala ako kay Donaire hindi lang dahil mapanganib sa magandang imahen niya ang pagdikit kay Peñalosa, kundi, higit sa lahat, nag-aalala ako sa magiging kahinatnan ng kaniyang ensayo dahil sa akin ng nabanggit.

The irony of the underdog

Manny Pacquiao is an underdog once again, just like when he fought Marco Antonio Barerra. I remember watching that fight. I took a chair and rest my chin over my hands on the back rest and waited an agonizing three or four hours for that fight. Barerra seemed indestructible. I didn’t even see it coming until his coach threw in a white towel to end the fight at round 11. But the stakes were different. Barerra was not as tall as Oscar De La Hoya nor was he bigger or at least as big as Oscar. Barerra too did not win ten world championships; he was not a gold medal Olympian, or at least an Olympian, as Oscar is. And as to Manny, he was unknown and therefore was not taken seriously (watching that fight, I could almost hear Barerra cursing the unkown Pacquiao who landed him fists in any direction).

Oscar De La Hoya’s record shows, out of his 39 professional fights, he lost five times. Out of the 34 fights he won all 30 by knock-out. That leaves only four fights to have out-lasted the 12 rounds. As to Manny’s, out of 52 fights, he lost trice, drawn twice, and won 47 times. out of the 47 wins, he won by knock-out 35 times. That translates to 12 fights to have out-lasted 12 rounds.

Most boxing fans around the world believes Pacquiao could not beat De la Hoya. A $185 bet would only give those who will bet for De la Hoya $100 while those who will put their money on Pacquiao will win $155 for every $100 bet.

Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns, Julio Ceasar Chavez, Ricky Hatton, David Diaz, and boxing trainer Angelo Dundee believe De la Hoya will win the fight. But boxing legend Roberto Duran believes otherwise. He thinks Pacquiao will win because he has been extremely active. “It seems like he is always training and fighting.” Unlike De la Hoya who has not been very active in recent years.

I watched some clippings from youtube of De la Hoya’s fights and I am nervous for Pacquiao. Oscar’s hands are, indeed, long. He also punches and moves very fast. How about if he comes toe to toe with Manny matching speed with speed, like Juan Manuel Marquez did? Marquez hurt Pacquiao many times. Lucky for Pacquio, it was the smaller, lighter, and less stronger Marquez who hit him. If De la Hoya could hit Pacquiao like Marquez, I think Pacquiao will be over.

But unlike Marquez, Oscar De la Hoya has an injured rotator cuff, or so two-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach believes. Roach said, it is that injury that disabled De la Hoya to throw his stinging left jab at Floyd Mayweather after the 6th round of their fight, which in the end cost him the fight. Standard Today’s reviews of some of De la Hoya’s fights have shown occasions when he has, in between round, rested his left hand on the shoulder of his trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. “He clearly did that after the eight round of the Hopkins fight and got knocked out in the ninth,” says the report. The injury may explain the use of acupuncture during his training and the constant massages of his left shoulder.

Of course, that fear arise because I look at Manny Pacquiao as static, or as he was, not as he is. He keeps on training and honing his boxing skills to perfection. If De la Hoya’s punches carry more force because he is heavier, Pacquiao’s additional 17 pounds from his usual 30 will have the same effect too. Pacquio knocked-out David Diaz at 135 pounds, I have to remind myself. De la Hoya’s reach advantage could always be overcome. But until tomorrow, December 6 (7 in Manila) arrives and the two modern gladiators step inside the ring and slug it out, we never know the outcome. We hope for victory, but no matter the result, Manny Pacquiao’s determination and faith are lifting the Filipino spirit constantly defeated: by poverty, by corruption in the government; and through out history, by war with the Spanish, the Japanese, and the Americans. For a change, we are winning (in the boxing ring). We can not but return the love and gratitude to the man, though always an underdog, make us proud.