KASALANAN NI ROD!!!

(a sportswriter's a.k.a. boxing fan's lament on shelling out P550.00 in a Pacquiao's Fight)
by Ric Pinca, Sunday, May 3, 2009

I never thought I would pay P550.00 to watch a boxing match on widescreen but I did.  Five-hundred and fifty pesos is US$11.22 at P49.00 exchange rate.  While US$11.00 may be a small amount to our US-based batchmates, it's peso equivalent is more than a day's wage for the Pinoy working man.  So I thought long and hard before I made that momentous decision.  It's obvious that my Ilocana wife's inflluence pervades even my sporting mind.

Then I looked at the people lining up that Sunday morning to watch the fight at SM South Mall Cinema in Las Pinas City. They were people from all walks of life. Triycyle drivers, lawyers, traders and even the "buko" (coconut fruit) vendor were already there ready to cough up their hard earned dough just to see Manny Pacquiao fight Ricky Hatton.

"Mayabang si Hatton," (Hatton is arrogant) was the common sentiment.  Sabi niya sosorpresahin  niya ang mundo at tatalunin si Manny.  Tingnan natin." (He said, "I am going to surprise the world and I am going to beat Manny."  Let us see).

So with some reluctance, I  parted with my money to join the pack of Pacquiao fans.  No, let me correct myself.  I am not really a Pacquiao fan, but more of a "boxing fan" someone who now truly enjoys watching two guys bang themselves up in the ring.   And I blame Rod Mijares for this late development in my life.

If Rod did not ask me to cover the Nonito Donaire - Raul "La Cobrita" Martinez fight at the Araneta Coliseum last April, I wouldn't have shelled out this much for a boxing match.

I never really liked boxing.  When I was a kid growing up in the squatter area of Kahilom Dos in Pandacan, it was normal for the bullies in the neighborhood to match one kid against another just for the fun of it.  In the slums, no one escapes it.  The bullies taunt you.  And when you are six or seven years old and still finding your place and seeking respect, you fight or be called "duwag" (coward) or worse, "bakla" (gay).  Hindi pa uso ang "bading" noon.  (Gay thing is not a trend yet in the old days).

"Kung kaya mo sa suntukan si Totoy, hipuin mo nga titi niya." the bully would tell you. If Totoy just allows you to touch his _ _ _ k, then he is a sissy. But if he parries your hand, then he is ready to fight "for his honor".  Then the gloves appear and the protagonists start putting them on.  That is when the betting begins.  Kahit piso-piso lang pustahan OK na.  (Even a peso bet is enough already).

I had my share of those fights and I do not recall having won any.  I was so thin and small that i even had difficulty lifting the gloves.  So i go home usually bloodied in the mouth and with a black eye or two.  But I fought.  And to me, at that time, that was what counted.

That's why I never liked boxing as a sport.  I went to basketball instead. And there in the basketball courts of my youth, I had my moments of victory.  Of course I was not the best player on the team, but i had my share of points and did whatever needed to be done.

My dislike for boxing continued even during my early adulthood.  I would watch Muhammad Ali's fights but only because he stood for something.  He defied the US government by refusing to serve in Vietnam so I thought he was worth watching.

The misfortunes of early Pinoy boxers only added to my dislike for the sport.  Rolando Navarette who was world champion for some years ended up in a Hawaii slammer and lived a "bad boy" life, making true his fight monicker

"The Bad Boy from Dadiangas."  Mike Tyson too served time for, was it rape?  With these guys as the sport's icons, it's not difficult to dislike boxing.

Then comes this message from Rod Mijares:  Bay Ric, could you cover the Donaire-Martinez fight on April 19 at the Araneta Coliseum?  How could I say no this fellow Cebuano batchmate?  So I exchanged Sunday morning basketball game for a one-time chance to see a world boxing championship fight.  And I never regretted it.  In fact, i looked forward to more fight coverages.

So i vowed not to miss the Pacquiao-Hatton fight, even if I have to pay for it.  And the SM Cinema was a convenient and comfortable venue.  Even if it's a bit pricey.

I just don't understand why the Pinoy suddenly becomes nationalistic when Manny Pacquiao fights. "O, tayo tayong lahat, Bayang Magiliw na" someone in the crowd shouted as Martin Nievera started to sing the Philippine National Anthem.  And everyone stood up, in attention, as if feeling every word of the song.  I stood up too caught in the moment when one feels a sudden surge of patriotism.  I said to myself, if only the Pinoy is always this united and country-loving, the Philippines could have been much better than it is now.  Ah, but that is another matter and is another story.

Shouts ring out everytime Pacquiao appears on the screen.  And when Pacquiao's marching song "Pilipino Ako" was played, the shouts became even louder and wilder.  People were standing up, their arms raised in jubilation and punching the air.

The American TV station CNN said that Pacquiao carries the hope of his entire country whenever he fights and CNN is right.  I couldn't imagine how dolorous the entire country would be if Pacquiao lost. I am sure even Manila would be as quiet as Good Friday.

I jumped up from my seat when Pacquiao floored Hatton with a right in the first round.  The more than 2,000 people in the movie house also did the same and the shouting was deafening.  From then on, every Pacquao punch  was followed by shouts of "pabagsakin mo na" (put him down), "tapusin mo na," (finish him off) etc.  It was sheer pandemonium.  Everyone in the moviehouse knew that Hatton's end is just a few minutes away, and they were right.

Pacquiao delivered the killer left hook in the second round.  And when this haymaker landed on Hatton's right chin, he just fell flat on his back, his arms on his side and legs spread apart. The man was down and out.  The referee did not bother to count because Hatton, obviously, was not getting up.

I recall the former world junior lightweight champion Gabriel "Flash" Elorde say "Mayroon koneksyon ang baba at tuhod ng boksingero.  Pag tinamaan ka ng matinding suntok sa iyong baba, tiyak na hihina ang iyomng tuhod" ( There is a connection between a boxer's chin and his knees. When you are hit solidly in your chin, your knees will weaken).  That's what happened to Hatton.  He got hit on the chin and his knees weakened and buckled.

In the end, Pacquiao the fighter was magnanimous in victory.  He said in a post fight interview that "Hatton is a great fighter.  He also hit me several times" or something to that effect.

But the Pinoy crowd is not forgiving Hatton's braggadocio.  Gusto lang pala niyang matulog, sa ring pa niya ginawa. Sana kumuha na lang siya ng kama.

I left the SM Cinema brimming with pride.  Yes, Manny pacquiao won again and the Philippines is on high.  I was on high too despite losing my hard earned P550 in two rounds.  For this, i blame Rod. And I thank him too!!