WHO said Manny Pacquiao is bound for pastureland ? Think again , fellas . In scoring his 60th victory ( 39 knockouts ) on July 15 over defending world welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse of Argentina , it could only mean one thing : He can still hack it . He isn ’ t finished boxing . He isn ’ t old even he is turning 40 on December 17 .
Definitely , an overjoyed Manny Pacquiao would have been absolutely justified if he had admitted during the post-fight interview that this was his sweetest win in almost a decade
Why , because a loss would have meant virtual retirement for him . At 39 , and to be dealt a second straight defeat after bowing to that Australian unknown Jeff Horn on July 1 , 2017 , it would have signaled the sorry ending to one of the sweetest sagas in world boxing . A loss would have delivered through DHL Express the unmistakable message that there is no more reason for Pacquiao to stay even a minute longer atop the ring .
Thus , literally , the Sunday victory
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— a knockout win no less — gave Pacquiao the impetus to continue fighting as that triumph was an obviously emphatic signal of the coming of his second wind .
The validation came from no less than Pacquiao , when he said minutes after the fight in Kuala Lumpur : “ This win means I am still good for two , even three , more fights .” Or words to that effect .
Suddenly , Pacquiao was Bernard Hopkins , who was still winning at age 50 to include world title fights he had snatched even when he was 45 , 46 , already .
Suddenly , the PAL-flown Pacquiao was Superman . Again .
The win on Sunday was Pacquiao ’ s first knockout triumph since he scored his last stoppage almost 10 years back , when he halted Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto in the 12th round in 2009 .
During that 9-year span , Pacquiao was 9-4 ( win-loss ), a lackluster record marred by that pride-pricking 6th-round knockout loss to arch nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez of
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Mexico in 2012 . Stunningly , if not miraculously ,
Pacquiao , at 39 , is back on top .
But for all the much-ballyhooed beauty of Pacquiao ’ s 7th-round knockout of Matthysse , some questions cry for answers .
One , why was Matthysse a bit slow , lacking in grit and reduced to embracing a fighting style that was in complete contrast to his profile flashed to the world in the run-up to the fight ? Where was his vaunted knockout power in his right ?
Two , why did he kneel in the fifth round , essentially gifting Pacquiao with one precious knockdown to virtually surrender the fight ? Didn ’ t Matthysse succumb already to a knockdown in the third , allowing Pacquiao to nurse an almost insurmountable four-point lead in the 12-round bout ?
And three , Matthysse ’ s “ falling ,” and next kneeling down yet again , a third time in the seventh appeared more of a delayed knockdown than anything . Maybe , referee Kenny Bayless was forced to wave Matthysse out for a TKO loss because the Argentinian seemed to be making a mockery
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of the fight ? Bayless ’ s action in effect saved the dignity of the sport called affectionately as the “ sweet science .”
As the crown holder , Matthysse was brandishing , boasting of , 36 knockouts in 39 wins going into the fight . He owned a right straight touted as strong enough to transform an Argentinian cow into instant corned beef with one blow . But why did we not see even one punch thrown , laudable and recognizable enough to hurt a fly in nearly 21 minutes of the fight ?
Nice quote from you , Matthysse . “ You win some and you lose some .” From Matthysse , heavily-tattooed , you are now Masterpiece .
For losing to Pacquiao and getting paid $ 2 million no less , Evita is now turning in her grave for one soul not crying for Argentina .
After kneeling down three times , Matthysse got up and quickly made a dash to the bank .
Next , he ’ ll get a new tattoo ? Theface of Pacquiao on his chest ?
To be thankful is to be not a fool .
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