When president Jose Sulaiman of the World Boxing Council grows old enough, he would do well to enroll in the Manny Pacquiao School of Noble Moves.
Better yet, Sulaiman, 77, should take along with him promoter Don King to school.
Look, it took the United States of America countless years and a total of 43 presidents before settling for a black head of state who could finally usher in great changes which that beleaguered world power needs.
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Unfortunately for the WBC, a change in leadership is not within sight.
Sulaiman, recently reelected to another term, has obviously decided to rule the premier boxing association for life.
There?s also the appalling likelihood that his son, Mauricio, a regular fixture in major WBC affairs, would take over from the over-staying Sulaiman.
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No, Sulaiman has not exactly become a nuisance after ruling the world boxing body starting in 1975.
He used to do noble deeds himself long, long time ago.
However, his actuations, mainly at the last WBC Convention in Chengdu, China pointed to one dismal development.
Sulaiman has long surpassed the level of his uselessness.
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For samplers, Sulaiman allowed his friend Don King to put up a hideous promotion which they tried to foist as a classy professional card to their gullible hosts.
The card, capped by the silly sight of an over-the-hill Marco Antonio Barrera pawing to early submission a sudsy, worthless sparmate, was an insult to the intelligence of the Chinese, who have always strived for excellence in sports.
The forgettable show was a melamine agent that could poison and kill professional boxing before it could take off in China.
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King and Sulaiman may never realize it, but they have also sponsored the upsurge of prizefight mediocrity in the world?s most populous nation.
Again, this is not to say that nobility should define all the actuations of a man with Sulaiman?s stature.
But when he slurred Pacquiao?and the Filipino nation as a whole?by branding Pacquiao a cheat, before threatening to strip the national sports treasure of his world lightweight title, Sulaiman definitely stepped out of bounds.
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Pacquiao could?ve readily ranted and dropped his crown outright.
It was the wise and convenient thing to do.
Instead, Pacquiao played his cards decently and told the frantic WBC chieftain he was keeping his lines open for a possible dialogue.
Well, as it would turn out, Pacquiao was not at fault, and the overdue liabilities Sulaiman had told the world from the China confab were either fiction or without basis.
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Now, this is not to say Sulaiman should hence look up to Pacquiao on how to conduct himself in public.
In fact, Pacquiao has had some silly slips of his own in the past.
But it?s also about time Sulaiman got reminded of one unforgettable moral move by Pacquiao which should have merited a lifetime of trust and confidence from the WBC.
Let?s share with Señor Sulaiman this brief playback of that dramatic ending to Pacquiao?s title fight against Mexican David Diaz last June:
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Instead of doing the usual, instead of thumping his breast, instead of bursting into a triumphant yell, Pacquiao readily turned to his fallen foe.
Pacquiao reached out for Diaz?s arms and tried to pull him back.
The celebration could wait.
He suddenly saw in the opponent a brother in utter distress and, like a passing Samaritan, Pacquiao offered to help Diaz off a deathly cliff.
That he did it before claiming triumph as cameras rolled and the whole world watched was indeed incredible.
Pacquiao may have not realized it but, after making his countrymen very proud with his conquest of a fourth world crown, he next handed the Pinoy a rare gift.
The native nobility Pacquiao displayed in that moment of moments helped immeasurably in telling the world that the Filipino, cheated, cursed, corrupted, is brave, strong, and, last but not the least, worthy of applause and respect.
