Last week’s grab bag of sports included—not featured—Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s fight with and eventual triumph over Andre Berto.
It was easy to get sensory overload because there was plenty of goodies to choose from.
The week saw Novak Djokovic defeat Roger Federer for his second US Open tennis title and 10th major.
The National Football League got off to a rousing start.
Major League baseball continued to march inexorably to its World Series next month.
Before their long season that also begins in October, several NBA stars went to play for their respective countries in the European Fiba Championship.
On the local scene, Gilas Pilipinas ruled the MVP Cup after a second-place finish in the Jones Cup while preparing for the Fiba Asia tournament this month.
Mayweather’s win at MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas was his 49th without a loss.
He has matched former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano’s record at retirement and tied Joe Louis with his 26th world title victory.
He swore quite possibly on a stack of hundred-dollar bills that the fight with the nondescript Berto was his last.
Yeah, right. Natural skeptics can see through the phoniness and are not buying Mayweather’s claim.
Why? Because there would be multimillion-dollar offers on the horizon, what with Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao clamoring for a rematch of that dull $500 million fight of the century, and challengers like Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Miguel Cotto salivating for another shot at the man they call Money.
Besides, the fact that MGM Grand is opening a new 20,000-seat arena in April sweetens the pot because the hotel’s honchos would want Mayweather to headline the inaugural card.
Pacquiao, meantime is weighing his options for 2016.
There’s that possible second fight with Mayweather, and probable blockbusters with the great British bellyacher Amir Khan and a man after the Pacman’s own heart—Argentinian Lucas Matthysse.
To be considered by Pacquiao’s handlers, the all-action Matthysse (37-3-34 knockouts) must first hurdle unbeaten Viktor Postol (27-0-11 K0s) for the vacant WBC light welterweight title bout at StubHub Center in Carson, California, on Oct. 3.
The last thing on Pacquiao’s mind should be to run for senator in 2016, because in a country where personalities, not issues, matter, he would win handily.
What benefit could we reap from his presence in the Senate?
* * *
Ed Picson, executive director of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines reports that London Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga is recovering from hand surgery and getting ready to rejoin the Aiba Pro Boxing league.
Picson said that like lightweight Charly Suarez, light flyweight Barriga has to be in the top two of his weight class in the APB or win at either the Asia-Oceania boxing finals or the Final World Qualifying Tournament next year to punch a ticket to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Overall, we have six boxers in the men’s division and one in the women’s weight classes who will vie for spots in the boxing competition in the 2016 Brazil Games.