Pacman solid pick after five ‘knockdowns’
I WOKE up yesterday, said my morning prayers, before picking the paper and, turning to the sports page, learned what I had been fearing all the while about one rising Filipino fighter.
Drian Francisco, hero to many in both Batangas and Mindoro, lost in the first defense of his world interim super flyweight boxing title in Thailand.
I had watched Francisco live a couple of times, first at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay and next at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
He was sensational, winning those fights by knockout.
He went to Thailand unbeaten, flashing a terrific 20-0 record.
His handlers said the Thai test would be his last before Francisco goes for the world crown proper.
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Dennis Eroa, Inquirer Libre sports editor, said Francisco got floored late in the third round, managed to put his unbeaten Thai foe in trouble in the eighth, before pouring it all in the concluding rounds.
He received a standing ovation for his courageous stand.
Eroa also said Francisco has vowed to learn from his first defeat and come back.
Obviously, the setback came as a shock to Francisco’s handlers, particularly manager Elmer Anuran.
I was saddened—although not exactly stunned—because it came to a point when Drian, 28, had started to be lined up by excited followers as heir apparent to Manny Pacquiao.
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Hope it’s not yet late, but it was only after last Saturday’s first defeat that Drian’s handlers fully realized the urgent need to refine his skills, mainly in the area of orthodoxy.
He has the big punch and the dramatic exuberance but, like a carefree solo artist, Francisco dances as though marching to a different drummer.
In Pacquiao’s case, he started as a one-dimensional warrior but took time out to polish overall skills.
Francisco has vowed to learn from the defeat before coming back.
As Chairman Mao Zedong loved to put it: Lie down, bleed a little, then rise again.
Drian should be back but only if he agrees to bleed and work harder learning the sharper science and orthodoxy of his chosen sport.
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ESPN put Manny Pacquiao in virtual simulated fights last week, pitting him against four boxing legends, namely Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Robinson, Bernard Hopkins and, last but not the least, Shane Mosley.
This was done with the use of advanced technology.
ESPN, reports philboxing.com, called the project Pacquiao vs Pound-for-Pound Best.
The results were revealing, but it goes without saying that several questions were also left unanswered.
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In the first simulated bout, Pacquiao boxed a 30-year-old Duran at 135 pounds.
Result: They exchanged flurries but Pacquiao stopped Duran after 10 rounds.
In the second bout, Pacquiao fought Robinson at 160 lb.
Result: The taller, bigger Robinson outboxed and stopped Pacquiao.
In the third virtual fight at middleweight, a 30-year-old Hopkins floored Pacquiao a few times, but the Pacman scored more punches in the second half to eke out a draw.
Pacquiao was sensational in the fourth and final simulated bout.
He outboxed Mosley, floored him five times, before easily outclassing Sugar Shane.
In conclusion, ESPN asked: Has technology advanced enough to actually simulate the result of a fight a week ahead of the actual encounter?
Answer: The best Pacquiao’s virtual win did was solidify the real odds in his favor.
