GENERAL SANTOS City, Philippines—People at Lagao gymnasium were dismayed that their boxing idol, Manny Pacquiao, failed to knock Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez down.
The apparent resignation of the crowd at round 12 was only roused when it was announced that Pacquiao won.
“I waited until the 12th round, but Manny showed vulnerability in his fight. The result was not exciting,” said Edo Manindi.
For Rolando Navarrete, the former boxing king and considered bad boy of Philippine boxing, Pacquaio’s fight with Marquez showed only his weakness.
“Hindi halos gumagalaw ang kamay niya. Parang walang lakas. Kulang siya ng body shots. ’Yon dapat ang ginawa niya in the first three rounds. Wala siya sa kondisyon (His hands were not moving. It appeared they did not have strength. He lacked the body shots. That’s what he should have done in the first three rounds),” Navarrete said.
Most people interviewed by the Philippine Daily Inquirer were one in saying that “it was a boring fight.”
Spectators started heading home as early as the start of the 12th and final round.
Churchill Ortega, a resident of Labangal village in General Santos, told reporters he was expecting a knockout and was quite dismayed when it did not happen during the fight.
Ortega suggested there should be a Pacquiao-Marquez part IV to determine the best boxer between the two.
Jun Rubin, a government employee, blamed the uninspiring outcome of the bout on Marquez.
“Pacquiao was the aggressor. Marquez was just waiting for Manny to come before throwing his punches,” Rubin said.
Jose Jugarap, Jr., in-charge of the security at the gym, estimated the crowd at more than 6,000.
Local officials led by mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio and South Cotabato 1st District Representative Pedro Acharon, Jr. watched the fight via a live fed at the gymnasium.
Custodio said the city, just like in the past, would prepare a hero’s welcome in time for Pacquiao’s homecoming. It’s not yet certain when the eight-time world boxing champ would come home.
Pacquiao’s mother, Dionisia, also known as Mommy D, failed to attend an early-morning Mass Sunday due to health problem.
Liza Pacquiao Onding, eldest among the six Pacquiao siblings, told reporters here that Mommy D was advised by her doctor to take a complete bed rest.
Mommy D refused to entertain media interviews in her mansion where she was holding a prayer in private.
“The doctor advised our mother to avoid stressful activities,” Onding revealed.
But some boxing fans were also surprised by the majority decision win of Pacquiao, saying it should have been scored a draw or a decision for the challenger.
“I was surprised that Pacquiao got the decision. As what I saw on the live telecast, it was Marquez who was hitting Manny in most of the rounds,” said 25-year old Jill Baldonade, who watched with several friends and colleagues at a private office in Tagum City.
Renato Nimes, a habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) driver in his thirties, said he left the live telecast shown courtesy of board member Vincent Floirendo at the village covered court in Magugpo South village, also in Tagum, even as Pacquiao and Marquez were still mixing it up in the seventh round.
“Manny was losing,” he told the Inquirer as he waited for passengers.
In Cotabato City, engineer Rey Trasmonteto, a government employee, said he was not convinced that Pacquiao won the fight.
“We have expected a knockdown as predicted by Freddie Roach; it did not happen, we are a bit frustrated,” said Trasmontero.
“In fact, we expected either a draw or a Marquez victory,” Cotabato City veterinarian Robert Malcontento told the Inquirer.
“But the judges have spoken, it was a majority decision, and Marquez has to abide with that, no ifs no buts,” Malcontento said.
In Iligan City, resident Roger Gonzales described himself as a Pacquiao fan but said Marquez should have won the fight.
“You can see it in his (Pacquiao’s) face that he lost the fight. Marquez was even raising his hands like he won,” Gonzales said.
Pat Noel, an employee of Iligan City’s tourism office, said the judges had basis to come up with such decision, and that “some Filipinos decide based on what they see.”—Aquiles Zonio Frinston L. Lim, Edwin Fernandez, Jeoffrey Maitem, Richel Umel,