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Pacquiao's epic journey worth sharing

After Manny Pacquiao suffered a crushing sixth round knockout at the hands of Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez on December 8, 2012 most boxing writers and columnists suggested he would never recover from the loss and that it signaled the end of his career.
 
But like we said then, even before his comeback fight against former world lightweight champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios on November 24, 2013 in Macau after an eleven  month layoff, it was far too soon to write off the fighting pride of the Philippines who has, on several occasions in his storied career,  overcome adversity both inside and outside the ring.
 
Pacquiao proved his indomitable courage when he gave Rios a clinical beating to win the WBO International  welterweight title which promptly saw the WBO as well as the World Boxing Council recognize his performance and install him as the numer one contender.


 
Pacquiao, in an exclusive interview Yahoo Philippines as he went through the relentless training grind for the much awaited rematch with undefeated WBO welterweight champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley, confidently predicted “my time is not yet done.”
 
No truer words were ever spoken.
 
Last Sunday, Pacquiao put on a magnificent display of boxing skills to win a resounding twelve round decision over Bradley and regained his WBO world welterweight title which he lost in an unmitigated robbery in June 2012 when judges Cynthia Ross and Duane Ford scored the fight for the American 115-113 and enabled him to win a universally condemned split decision.
 
Pacquiao, ever the gentleman, didn’t assail the judges or rant and rave about the decision, humbly accepting that boxing is a sport where you win some and lose some.

ALSO READ: Appreciating the new version of Manny Pacquiao
 
Obviously peeved at the statements of Bradley and his trainer Joel Diaz that he no longer had the killer instinct and the power and that his career was on the brink of the beginning of the end, Pacquiao merely said he would show them on fight night how terribly wrong they were.
 
Except for momentary concern when Bradley caught him with a perfectly-timed right in round four that jolted Pacquiao and scared the hell out of his supporters who recalled in their minds a similar moment in the Marquez fight, Pacquiao took charge from the middle rounds and had Bradley reeling from his flurries when he caught the champion on the ropes but the superb conditioning of Bradley saved him from a knockout.


 
To Pacquiao himself the victory signaled the reality that the journey continues. And why not?
 
His first trainer who led him to capture the WBC flyweight crown, Pacquiao’s first in a rampage through eight weight divisions, Rick Stahaley conceded  in a conversation with Yahoo Philippines  that while Pacquiao “looked pretty good, he is not the Manny of three or four years ago. He’s a little bit slower, his feet a little bit slower but when you consider he is 35 he had a pretty good performance.”
 
He said he noticed something wrong with Bradley in the 6th round (which supported the claim that he had hurt his calf early in the fight) but added “by that time Manny was in total control and took over with his intelligent boxing, moving in and out.”
 
Stahaley pointed out that Pacquiao “was boxing him when he wanted to, moved away when he wanted to and when Bradley tried to bait him he was a little bit cautious. Manny picked his spots. I thought he fought a really smart fight and proved he does have the ability to box. I always thought he did.”

ALSO READ: Bradley's one-punch homerun bid a mistake says Roach
 
The trainer recalled that he took Pacquiao to Baguio City “years ago when he was OPBF flyweight champion and watched him outbox Gerry Penalosa when Gerry was world champion  at super flyweight. He showed the total game.”
 
Stahaley went on, “He showed he can box like he did with Rios except with a guy that’s faster and has more skills. It’s a lot easier to box Rios when Rios stands in there with a high guard position and he’s slow and very  one dimensional. It’s a lot harder to do against someone like Bradley who can actually box.”

Referring to Pacquiao’s performance over the past couple of years when his last stoppage was a 12th round TKO over Miguel Cotto in November 2009, Stahaley explained “He’s fighting bigger guys and if you watched the Antonio Margarito fight he out boxed him.  In and out, used his speed. Freddie Roach will always tell you that his  biggest asset is his speed. Remember a few years ago when they hired strength and conditioning coach  Alex Ariza, Roach told Alex ‘whatever you do don’t mess with his speed. Its nice to have power and that’s really important. He’s going to be the smaller guy because he’s moved up so many weight classes when he fought de la hoya he was too  fast for him. Oscar couldn’t get off. The hand-speed,  punches in bunches. Manny has kind of fought  like this for the past few years.”

The announcers are saying Manny’s boxing skills are underrated. Before they always said  he had no defense. Sparring partner Lydell Rhodes said he was shocked about Manny’s timing. He said ‘I have a very fast jab but Manny times it really nice, he parries it and comes back with his counters. We can see for ourselves that he has evolved into a complete package.”

Stahaley said he expected it to go 12 rounds and added “As long as Manny is successful he’s going to continue over the next couple of years  and I think he can. If Manny continues to do what he does I say keep fighting.”

ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer lauded Pacquiao for what he described as “an impressive victory.”

Aldeguer who handles reigning WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes and a number of promising young, world championship caliber  fighters said Pacquiao “deserves credit for how he’s comeback” with two masterful performances against Rios and Bradley

Aldeguer was impressed “with Manny’s amazing transition from fighter to boxer” as demonstrated in his recent fights although he concedes that Pacquiao “appears to have slowed down a bit.”

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Michael’s father, the esteemed boxing patron Tony Aldeguer told us Pacquiao’s performance against Bradley was “unbelievable. He fought a very intelligent, mature fight” although he too conceded that Pacquiao had “slowed down a little and this has affected his power.”

A little bit slower of hand and foot and a little less menacing in terms of power, the journey will continue as long as Manny Pacquiao continues to display the skill of a boxer and someone who enjoys fighting to bring joy and happiness to millions of his countrymen and remain a beacon of hope in the continuing struggle to overcome the odds.

It’s a journey worth sharing.