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97 million Pinoys have Manny Pacquiao's back, fuel his passion
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It takes a brilliant jockey to properly "ride" a thooughbred like Pacquiao and Roach boots him home
MICHAEL MARLEY REPORTING LIVE FROM FIGHT CENTRAL, MGM GRAND, LAS VEGAS
OVERRATED AND UNDERRATED FACTS, FACTORS, ITEMS RE COTTO VS. PACQUIAO
1. DISSENSION IN PAC CAMP: I am one of those guilty of overstatement here. Michael Koncz is no jolly elf like tubby Brian Perez is in the Cotto camp but do not forget that Coach Roach, Koncz and all the rest work for Boss Manny. This was “juiced up” for HBO 24.7 angles. OVERRATED.
2. COTTO BEING CONVERTED SOUTHPAW: Factual but if Miguel was such a good lefthanded boxer why did they convert him to the righthanded stance? A generation ago nearly all lefties not drowned at birth were switched over but you can see the plethora of lefties all over the boxing map now. Really a zero factor in this bout. OVERRATED.
MICHAEL MARLEY'S FIREPOWER FIGHT WEEK LINKS:
Oscar De La Hoya diagnosed: he has Pinoy Envy as to Pacquiao
Pacman stays humble: Thank God for fame, wealth, everything
Eric Estrada backs fellow Boricua Cotto but what of 'Filaricans?'
Hospitable Bob: Arum welcomes Mayweather, Mosley to Media Center
4. SEVEN TITLES IN SEVEN WEIGHT CLASSES: An achievement no doubt but we oldtimers recall the classic weight divisions, eight of them, when boxing had only eight world champions. I remember being able to reel off names of all of them from fylweight Pone Kingpetch of Thailand to heavyweight Charles “Sonny” Liston, the dreaded Big Ugly Bear. OVERRATED.
5. 97 MILLION PINOYS RIDING PACMAN’S BACK: I don’t think too much emphasis is placed on this factor that is rocket fuel for Pacman. It’s what inspires him to hit the pads for 18 rounds instead of eight. Manny fights for money, yes, but also for a cause, for his countrymen. It’s what makes him train like a madman. Just this morning, the nice Filipina in the newsstand at the Palms Casino told me about MP, "Such a nice boy, so humble, so giving. He makes us all proud!" No doubt, Manny's got it like that! Having said that, Cotto is fine tuned as well. And Floyd Mayweather Jr. may train more diligently and obsessively than both Manny and Miguel. But Pacman thrives on carrying all the Pinoys on his broad back. UNDERRATED.
6. BONUS POINT: COURT JESTER BRIAN PEREZ: During the tedious training camps having a jokester around is a great tension reliever for a fighter. So Cotto has rotund Brian Perez around to keep him loosey goosey. He’s a Boricua Bundini Brown, I suppose. That is a plus. On the other hand, Pacman often laughs at himself. And maybe the Koncz tension, all the infighting, also amuses Megamanny.
UNDERRATED.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO FLOYD MAYWEATHER'S PREDICTION
Listen to Indy Boxing Examiner Dennis Guillermo's Pick!
Listen to Eddie Goldman talk about the X-Factors in Cotto-Pacquiao!
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
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