Ten reasons for Pacquiao’s defeat

Are We There Yet?
By Bong Austero 
Manila Standard Today

The unthinkable happened last Sunday when Manny Pacquiao got knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez on the sixth round of their fourth match. I know quite a number of people who are still shaking their heads and walking around in a stupor still unable to accept that yes, the Filipino champ went down in ignominy last Sunday. As can be expected, all kinds of speculative drivel started flying around in an effort to explain why it happened. Take your pick.

1. The Luck Factor. Pacquiao got knocked out simply because he got careless. He wanted to end the match in that crucial round through a knockout. He was going for the kill. Too bad his last-minute strategy backfired when Marquez saw the opening he was looking for and therefore let loose that powerful punch that sent Pacquiao crashing into the mat.

2. The Performance Enhancing Drug Factor. Pacquiao lost because Marquez had the physical advantage this time around courtesy of performance enhancing drugs. Of course the camp of Marquez has denied this allegation even before the two champs got up on the ring but there are those who insist that there is some truth to this claim. Both boxers got tested for drugs but as the handlers of Floyd Mayweather (who has continued to accuse Pacquiao of taking performance enhancing drugs) insist, there are many ways to get around the issue of drug testing.

3. The Mafia Factor. Pacquiao lost because the mafia wanted to have a Pacquiao-Marquez 5, 6 and 7. Why did it have to be Pacquiao who needed to be knocked out? Because Pacquiao is the more popular of the two boxers. If Marquez were knocked out, that would have been the end of it. Now we’re assured of Pacquiao-Marquez 5, 6, up to 10.

4. The Religion Factor. Pacquiao lost because he converted from being a Roman Catholic to being a born-again Christian. He gave up his devotion to the Virgin Mother, renounced the rosary, and stopped believing in the religious icons that used to be the source of comfort and inspiration in his past fights.

5. The Diligence Factor. The Pacquiao lost because he has clearly lost his focus in boxing. He just has too many things on his plate—being congressman who is up for re-election, the campaign of his wife for Vice Governor, his duties as pastor of his new religious group, his many other obligations and responsibilities. According to rumors, Pacquiao only thinks about boxing a few months prior to a fight when he starts training. On the other hand, Marquez has spent every minute of his waking hours since their last fight training for this particular match.

6. The Motivation Factor. Pacquiao lost because he didn’t have as much motivation as Marquez. Marquez won their third match on dubious grounds; in fact, a separate commission declared erroneous the judges decision declaring Marquez as the winner of that bout. Marquez just had so much more to lose than Pacquiao in this particular round.

7. The Humility Factor. Pacquiao lost because he needed a lesson on humility. He needed to be reminded about the more important things in life. There have been reports about how Pacquiao has started to believe all that propaganda about his invincibility, about how he is the greatest boxer of all time. He had to lose because he needed to be reminded that fame is fleeting, that greatness has an expiration date, and that material wealth cannot buy everything.

8. The Wheel-of-fate Factor. Pacquiao lost because that’s the way things go in this world—there are no lifetime guarantees. As the boxing experts of the New York Times wrote, all champs get knocked out. He lost simply because no matter how talented one is, regardless of how much preparation one pours into a game, there are just too many variables that need to be taken into account. There just comes a time when one’s number is up, when someone better comes along, or when somebody with better luck shows up. That’s just the way it is.

9. The Physiological Factor. Pacquiao lost because he needed to stop boxing already. It was his body’s way of saying that it was time to quit while physical damage has not manifested yet. There’s a limit to how much physical punishment the human body can take and Pacquiao’s body has already taken too much; too bad it sent the sign at a most crucial time (it probably already did many times but Pacquiao ignored the signs).

10. The Give-others-a-chance Factor. Pacquiao lost because Filipinos who have become spoiled by Pacquiao’s victories needed to be taught a powerful lesson. There are more important things in this country to worry about. We cannot make one man the sole source of our national pride. It’s time to also focus on other Filipinos who can make us just as proud.