Everything changed for Manny Pacquiao after that hard-fought, grueling decision over Juan Manuel Marquez on the eve of November 12.
Heading into the match, Pacquiao was on top of the world. Everyone -- fans, pundits, odds makers -- had the Filipino champion as the undeniable favorite going in, and the topic of debate was when not if he would ultimately be able to knock Marquez out. Already, the discussions centered more around who he would fight next than the fight actually in front of him. And, most importantly, on the heels of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s controversial win over Victor Ortiz, the onus was on Pacquiao to provide a little stability with a victory that would undeniably, unequivocally be seen as a victory.
We got none of that.
Pacquiao didn’t even come close to knocking Marquez out. All of the talk about his future opponents proved to be premature, because Marquez made a very legitimate case for himself as being worthy of a fourth bout against the No. 1 pound-for-pounder in the world. And, most importantly, the end result of that match was just as, if not moreso controversial than Mayweather’s sucker punch win against Ortiz.
In the aftermath, Pacquiao took a big PR hit. Immediately following the decision was announced in his favor, angry fans threw various objects at the ring. In the days after that, boxing writers and commentators dumped all over the Filipino champion and his legacy in their own special way – with their words.
Fans were also angry, but it was difficult to really tell if it was Pacquiao fans that were angry because their guy underwhelmed, or Marquez fans who felt as though their guy got robbed by incompetent judging.
Now we have our answer.
According to the Philippine Star, Pacquiao will return home on Sunday without any of the usual fanfare or excitement that typically reign supreme after one of his wins. Rather, this time around, the champ is quietly flying back from Los Angeles with plans of heading straight to the Midas Hotel in Pasay City where he will reside for a few days.
That’s not to say that the hotel he’s staying at won’t have a few special bells and whistles for their biggest celebrity, but it won’t be anywhere near the breadth of the usual celebrations. None of the parades, none of the screaming fans – none of the usual theatrics.
The question becomes: is this the fallout?
Did one unconvincing victory suddenly take all of the life out of a fanbase as enthusiastic as the one that once belonged to Pacquiao? It’s hard to say at this point, but the early indicators don’t look good.
Of course, sports fans are a fickle bunch. They love you, then they hate you, then they love you again.
If Pacquiao were to agree to a highly-desired showdown against Mayweather, his fans would undoubtedly flock back to him in droves.
Until that happens, though – the Filipino champion might need some time to get used a very noticeable decrease in love from the most ardent group of boxing supporters in the land.
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I don't resent Manny at all.
I DO however resent the daily posts about him that clutter up this place. Either you're a piad shill for the guy or you have some sort of romantic infatuaion with him. Either way, KNOCK IT OFF! No one cares about Manny P.
Alex, my answer to your question is a resounding NO, we do NOT resent Manny Pacquiao, and I'll tell you why.
First, I'm one of those who took a second (no third) look with my recording of the fight and came to the conclusion that Pacquiao indeed WON the fight 7-5. And a closer look at Marquez's face (especially the areas around both eyes) after the fight told me Pacquiao's punches --- which were like a blur to the naked eye --- landed pretty solidly on Marquez. But the punches were delivered so fast that a lot of people (plus the loud cheers from Mexican fans for their underdog fighter) missed seeing them.. Granted Pacquaio didn't win convincingly as expected (which was another reason for the what many considered a "disappointing" win), but this so-called "unconvincing win" should not diminish his stature as an all-time great. Muhamad Ali lost to and won against Ken Norton by the slimmest of margins, yet his performance against Norton didn't take anything away from his greatness.. Bottom line: we look forward to Manny's next fight, whoever his opponenet may be, and fans like me will shell out the PPV bucks to watch one of the greatest fighters of all time..
@ FlipOne, you totally took the words right out of my mouth, and my taking a second look, analyzing the fight and trying to be fair as a boxing fan, I give my score 115-113 Manny Pacquaio. I give alot of credit with his performance to Mumble "I mean Manuel" Marquez and his name changing conditioner it is what it is..Mayweather vs. Ortiz, Pacquiao vs. Marquez, Hopkins vs. Dawson as far as rematch goes.
There Can Be Only One.