CHICAGO (jGLi) – Despite the two successive setbacks by Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, Da Pacman has dismissed them as bumps, not end, of the road.
I don’t blame him if does not see the setbacks as some kind of Biblical handwritings on the wall.
In the book of Daniel Chapter 5, I am sure the Bible-reading Pacman knows all too well or might have known it by now, that from the handwriting on the wall that was witnessed at a banquet hosted by king Belshazzar, those at the feast profaned the sacred vessels pillaged from the Jerusalem Temple, causing a disembodied hand to appear and wrote on the palace wall the words, “Mene, Mene, Tekel, u-Pharsin.” The prophet Daniel was summoned and interpreted this message as the imminent end for the Babylonian kingdom. That night, Belshazzar was killed and the Persians sacked the capital city.
I am not saying that Manny could get killed when he goes up for his fifth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, which I call “High Five.” But by the way the desperation surprise right straight heaved by the falling and beleaguered Marquez on Manny’s chin had put Manny to sleep for a long time, how much more if the punch were unleashed while Marquez was on the offensive footing?
What I am trying to tell Manny is that if he does not make the proper and timely choices now, he may not wake up anymore if he absorbs a more lethal lucky punch from Marquez. He will go the way of King Belshazzar. And he could take down with him Da Pacman kingdom that he mightily struggled to build.
But if Manny really knows the Art of War, which says “know your enemies and know yourself,” then why not consider the double-edged encouragement of his rival Floyd Mayweather if does not want to listen to his Mom Dionisia to hang up his gloves and return to the Catholic fold? Manny’s pastoral advisers reportedly led by the son of actor Nestor de Villa might have already convinced Manny to forget the popular expression, “Mother knows best” as Manny still refuses his mother’s entreaties.
MAYWEATHER’S BACK-STABBING ADVICE
After his epic defeat from the creepy hand of Marquez, Mayweather let out an unsolicited back-stabbing advice: “[D]edicate yourself to your craft. I think he’s got so many different things on the outside that he worries about, you know. But it was a good thing that he was able to come into the sport, you know, piggyback off my name, and get a bunch of endorsement deals and make a good living. That’s a great thing.”
This means that Mayweather is telling Manny to quit his part-time job as a Congressman so he can focus on his full-time job as a boxer if he really wants to beat Marquez. After all, as one Filipino columnist (Neal H. Cruz) said as a Congressman, Manny has not introduced an original legislation.
Perhaps, one bill that Manny can propose is to require Congressional absentees to forfeit their pay unless they are or if a family member are ill.
This means if Manny trains for his fight, he does not get a salary and pork. After all, when he is training, his training will only benefit his personal pocket. If he does not want to forfeit his salary, then, he should give the Philippine treasury a share of his purse as the Philippine government has investment in Manny’s training by way of his salary as a Congressman.
Manny should also stop building political dynasty. What does he need the dynasty for? He should give up politics to young community organizers, who have the administrative training, skills and time to inspire other people. He should just become boxing promoter, himself, and make millions, like Bob Arum, who is due for retirement.
Regarding the “bunch of endorsement deals” that Mayweather says gave Manny a “good living,” this means Manny should be choosy with his endorsements.
DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE
Otherwise, Manny will be appearing as “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.” A friend of mine in Chicago, Marlon L. Pecson, forwarded me a photo of advertisement of Hennessy (dubbed as the world’s No. 1 cognac) in Chicago (see picture attached). (The ad is currently available only in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.) It touts the largest marketing investment of the 247-year-old Hennessy’s “Wild Rabbit” campaign that “provides fans with unique and varied ways to learn from their heroes, share their stories of triumph and draw inspiration from like-minded individuals.”
“Hindi ba “alcohol promoter si Manny sa America (Mr. Hyde) pero Bible preacher sa Pilipinas (Dr. Jekyll)? (Isn’t Manny like an alcohol promoter in America (Mr. Hyde) but Bible preacher in the Philippines (Dr. Jekyll?), Marlon asked me.
Manny might be raking in millions in this endorsement but what about the cirrhosis to the liver that Hennessy drinkers will get? Does Hennessy guarantee healthcare to Hennessy drinkers, who could also contract diseases of the heart, brain, kidneys, and almost every other body organ?
Hasn’t Manny read the Proverb 20:1 KJV: “[A]lcoholic drink is evil. It is not just the amount one drinks that makes drinking a sin. God condemns the drink itself.”
Now as to his choice of his assistants, isn’t it about time that he fire his trainer Freddie Roach, who ordered his Canadian manager Michael Koncz and his fellow Filipino training assistant Buboy Fernandez that award-wining Getty Image photographer Al Bello be “punched, kicked, grabbed and chased” away for trying to take still photos while Manny was lying face down on the mat?
If Roach really wanted to stop anybody from documenting Manny’s knockout, why didn’t he order first the HBO videographer to stop videotaping Manny? When Roach stopped Bello from taking still photographs, it was a bit too late because the HBO videographer already recorded the footages of the fallen champion.
A videographer can always take still photos out of video clips while still photos can also be strung into video clips in this day and age.
So, manhandling Bello to stop him from taking still photos is plain stupidity on the part of Roach, Koncz and Fernandez, whose apologies fell on deaf ears of Getty Image lawyer Lizanne Vaughan.
Under the principle of respondeat superior, an act of the employees Roach, Koncz and Fernandez is an act of the employer, Manny Pacquiao.
We will see how the Nevada Athletic Commission chair Raymond “Skip” Avansino, Jr. and Executive Director Keith Kizer will resolve this sideshow of the Knockout of the Decade.
I just hope the investigation will not end up asking Messrs. Koncz and Fernandez if their immigration visas allow them to work in America; if they pay taxes regularly for their earnings in America; or if they have any criminal record in America. I hope they are both law-abiding residents of America. Merry Christmas! (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)