Can Pacquiao rise again?

By Boxing News - 11/21/2013 - Comments

pac7169By Mark Havey: A day of reckoning awaits Congressman Manny Pacquiao. Saturday night we will see the former pound 4 pound king face off against Brandon Rios. The fight is a dream for the fans who like to witness a display of courage, heart and endurance.

Pacquiao has already had a career than far exceeds what anyone expected. A poor kid from the Philippines grew up to bring national pride and hope to a nation that needed it. He won title after title, resulting in him becoming the only 8 weight world champion ever. Soon he was universally hailed as pound 4 pound the greatest boxer on the planet. But all of that came to an end. Some blame it on age, others say it was due to his increasing focus on politics, some say he hasn’t faded at all.

I find it offensive when people say Pacquiao has lost two in a row. If you have knowledge of boxing you wouldn’t say that. We didn’t see Pacquiao lose to Timothy Bradley. What we saw was Pacquiao roll back the clocks and dominate and young and talented champion, only to be robbed. Soon it was Marquez standing opposite Pacquiao. it was their 4th fight and both planned on ending the rivalry. After 6 rounds Pacquiao was laying face down on the canvas with some fearing that he would never get back up.

In the mind of Manny Pacquiao, he has a lot to prove. He wants to show that he still has the fire burning inside him. He wants to get back to winning ways. But it goes much deeper than that. The Philippines has been hit by so many natural disasters this year. The recent one is now known as the biggest storm in history. Lives have been lost and homes destroyed. Manny Pacquiao wants to give his people a reason to smile again.

He has one obstacle standing in his way, Brandon Rios. Rios is no joke and openly admits that “being hit is better than sex”. He want the career that Pacquiao has had. The media tour was his biggest by far and he isn’t ready to give that up yet.

Both men a polar opposites. Pacquiao is a pious man that has made a habit of helping as many people as possible. His voice is quiet and his body language unimposing. Rios is loud and uses what some would call offensive language. He is a practical joker that believes than hard work is the only thing that can win titles. However, both men want to win real bad.

Both are aggressive and both like to come forward. Both take a good shot and both can hit hard. It is shaping up to a great fight. I can’t see the fight going 12 rounds. There is a doubt in the mind of the fans in regards to Manny Pacquiao. no one can be sure how his recent defeat has affected him. it could have inspired the man that was once feared by all, or it could have made him gun shy. Personally I think that Manny Pacquiao will stop Brandon Rios in the 9th round. Rios has never felt that kind of power. He has never been in a fight this big. Pacquiao has lost before and he has risen again. I think he can do the same again Saturday.



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