Guest Commentary
Much has already been said and written (this writer and countless Bodog sports fans included) about the direction the fighting pride of the Philippines, congressman-elect Manny ‘PacMan’ Pacquiao’s career and legacy in boxing will take after his signature sealed the contract on his upcoming non-title welterweight fight with the younger, heftier and hungrier former WBA lightweight champion Brandon ‘Bam-Bam’ Rios (31-1-1) this coming November 23 at The Venetian Macao Resort & Hotel in Macau.
Fight fans, the media and avid followers of the ‘sweet science’ of the sport of boxing are eagerly awaiting tosee whether Pacquiao returns to his aggressive, fists blazing, take-no-prisoners style of fighting which endeared him to millions of people around the world or if the former 8 division world champion and the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world is but now a faint shadow of his former self. Fight fans who love Macau’s charms as a top leisure and entertainment destination and who don’t mind putting money on their favored bet to win in the Bodog sportsbook, this could very well likely be your chance to either witness the resurgence of a former pound for pound king as he returns triumphantly atop the boxing ring or the swan song of one of the greatest fighters to ever grace the ring as he hangs up his boxing gloves for good as he sadly realizes that his era and time has already come and gone.
Let’s face it, Manny (54-5-2) needs to win this fight, more so than Brandon Rios (31wins-1loss-1draw) who’s coming off an action-packed 12 round unanimous decision loss to Mike Alvarado in a rematch of their 2012 fight where Rios stopped Alvarado in the 7th round in the bout that was hailed by Sports Illustrated as the 2012 Fight of the Year.
Pacquiao, coming off consecutive losses for the first time in his career- losing his WBO welterweight championship belt in a controversial unanimous decision loss against Timothy Bradley and getting a shocking sixth round KO loss to Mexican archrival Juan Manuel Marquez last December 8 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, definitely has to win at all costs and he has to do it in such a convincing fashion so as to erase all doubts that Manny Pacquiao is still one of the best boxers we have today and that he is still relevant in the world of boxing. He needs to prove that he belongs in the upper echelon of great fighters and that he still has what it takes to be included among the world’s top pound-for-pound fighters.
Add to the fact that Manny isn’t getting any younger (he’s already a retirable boxer at age 34) and is probably only one or two fights away from completely hanging up his gloves for good and focusing more on politics, especially if the blockbuster megafight with Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather doesn’t materialize anytime soon. He has to choose between boxing or his duties in politics. As the old adage goes, ‘no man can serve two masters’ and if he is truly serious in his bid to again become the best in the world, you need 100% effort and fulltime commitment! A slight lapse in judgement can prove deadly as shown in his brutal knockout loss to JMM, and can badly damage a fighter’s psyche and tarnish his legacy (remember Ricky ‘the Hitman Hatton?).
One of the top online gambling sites, Bodog88.com, actually had odds greatly favoring a Pacquiao win over Marquez in their 4th meeting atop the boxing ring. With only a second left in the sixth round and with Pacquiao sensing that JMM was not going to last long and was already quickly moving in for the kill, only for Marquez to counter Pacquiao’s vaunted double jab and land a ducking right cross of his own which tagged Pacquaio flush on the face and sent him falling face-first to the canvass, unconscious, and earning Marquez a sensational 6th round KO victory over his erstwhile nemesis.
Heavy bettors and people who enjoy online sports gambling from all over the world including those enjoying the immersive games at Bodog Malaysia or Singapore were probably staring in stunned disbelief when the result of the fight was announced on their screens, incredulous that Pacquaio suffered a loss, more so that this came in the form of a devastating knockout when he was the clearly the odds-on favorite to repeat against Marquez in the fourth installment of their rivalry. Sure, a win by Marquez was always a possibility, given that their 3 previous bouts were closely contested, hard-fought battles, but to do so in such a fashion was a scenario boxing fans, sports scribes and pundits except die-hard Marquez fans probably ever envisioned happening.
Brandon ‘Bam-Bam’ Rios, meanwhile, is in for the biggest payday of his career against Pacquiao. He is set to receive 3 million dollars guaranteed for their November 23 fight in Macau, the highest ever in his professional career. Rios, like Pacquiao, is also coming off a unanimous decision loss against fellow light welterweight prospect Mike Alvarado(34-1) last March 30, in a highly anticipated rematch of their 2012 Fight of the Year tussle where Rios scored a KO victory in the 7th round although he was behind in the judges scorecards. This is Rios’ chance at stardom and move from being just a good fighter to becoming a great one. Bodog sports betting fans are eagerly waiting to see how the rugged, brawling style and power of Rios matches up with Pacquiao’s vaunted handspeed, footwork and knockout power in both fists.
Styles, they say, makes fights and this is definitely one of the better ones style-wise, it reminds me of the Pacquiao-David Diaz and Ricky Hatton fights. Both are aggressive, offensive-minded fighters who both love coming forward and trading blows right from the get-go. Boxing experts and analysts have predicted the fight to end in a stoppage, although there are rumors circulating that Top Rank boss Bob Arum has lined up Rios, a fighter with a great record, a crowd-pleasing fighting style yet with a suspect defense and atrocious footwork as someone Pacquiao can easily beat in convincing fashion, and with this win announce to the world that yes, Manny Pacquiao is definitely back! They point out that both fighters are under Top Rank management and that that whoever wins this bout, Arum still comes out the winner in the end.
Those of us who enjoy betting at the Bodog casino regarding the outcome of this fight will certainly be in for an interesting proposition indeed. Will Brandon Rios take advantage of this opportunity to announce his arrival as an elite fighter and pin a third consecutive loss on the Pac Man? Or will Pacquiao rise from adversity and re-establish his legacy as the best of a generation, redeeming himself in the process. We will see how this all plays out come November 23 in Macau.
