The country is in a state of shock. Thousands are still reeling from a typhoon that ravaged the provinces of Visayas and Mindanao claiming a great number of lives while others are still missing and many more are left in dire situations. To add to this gloominess, an almighty thud came as an exclamation point to the series of events that were unfolding upon us—the image of Manny Pacquiao lying face first on the canvas. He looked lifeless in that snapshot amidst the glitz and glamour of the lights of Las Vegas. It was a further suspension of our disbelief.
Coming in favorably to the fight, Manny was brimming with confidence as the two warriors locked horns in the first canto of his epic fourth fight against Juan Manuel Marquez. The Pacman was an image of athletic supremacy as he swayed around the ring with his trademark agility and speed while Dinamita Marquez looked like a chiseled but relatively slow granite sculpture. Then it happened. A looping right hook from Marquez flipped Pacquiao off his feet. The knockdown seemed absurd. Never in our primetime and pay-per-viewing experience have we seen Pacquiao fall. To be exact, he has not been knocked down in 13 years. This was a preparation to the end that will haunt us forever. But before that, a Pacquiao knockdown in the fifth was a reliever. It brought hope that he will recover and deliver once more like he did the previous two fights of this epic affair between two of the best fighters in the modern era of boxing.
Then, there it was. It was just a sliver of two seconds. Before the bell called off the ensuing warfare in the sixth, Manny was already on the floor. Was this a prank and he was just planking along? Then as Marquez went on raising his hands—it was a clear sign of victory for Marquez as the referee called an end to the fight— but the suspension still went on. Manny thankfully was able to recover and come back to consciousness. But we haven’t.
Maybe we are not used to seeing Manny losing this way. Maybe it was his new found pre-occupations. Was there something wrong with training camp that was not riddled with handfuls of controversies and distractions this time? Was that a lucky punch or a scientifically precise force of nature that exploded from the right hand of Marquez? Is it time to hang up the gloves and rest that body of his that have engaged in countless wars? These questions are open to various answers brought about by speculations of Filipinos and other fans attached to the Pambansang Kamao. But Manny knows, and he should have the answers, definite ones.
Despite the debates about his newfound religion or his juggling of roles primarily as congressman and media personality; Pacquiao remains, first and foremost, a boxer of the highest rank. His ability to unite the nation is still there, and this time, we should rally behind him as we stage a collective parade championing the indefatigable spirit of the Filipino. And this parade does not need to happen in the streets.
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