MASTER BLASTER
Neil Bravo
I took a shot of Tequila on Saturday night, the night before Manny Pacquiao fought Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time.
The crystal clear liquid left a burning feeling on its way down my throat. And then I kind of turned cocky.
There’s something strange about Tequila than most alcohol. In my case, I could gulp down Scotch or sip brandy and still feel good. But Tequila has a way of getting me off my senses. Even with the slightest drip.
I took a drink to see how I can stand against Tequila for another time. I have not made a good man out of me when drinking Tequila, so I thought I’d give it another shot.
It’s been some time since I last wrote a piece for this space. I thought it would take longer but some friends kept egging on what I have to say about the much-talked about Pacman-Marquez III fight.
This was one fight I got the privilege of being interviewed before, during and after—I was asked for my forecast two days before fight night on GMA Radio and TV, did the commentary on One Radio FM and was again asked by Jun Digamon of GMA Radio in a post-fight interview.
Just about everyone has said his piece on this fight. From known boxing experts to the day-after geniuses. Will the debate ever stop on whether or not the Pacman won this fight? Maybe not too soon.
The simple question? Did Manny win that fight?
The answers are kilometric. Oftentimes unresponsive and straying elsewhere and drifting on conditional clauses before banging it in. It’s just a yes or no.
My answer is a clear yes. It’s a win for Manny. But did I like it? No, I don’t.
Just put it away like that.
I did not like it because I had wanted Manny to destroy Marquez completely. I think that was what every Pacquiao rooter wanted—a convincing, destructive, and explosive win by Manny to once and for all silence this boisterous Mexican hombre.
An explosive fight is just as original a trademark for Manny Pacquiao in the same manner an effective counterpunching is a Marquez trademark. And trademarks are here to last. Just like Tequila. For all there is to it, Tequila will still be the same Tequila whether there’s an agave plant worm or not. Whether it’s 80 proof or 110 proof. Diluted with water or undiluted.
On a night like that, my bout with Tequila ended the way it was in previous times. The same shot of Tequila was still the same Tequila. Same cockiness. Same fire.
That was the same Marquez we saw. Cocky and dangerous. Yet despite all that sting and burning fire within, Marquez is as cold and passive as Tequila. It’s not your most preferred type of drink but if you want to get drunk, try it.
So when we got bored with Manny disposing off lumbering giants and old warriors like Clottey, Margarito and Moseley, we were kind of asking for a cocky drink. Mosely was like old wine, Clottey was cerveza negra and Margarito much more like Margarita. And so we asked for Tequila.
At age 38, Marquez was supposed to be a diluted Tequila at 80 proof. No longer the dangerous 110 proof version he was once before. But Marquez came to the fight like a brand new, distilled Tequila straight out of the Mexican highlands of Jalisco. He brandished the old sting that lulled many to submission.
By the time Manny felt the zing of Marquez, he was out of his balance and was not the same Manny he used to be. Good thing is Manny understands that boxing is addition and not subtraction. You add more punches, the more chances of winning. It no longer counts who made the better hits. Remember, there is no three-point shot in boxing. So all you need is to pile up the points. Throw more punches. Become the aggressor. Nobody wins a fight by running away or backing off.
Manny did not hit the better shots. Marquez hit the better shots. But Manny hit more and Marquez fewer. Manny went buckets after buckets of ice cold beer. Marquez settled with a shot glass of Tequila each time.
Boxing is a job. The more you work, the more you produce. The more you produce the more you earn. Manny was harder at work. Juan Manuel waited to be served before he does his work.
So would you like to have another serving of Pacman-Marquez?
Naah.
Too much of Tequila. Let’s try Floyd. Smoothie this time.
