JGL Eye

By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA

C HICAGO, Illinois (JGLi) – As Manny Pacquiao prepares for his upcoming bout with Puerto Rican boxing champion Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, it cannot be denied that Mr. Pacquiao is threading into the depths of boxing pantheon where no other boxer before him had ever gone before.

The Filipino boxing superstar will be collecting his seventh title when he goes up in weight to wrest the World Boxing Organization welterweight championship from Mr. Cotto, the voluble pride of Puerto Rico.

If he wins this one, Mr. Pacquiao can supplant the popularity of another Asian-American superstar – the late legendary actor and martial-arts expert Bruce Lee, who has a monument in the Eastern European city of Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina erected in 2005.

I don’t know where the monument of Mr. Pacquiao will rise outside the Philippines. But I am sure another distant land is in line to claim affinity with Pacquiao’s heroism like the kung-fu hero, whose monument was built as “a common denominator for the Croats and Bosnians that populate the ethnically-divided city of Mostar.”

PACQUAO MONUMENT OUTSIDE RP

In the Philippines, every time, Mr. Pacquiao is in the ring, Filipinos, including warring Muslims, New Peoples Army and other rebels, petty thieves, etc., are at a stand still, holding their bated breath and are at peace with each other just to watch how he is going to fare.

Aside from his junior welterweight crown, and other world titles in lightweight, super featherweight, junior featherweight, featherweight and flyweight, Manny will be adding WBO’s welterweight championship to his improbable collection.

In deference to our Muslim and Jewish brothers, if I may add, if Manny wins the seventh title, it is like reaching the Seventh Heaven, which according to a posting on the Internet is “ultimate happiness. It is Muhammad Seventh Heaven that is ‘beyond the power of description. There, each inhabitant is bigger than the whole earth and has 70,000 tongues that speak 70,000 languages. All forever chanting the praises of Allah.

“In the Islamic concept of heaven, which also prevailed among the Jews, one goes after death to the heaven he has earned on Earth, and the Seventh Heaven, ruled by Abraham, is the ultimate one, a region of pure light lying above the other six, the heaven of heavens.”

I really don’t want for Manny to go the Seventh Heaven yet because he is still alive. I just want him to be the symbol of unity among warring factions in the Philippines.

LOSING WILL NOT BE BAD FOR MANNY EITHER

If he can do it, it will not be bad for a once-jobless and now a long-distance student, who is trying to earn a college degree while struggling to find a place in boxing history.

If he beats Cotto, perhaps, Manny can ponder on his retirement. And he can focus on the things that he always wanted but failed to do: win in politics.

If he loses to Cotto to a controversial decision, Manny can always ask for a rematch.

But if he loses big, as in knockout, then, it is time for him to call it quits. The money that he has so far earned for himself should be able to set himself and his family for life.

He can always focus in his own quest for the Holy Grail – his fixation to be a successful politician. This, he can easily do, if he is able to gather the best spin meisters around that he can hire and well afford to pay.

With his popularity, his wealth, his movies, his recordings, his endorsements, the works, everything is possible for Manny if he knows how to play his cards well. After all, not all lotto winners are successful in keeping their riches, being philanthropic, being humble and yet enjoying every minute and every penny of their riches.

For now, let’s hold our breath and relax and wait for Manny’s date with destiny.

As the saying goes, it is not always winning or losing that should factor into a game. It’s how Manny will let his fists, his foot work and how well he ducks that will speak for his abilities.

Because I have a bad history in making predictions, I can only say, may the best man win!

But if someone from Puerto Rico will place a bet, my bet is for Manny to win by a knockout in seventh round. (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)

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