A BROKEN RIB OR A BRAIN INJURY FOR MANNY PACQUIAO--IF HE GETS CARELESS

Anything can happen.

If Manny Pacquiao gets careless against Ricky Hatton, he could end up getting a broken rib or, worse, a brain injury.

That may be way too extreme, but then again who says boxing is a gentle sport?

Fine, Pacquiao (48 wins, 3 defeats, 36 knockouts, 2 draws) has a much superior skill set compared to Hatton (45 wins, 1 defeat, 32 knockouts) to score the decisive victory that most people (including myself) look forward to, but an upset isn't too remote to happen.

Unlike the ones that Pacquiao has fought in the recent years, Hatton is no faded fighter, is at the prime of his career, is as old (or young) as the Filipino boxing champ, and--as a swarming brawler--is probably more aggressive.

Hatton certainly doesn't belong to the class of warriors that Pacquiao has fought and defeated--Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Oscar De La Hoya--but he does belong to the type of boxers that the latter rarely fights in the ring: half-wrestler, dirty, relentless, granite-chinned, and has Neanderthal-like punch strength.

This could possibly be Pacquiao's hardest fight yet.

On the other hand, my countryman has almost everything that any opponent should worry about.

Stamina-wise, Pacquiao is both a machine and a fitness specimen: he can be relentless up to the final round without signs of fatigue. Hatton--despite his notorious love for beer, oily food, and late-night parties--seems to have no problem with stamina either, but that remains to be seen.

In terms of footwork, the current pound-for-pound king is the hands-down winner. In fact, Pacquiao's best defensive weapon is, in my opinion, his baffling lateral movement. Every time his opponent punches, he's no longer there. This makes parrying and blocking no longer necessary and a waste of movement. Most of his opponents--with the exception of Marquez--could hardly lock on him as target. Hatton is also fast, but--against Pacquiao--he will appear like on slow motion on the television screen, just like David Diaz did.

In the same manner, Pacquiao is a god in the hand speed department. He connects even before his opponents can blink. Hatton may have watched all Pacquiao's fight videos and would've probably said his opponent doesn't move that quick, but I wouldn't be surprised if he'll have a change of opinion once when he's already on the receiving end of the Filipino's furious flurries come fight night.

Okay, Hatton may be the stronger puncher, but Pacquiao is definitely no patsy in the punching power department either. The Filipino champ's knockout record is a testament to this, and Hatton only has just more than a month to find out that the Philippines produces not only the world's best nurses and caregivers but also "warrior-babysitters" like Pacquiao--who sends boxers to sleep.

However, Pacquiao should avoid getting tagged by one of Hatton's power punches as he might not survive a difficult round. If he wobbles from one of the Briton's monster hooks in the middle of a round, it could be the end of Pacquiao's reign and winning streak.

Pacquiao should also avoid Hatton's infamous body shots by not getting trapped on the ropes and/or by getting in and out very quickly before the British boxer could hug him like Hulk Hogan. He should also watch out for some of Hatton's sneaky elbows while in a clinch.

Pacquiao usually has problems against good counterpunchers; and while Hatton is no counterpuncher, he is still and can always be dangerous.

With the identically aggressive styles of these hard-punching fighters, I think that whoever gets cut first will lose the fight. If Pacquiao gets a nasty cut first, half of the battle is won for the hungrier Hatton, who will naturally capitalize on the situation by mercilessly pounding his bloodied opponent all the more.

The intensity that these two boxing superstars bring into the scheduled match makes this impending War of the Worlds or Battle of East and West a potential fight of the year. And let's just hope that nobody really gets a broken rib or a brain injury after all.

The outcome of this fight is and will be very difficult to predict, but--just for discussion's sake--who do you think will win, and why?

MANNY "THE DESTROYER" PACQUIAO RUINS CHURCH WEDDING, UNINTENTIONALLY

I'm a big fan of Manny Pacquiao, and I'm glad and thankful that he remembered Iloilo City during its downest moments by donating P1.5 million from his humongous fight purse (Was it $5 million or $3 million?) to help the Ilonggo flood victims, but I won't be amused or remain nonchalant if ever he'd mess up my own (future) church wedding by turning up there unexpectedly and uninvited--like what he did this morning today at the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral.
 
According to radio reports, the nuptial mass stopped for like half an hour when people (including the couple's relatives and guests) left the pews and--as if forgetting they were in the middle of the holy mass--screamed and cheered for Pacquiao, who, together with his wife, dropped by the church to supposedly hear mass before distributing relief goods to the flood victims.

Despite the disruption of their wedding, the couple was reportedly amused--even flattered--that Pacquiao made their already-memorable day even more unforgettable. (To make it much, much more unforgettable, they might as well name their first-born "Manny" or "Emmanuel" if it's a boy or--God forbid--"Emmanuela" if it's a girl, and invite Pacquiao later to become the kid's godfather or ninong. Manny as ninong could mean lots of money for the kid during birthdays and Christmas.)

Me, I won't be amused or flattered or starstruck. I won't even allow it to happen in the first place--especially now that I realized it's not really impossible to happen (that is, that some big shot would barge into my wedding, steal all my guests' attention, compel the priest to suspend the mass for half an hour, and just ruin all our preparations--unintentionally or otherwise.
 
Weddings are usually planned several months--even years--ahead (unless it's shotgun), and some couples (especially those from well-to-do families) fork out thousands of pesos for professional wedding planners just to ensure that the whole thing will be perfect and also to spare themselves from all the stress brought by the preparations.

I don't think I could afford a professional wedding planner now (unless he/she is a friend who's willing to do it for free), but a celebrity gate-crasher is definitely the last thing I'd want.

MANNY PACQUIAO DETHRONES DAVID DIAZ

I didn't bother going out and fork over P500 to watch Lethal Combination: Pacquiao vs Diaz at SM City-Iloilo because not only that the mud from the monster flood that hit Iloilo City nine days ago was still four inches thick outside our house, but I could also watch the whole thing anyway inside my room--live online via PLDT myDSL.
 
Well, it was what every Filipino boxing fan expected: Manny Pacquiao will knock out David Diaz and will take home the World Boxing Council lightweight championship title.
 
And in fact he did, exactly at 36 seconds remaining in the ninth round via a mean left hook on Diaz' left lower jaw that sent him down to the canvass, face first. 

Right from the onset, it was evident that Diaz was totally outclassed by Pacquiao. He couldn't just keep up with the latter's freakish combination of power and speed, and appeared like a complete patsy on slow motion against the Filipino.
 
Despite the gaping cut in his right eye, the blood-soaked Diaz had the heart to continue (when he could easily tell his corner to just throw in the towel, get an ambulance, and watch Conan O'Brien in his hospital bed).

Unfortunately, it wasn't like in the Rocky movies where grit alone overcomes natural talent, killer hand speed, brutal punching power, and baffling lateral movement. In real life, it doesn't and it can't.
 
With this recent victory, Pacquiao has become the only Asian fighter to win four major titles in four different weight classes.
 
Wala kang katulad, Manny!