Eulogy for the King!

CLEMELLE L. MONTALLANA

clemellem2@yahoo.com

This is but a commentary and perhaps an unsavory yet a real meat stuck in between teeth as
the justices who acquitted Hubert Webb and company used to say. The “tinga” must be
dealt with.

The torrential and perpetual rain that fell this Tuesday was something that was lengthy and
a bit scary. It rained hard and steady from the dead calm of the night until it fizzles to
droplets at five in the afternoon. The rain came in lumps for about 16 hours non-stop. While it
pours, it would just be normal perhaps to recall the sadness and helplessness caused that of
Ondoy or the roof wrecking floods in my Eastern Samar hometown which happened days ago ,
but being here in the Northwest part of Leyte , where the hard rain wreck havoc, all I could
think was Manny Pacquiao.

Honestly, the long , hard and sustained rain is a metaphoric of sort to the sustained and lofty
success that the Pacman had. Forgive me from saying these in the past tense because ,
whether you accept it or not my unworthy cerebellums are shouting that way. I mean let’s
face it , I eat , pray and love the Pacman. I am ready to defend his honor to the death ,
although many who died with cardiac arrest after the victories of the Pacman died to make
that promise. But the rain, reminds me that it’s on the downhill henceforth for the King. But
since we are only here for a while , it’s better to enjoy the ride, forgive my James Taylor words
, but that mindset is so patently clear . There is no frontier to be covered after Antonio
Margarito. Floyd Mayweather Jr, is honest enough to let his fear show, he doesn’t need a fight
with Manny, not because he has a lot of bucks inside his pockets (Moneyweather as he call
himself), but simply he is scared.

Choosing Shane “Sugar”Mosley as the next slaughter job, is not sweet, it is foolish. Bob
Arum has his way and even more accepting it as a reality it is not actually a folly by the
Pacman but a consequential thing of signed deals and prior agreement only the business
savvy Bob Arum could pull -out. But of course they, Toprank and Mike Kooncz have to stretch
the gas. As long as it can provide the spark and warmth , it must be stretched and the
monetary gain will continue its stellar figures and the grin in Bob Arum’s face would still be
that tearing kind, from ear to ear .

Folks who love Manny , those who really love him , could not do a thing but to accept the fact
that it’s a done deal. The fight with Mosley is also in conformity with nature’s law or even
Newton’s ,” what goes up must come down”. But its undeniably it is a more fitting proof that
boxing like any other pro sports is but an enterprise, a business undertaking.

As many truly, deeply, madly avid fan of Manny, I could not help but be sad. Because I truly
believe after the Margarito fight, it was supposed to be retreat time . A good time to hang the
 gloves and parry the lingering possibility of head and body injuries that a pound for pound
flesh that Manny has. Imagine the sheer pound per square inch impact of those heavy hands
from Torrecampo to Margarito it could have been painful and an ordinary Acacia would
succumb to the blows and fall to the ground.

I was hoping that he could find something that would be a major reason to finally stop.
Because I am sure Manny knows that success , real success is knowing when to stop.
Obviously, the rib injury after the Margarito fight was not capitalized with, ultimately the
tight business side of it all had forced them or it was the most convenient thing to do,
perhaps not for Manny but for the folks who consider themselves “the entourage”. Put a
washed-up pugilist and make press releases that Mosley is not a push-over. To stop the folks
from thinking its WWE or a semblance of that arrangement. For one , many of them boxing
pundits real and almost real, its a fight whose outcome is already known , even before the
weigh-in.

But what can we do, us who are eternally grateful of Manny’s inspiration, who are routinely
taken hostage on account of his possible defeat on every fight , us who would like to take the
shot when his honor is being tarnished by non-believers including my father-in-law who hates
Pacman ,we can only whine, because we are certain that this is the downhill run. There is no
more climb ahead, after the fight with Mosley, it will never be the same. The respect will be in
a slope, although it is doubtful if the pundits like Lole of Yahoosports will ever question the
victories , but they would actually question the motive with the Mosley fight and thereafter
the plans for the future. Its not the picture of Achilles shouting “ Is there no one else ‘ which
will be embedded in the minds, well before Mosley that was it. And after Mosley, Manny will
be depicted like Arum, Golden Boy and the spin doctors like Pcman’s Kooncz and Dela Hoya’s
Schaefer.

In all, of course no one will accept that it is it. But we can see it and we know that this is it.
And we are sad, perhaps rightfully so. Manny had inspired us well, better, far better than the
collective scoundrels in the senate, congress and hall of justices in this country. But its closing
time, the rain had stopped. Its time to let go , farewell to the boxing shorts, welcome coat and
tie. Perhaps its just me finding it so hard to accept the metamorphosis . The change from
shorts to business suit is clear and its hard for a fan to allow that thing. But we need to move
along, boxing like life is a constant change.

Comments welcome: clemellem2@yahoo.com

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Eulogy for the king
By Clemelle L. Montallana
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First Posted 04:45:00 01/31/2011
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 Nation
It is perhaps an unsavory yet real piece of meat
stuck between the teeth, as the justices who
 Metro acquitted Hubert Webb and company said. The • Eulogy for the king
 Region tinga must be dealt with. • Alexander vs Bradley: Winner hopes fo
s
The torrential and perpetual rain that fell last bout with Pacquiao, Mayweather
 Infotec Tuesday was something that was a bit scary. It
h • Pacquiao, Khan await US light-welter
rained hard and steadily from the dead calm of
hopefuls
 Sports the night until the rain fizzled to droplets at five
in the afternoon. The rain came in lumps for
 World
about 16 hours non-stop. While it poured, it
○ iVDO would have been normal to recall the sadness
○ Radio and helplessness caused by “Ondoy” the other
year, or the roof-wrecking floods in my Eastern
○ Newsmaker Samar hometown only days ago, but here in the
○ Top Stories northwestern part of Leyte, where the hard rain
wreaked havoc, all I could think of was Manny
○ Inquirer Pacquiao.
Headlines
The long, hard and sustained rain was a
 Page
metaphor of sorts for the sustained and lofty
One
Image success that the Pacman enjoyed. Forgive me
for saying this in the past tense; whether you
 Nation accept it or not my unworthy brain is shouting
 Metro that way. I mean, let’s face it: I eat, pray and
 Region
love the Pacman. I am ready to defend his
s honor to the death, although many who died of
cardiac arrest after the victories of the Pacman
 Learnin lived and died to make that promise. But the
g
rain reminded me that it’s downhill henceforth
 Sports for the king. But since we are only here for a
○ Full Text while, it’s better to enjoy the ride—forgive my
James Taylor prose—but that mindset is so
○ + Special patently clear. There is no frontier to be covered
Reports after Antonio Margarito. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is
honest enough to let his fear show; he doesn’t IN THIS SECTION MOST EMAILED MOST READ
 40th
ASEAN need a fight with Manny, not because he has a • Breaking the silence
Meetin lot of bucks inside his pockets (he’s
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 NBN because he is scared. • Do farmers have to be poor?
Deal Choosing Shane “Sugar” Mosley as the next • A step sidewards
 Water slaughter job is not sweet; it is foolish. Bob
Arum had his way. Accepting it as a reality is
• On the road to passage
Crisis
not actually a folly by the Pacman but a • 24 years
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consequential thing of signed deals and prior
 Manila agreements only the business-savvy Arum
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