Manny Pacquiao blames dead legs for poor performance
When Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KO’s) stepped in the ring against Yordenis “54 Milagros” Ugas (27-4, 12 KO’s), many thought that he’d enjoy an easy night in the office. At the same time, there was a great contingent of people who thought that Ugas had the skill to give Pacquiao quite a hard time. Yet, very few believed that an extremely limited version of the Pac Man would enter the ring. In the end though, that is exactly what happened.
This is in no way meant to dull the luster on the victory that Ugas claimed. The WBA super welterweight champion utilized great defense, patience and a reliable jab that he pumped into Pacquiao’s face all night long. Despite this, it can’t be overlooked that the Filipino dynamo was about as mobile as a grandma with a new hip replacement. Along with his fast hands and power, Pacquiao is synonymous for fast, tricky footwork. Sadly for him and his fans, those educated feet were dull-witted and wholly nonexistent against 54 Milagros.
DANCING DAYS OVER??
Shortly after the fight, Pac Man himself would admit that his legs were not there. Going a step further, the fistic-minded politician even blamed his rusty lower limbs on his substandard outing. Now the question for many will become: was this merely a single bad showing or has father time finally come to claim Pacquiao? Pac Man is 42 going on 43, so his finally acting his age would not be all that surprising. Or, was there something in play on that particular night that caused the problem? The only real way to find out is for Pacquiao to lace up the gloves and stage one more bout.
“My two legs were cramping, that’s why I cannot move around. In early days, I can easily move and outbox him, you know Manny Pacquiao. But this time around my two legs were tight and hurting me in the second round until the twelfth round. But I am not making excuses, that’s the reason that I cannot move and I just stay and counter him. That’s what happened, that’s boxing! I’ve done a lot in boxing and I’m glad we’re safe.”
At the moment, Pac Man’s future is uncertain. He has stated that he is leaning towards retirement but it’s hard to believe that a fighter with his warrior’s heart will be content to exit the sport on a loss. Only time will tell but this scribe feels very strongly that we will see Manny Pacquiao roll the dice at least one more time.
By: Bakari Simpson
