I’ve just finished watching the Pacquiao vs Cotto boxing match, for the second time. There were just so many things on this fight that really captivated me.

I remembered having a dream the other night that Cotto knocked Manny down. I remembered jumping off my bed checking my laptop to see if my dream was true, only to realise that the fight wasn’t on until today.

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As I said, the match really captivated me in so many ways. It showcased not just the boxing as a sport but also the stories and emotions of the people surrounding it. It was like watching a series of life stories unfolding within those 12 rounds.

For starter, the fighters didn’t indulge into words bashing before the fight, which I admired. In one of their interviews, both boxers said they don’t hate each other and they even like each other. That for me is truly remarkable given the kind of sports we are talking here. But what is truly remarkable is that neither Manny nor Cotto played any dirty tactics during the fight. It was a clean fight all throughout. I may even go farther to say that Manny even gave Cotto a time to catch up his breath during the last few remaining rounds.  That’s a sign of a true sportsman right there.

The man who abandoned Manny’s family when he was still young, a.k.a. his father, was present during the match. It was like watching the story of the Prodigal Son. Only in this instance, it was the father who fell on the wayside and after realising that he’ll be better off with the family he left, decided to swallow all his pride and returned home. Although, I’m not just sure if there was a lavish party thrown on his homecoming like the son in the Prodigal Son story, but hey, he’s a father, he should have known better.

When Manny started to beat the crap out of Cotto, the camera didn’t fail to capture the horror on Mrs. Cotto’s face. At first she tried to shout out something, probably to let out whatever it was that was building up inside her chest. Then she tried to look elsewhere to somehow relax her senses from what’s going on in the boxing ring. Then when she can no longer took it; she walked out together with her son sparing them both of the horrible scenes that followed.

I think it was on the 10th round when Cotto’s dad suggested stopping the fight, as he was worried about his son’s welfare, but he was talked out of it by the members of Cotto’s team. But prior to that, he actually went to the ringside during the break to check on his son. His son kissed him assuring that he was all right. Those were classic father and son moments.

Manny dominated the fight right to the end. And I think it was Manny’s best fight I’ve ever seen so far. He was just so into it and uhm those power punches were just so unreal. Cotto must have thought he was fighting a ghost, as he can’t see where all those punches were coming from.

Manny is the man. Forget that he tried to enter into politics, forget that he recorded an album, and, forget that he can’t clearly express himself in English language, because those were just very minute things compare to the plethora of pride he’s given to his country and to his countrymen. He’s not just a boxer; he’s a fighter, at the very core of his being.

The Pacquiao vs Cotto fight wasn’t just great, it wasn’t even just awesome; it was legendary! And for a guy like me who isn’t really into sports, I could have just watched the match and then moved on. But the fact that I wrote this blog, that says a lot. This fight is surely one of those things that I will be telling my children (huh!) in the future.

And by the way, how did you find La Diva’s rendition of the National Anthem? I’m pretty sure you have a comment or two.

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