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Pacquiao may have become victim of his own success, analyst says
Pacquiao may have become victim of his own success, analyst says
ABS-CBN News
Published Aug 25, 2021 08:41 PM PHT
Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugasin in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA TODAY Sports/Reuters/file
For fight analyst Dennis Principe, Manny Pacquiao may have set the bar too high and became a victim of his own success.
Principe said this was evident based on the fans' reaction when Pacquiao lost to a younger Yordenis Ugas over the weekend.
The analyst said Pacquiao, boxing's only eight-division champion, was labelled as "old" despite being able to last 12 rounds against a younger and elite fighter.
"Masyadong mataas ang expectations, he has set the bar too high even for himself, na pagka-bumaba ng kaunti, ang feeling ng tao wala na pababa na," said Principe in an interview on ABS-CBN's Post game.
"But 'pag tinignan mo ang ibinaba niya it's still above the competitiveness level of the welterweight division... Manny Pacquiao is a victim of his own success."
Principe believes Pacquiao lost the fight not because of his age but because he was inactive for two years.
He said an aging Pacquiao would have gassed out before the final bell.
"If he was old, you would see him huffing and puffing the last three to four rounds. Or probably hindi na siya umabot," he said.
"The reason the timing was a bit off... because he had a long layoff. He did not have any fight during the pandemic. Yordenis Ugas had one fight during the pandemic. (And) this fight was at championship level."
He also pointed out that the boxing legend didn't look too bad during his defeat.
"It's like Michael Jordan. Sa play-offs at 30-plus years old, scoring 45 madali sa kanya. Pero nung nag 40-plus years old, ano ang average niya 20 to 25 points?" said principe.
"Ang sabi ng tao, 'Wala, mababa na. Hindi na Michael Jordan.' Pero to average 20 a game sa NBA, elite level pa rin 'yun."
Principe said that's what happened to Pacquiao.
"'Yun ang draw back pag sobrang taas ng level mo, for a welterweight champion na tumagal ng ganito. Lahat ng kasabayan niya nagretire niya pero nandoon pa rin siya," he said.
"Tayong mga Pilipino masyadong maigsi ang memory... probably yun ang isang factor din kaya medyo merong disappointment sa mga kababayan natin na nagsasabi na wala na matanda na si Manny Pacquiao."
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