Manny facing crossroads

THE INQUIRER’S May 10 editorial, “Paquiao in a bind,” hit the nail on the head—at the core of why Manny Pacquiao and his team had to keep secret his shoulder injury even during training and surreptitiously tried to ask for remedy less than two hours before the start of what turned out to be a classic show of running, chasing and hugging starring the, supposedly, two best ring gladiators after Muhammad Ali. Now that show has been called by some “The Bore of the Century.”

The editorial, however, chose only to mention the upper layer of the core: both fighters’ love of money. Deeper into the core, however, I think in the case of Manny, was his innate love for country and for his millions of fans. He wanted to put up a good fight—and he did despite the right shoulder injury which became obvious in the later rounds. A boxer of lesser guts would just have not answered the bell for the next round. But he was determined to finish the 12 rounds, hoping perhaps that by the grace and power of God, whom he had always invoked, he could end the last round with a knockout. He made it to the 12th, yes, but instead of a thunderous applause at the end, there was only a loud thud of disappointment.

The third layer into the core was his great faith and love of God. Lately a born-again Christian to the chagrin of his mother Dionisia, who continued to pray the rosary during his fights, Manny could have been lulled by his belief that God was always with him, especially now that he is a reformed Christian. We don’t begrudge his belief that he was going into the fight like a David pitted against a Goliath.

With his defeat, could it be that God was telling him something? God’s message comes in various forms. The fact that he was not allowed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to take Toradol, a painkiller which could have had devastating effects on him during the fight, showed that God was with him. God must have been telling him:

“Enough of this brutal sport. You have already amassed millions and have reached the pinnacle of your youthful ambitions. You cannot be a boxer and a part-time preacher, etc. at the same time.”

Hurting an opponent to the point of breaking his nose or bloodying his face is not God’s idea of earning a living.

Manny’s spiritual advisers know this. “It is by sweat of your brow that you have to earn a living.” Not by sweat and blood. Not by boxing, or gambling which is unlawful in our country.

Manny is now standing at a crossroads of his career. Will he continue his boxing (actually a gambling) career or take the righteous path of the Lord? Will he be a preacher or continue to be a politician? On hindsight, a politician can hardly be a good preacher as it is a great struggle for one to live the word of God.

Manny, you are still the People’s Champ, our champ. But it is time for you to make a choice.

—DOMINGO G. VARGAS, Adoracion Nocturna Filipina, MIP, [email protected]