Fair Play: Pacquiao and the race card
I GUESS it’s a testament to Manny Pacquiao’s popularity if fighters are throwing everything at him—and the kitchen sink—to get a multi-million fight with him.
Short of giving away the keys to his house, Sugar Shane Mosley almost gave up everything to get a Pacquiao fight.
He didn’t.
time Pacquiao stand-in Michael Katsidis, flew all the way to the Philippines, to challenge Pacquiao. He said people with enough money were backing him and the fight could happen in the Philippines.
He never even got a response from Pacquiao.
Now, Nate Campbell, the WBO light welterweight champion, is taking his turn.
And this time, he is playing the race card.
Pacquiao hasn’t faced any top flight African-American fighters, Campbell says.
The argument isn’t new. A few months back, somebody surmised that Pacquiao has avoided “blacks,” but when somebody pointed out Pacquiao’s first major fight in the US was against Lehnohonolo Ledwba, the IBF super bantamweight champion from Africa, it died down.
Now, it’s being revived—with a glaring revision—by Campbell.
“You tell me one African-American fighter he’s (Pacquiao) fought. I mean, you can check the record. We don’t care about African fighters. We said African-American fighters,” Campbell told www.examiner.com.
Campbell’s right.
Pacquiao hasn’t fought any African-American because he was too busy beating the best fighters—of any race—in his division on his way to become boxing’s pound-for-pound.
Do Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Oscar dela Hoya or Ricky Hatton ring any of Nate’s bells?
As one Ring Magazine writer said it after naming Pacquiao the Fighter of the Decade, “You have to beat the best, to be the best.”
He didn’t say black boxers Nate, just the best boxers.
Of course, just to make sure the readers won’t have any doubt regarding Nate’s agenda, he told the writer, “I’m here to prove I’m the best 140-pounder in the world.”
Jump a little higher Nate. You just might get in the Pacquiao radar.
Or maybe, you could start by punching your way through some of the other elite fighters in your division, then you could get a date with Manny.
DONAIRE UPDATE. Get your calendar folks and circle out Aug. 16.
No, Pacquiao won’t be fighting that day but Nonito Donaire Jr., Mark Melligen and Bernabe Concepcion are.
Both Donaire Jr. and Concepcion will be going for world titles, while Melligen will be in for another test.
Donaire Jr. will face one-time AJ Banal foe Rafael Concepcion for the WBA super flyweight title, while the Pinoy Concepcion will face Steven Luevano for the WBO featherweight title.
Junior won his title on that fateful July 7, 2007 day. On that same 7-7-7, Florante Condes wrested the 105-pound from Muhammad Rachman in Indonesia.
Both Junior and Florante had problems with their managers after their triumphs but it is only Nonito who’s left fighting for the marbles this time.
As for Condes?
He’s off fighting for loose change in Africa.
Short of giving away the keys to his house, Sugar Shane Mosley almost gave up everything to get a Pacquiao fight.
He didn’t.
time Pacquiao stand-in Michael Katsidis, flew all the way to the Philippines, to challenge Pacquiao. He said people with enough money were backing him and the fight could happen in the Philippines.
He never even got a response from Pacquiao.
Now, Nate Campbell, the WBO light welterweight champion, is taking his turn.
And this time, he is playing the race card.
Pacquiao hasn’t faced any top flight African-American fighters, Campbell says.
The argument isn’t new. A few months back, somebody surmised that Pacquiao has avoided “blacks,” but when somebody pointed out Pacquiao’s first major fight in the US was against Lehnohonolo Ledwba, the IBF super bantamweight champion from Africa, it died down.
Now, it’s being revived—with a glaring revision—by Campbell.
“You tell me one African-American fighter he’s (Pacquiao) fought. I mean, you can check the record. We don’t care about African fighters. We said African-American fighters,” Campbell told www.examiner.com.
Campbell’s right.
Pacquiao hasn’t fought any African-American because he was too busy beating the best fighters—of any race—in his division on his way to become boxing’s pound-for-pound.
Do Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Oscar dela Hoya or Ricky Hatton ring any of Nate’s bells?
As one Ring Magazine writer said it after naming Pacquiao the Fighter of the Decade, “You have to beat the best, to be the best.”
He didn’t say black boxers Nate, just the best boxers.
Of course, just to make sure the readers won’t have any doubt regarding Nate’s agenda, he told the writer, “I’m here to prove I’m the best 140-pounder in the world.”
Jump a little higher Nate. You just might get in the Pacquiao radar.
Or maybe, you could start by punching your way through some of the other elite fighters in your division, then you could get a date with Manny.
DONAIRE UPDATE. Get your calendar folks and circle out Aug. 16.
No, Pacquiao won’t be fighting that day but Nonito Donaire Jr., Mark Melligen and Bernabe Concepcion are.
Both Donaire Jr. and Concepcion will be going for world titles, while Melligen will be in for another test.
Donaire Jr. will face one-time AJ Banal foe Rafael Concepcion for the WBA super flyweight title, while the Pinoy Concepcion will face Steven Luevano for the WBO featherweight title.
Junior won his title on that fateful July 7, 2007 day. On that same 7-7-7, Florante Condes wrested the 105-pound from Muhammad Rachman in Indonesia.
Both Junior and Florante had problems with their managers after their triumphs but it is only Nonito who’s left fighting for the marbles this time.
As for Condes?
He’s off fighting for loose change in Africa.
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