Manny Paquiao, where were you?

I wanted to keep quiet, I did as my wifes family are Filipino, but I cannot take it.

It was sometime after Tysons fall from glory that I lost interest in Boxing, the bad judging and reffing just finished it off for me, or so I thought. My interest would peak as two amazing fighters would rise up at relatively the same time, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Paquiao.

For years this is the fight everyone wanted to happen, everyone even those of us who have long since lost interest in boxing talked about how much we wanted this fight to happen.
Years of Floyd seemingly ducking Manny, with excuse after excuse, it simply made us talk even more.

Finally a supposed chance encounter at a basketball game would set the ball in motion. It seemed odd to me then that these two great fighters would not only be at the same game, but sitting across from each other, brilliant promotion I guess.
Numbers were exchanged and dates set, Floyds dates.

I hate Floyd, I wont even lie saying otherwise, however he is a genius. Floyd makes sure people fight on his terms, that is what a fighter should do. He set the date, and he set the weight, at his natural weight making a smaller Manny come up to meet him, he even dictated which gloves Manny should use.

I am not sure what Moron in the world would agree with this on Manny's team, but they did. I know Manny has a huge heart, but is it possible to have a dumber team than Tyson did? Apparently the answer is yes.

Without a doubt Manny felt he could beat the bigger fighter, and I still think he had the ability to do so, however the smart move on his side would have been to bring Floyd down to his weight, Pick a date and make that date in your Country, throw Floyd off, make him the one having to play catch up.

Floyd was desperate, he had to have this fight to fulfill his legacy, that pout the negotiations and game on team Paquiao, at least it should have. Somehow Pac Mans management messed up this part, what was the biggest payday in Boxing history, should have been even bigger, but beyond that this was for Mannys people.

More problems in Mannys camp as a menagerie of odd not exactly the most talented fighters were brought in to spar Manny. Well ok, Freddie Roach is supposed to be a genius, he knows what he is doing right?
Apparently not.

Fight night comes and we see a listless Manny walking in. Minutes before the fight when Manny should have been warming up we see him struggling to put his gloves on still, come on really? The biggest fight of his life and he is not even ready until a couple minutes before he walks into the ring?

Then the fight happens and I am not exactly sure where the brilliant Boxer is, other than Floyd.
Floyd did what he always does brilliantly, rolled and kept a fighter off him. What Manny did not do, was anything at all. He seemingly thought going in slow straight on and simply throwing a single punch here and there was enough. Why was this? why was a fighter known to be one of the fastest busiest strikers in the game seemingly not bothering to throw punches in bunches?
Exactly what was he doing when he did have Floyd on the ropes. I realize he is a master at blocking and deflecting, but to simply quit punching and step away?

Floyd managed to have one of the worst referees in history on this fight, and that showed as Floyd continuously punched below the belt and at times I thought I was watching a MMA fight when Floyd would hook PacMan in a guillotine and nothing would be done about it.

How on earth could you fall for the same trick over and over again? Floyd draws you straight into the ropes, you rush in and Floyd rolls off to his left, was it magic? No it is the same thing he always does, nothing was done to even attempt to close that door.

One of the keys when fighting as a south paw to open up a fighter with your opposite stance is to roll to their right, did Roach just fail to tell Manny? And where were all those angles you are famous for Manny? Where were they?

Dude we all love you, but when at the end of a fight you think you won, and the person interviewing you is asking what the hell you did wrong, a clue should be forming. When that announcer is asking why you were not trying hard enough, something more should click.

What failed? Was it his corner? What exactly happened here? Was your corner not telling you to move more, to let those hands go free? Were they not telling you that you were behind and needed to get with it?

I love Manny, any man with a heart as big as his deserves that love, but I am sorry, unless there was a pay off somewhere, there was zero excuse for that lack luster performance. Beyond all the point deductions that should have happened against Flo, he still handily won.

Congratulations on your Pro Debut, the boxing legend we all love you to be, was not in the ring tonight.

I will however Congratulate Floyd on being humble and respectful, and Manny, where was your respect? you should have flat out said you got beat by the best in the world, because you did.

You said "I have fought bigger" was this really in your head before you stepped into the ring with the best defensive fighter boxing has ever known? Save maybe, and I mean maybe Willie Pep?

I refuse to believe that it was this lopsided, I refuse to believe that Floyd frustrated Manny so, when men Floyd had trouble beating, Manny absolutely destroyed.

Oh well, it is what it is, as someone else said tonight "Boxing is dead" Indeed it is, the greatest match up of the century was bust and the bad guy won, so now what?

On with our own lives is all I can say.