PACQUIAO WATCH: The Ides of March

by Edwin Espejo

LOOKS like the made for heaven mega fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr is a done deal and it would be in March next year.

That means Manny will have all the days of December for rest and respite before again embarking on a grueling training to prepare against the pretender and contender to his throne as boxing’s pound for pound king.

In a 55-fight career that spanned closed to 15 years now, Manny has fought six times in the month of March, twice on a March 15 – the Ides of March. The day Julius Caesar was treacherously slain by members of the Roman Senate.

Manny lost just once when fighting in March – to Erik Morales via a unanimous decision defeat at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was on March 19, 3005. It was also the last of three losses in his career.

His latest March adventure was on March 15, 2008 when he battled Juan Manuel Marquez to a controversial split decision victory.

Before the Morales and Marquez fights, he also TKO’d Serikzhan Yeshmagambetovv of Kazakhstan on March 15, 2003, KO’s Arnel Barotillo in four rounds in March 2000, KO’s Mike Luna in one round in 1997 and won on points over Pinoy Montejo in just his second pro fight in 1995.

Manny and coach Freddie Roach have sixteen weeks from now to prepare their fight strategy and tactics although Roach has the more inside track against Mayweather Jr having been in the corner of Oscar de la Hoya when the two clashed in the highest grossing fight in boxing outside the heavyweight division in 2007.

Oscar was keeping Mayweather at bay with his jabs in the early going before fading in the latter rounds to lose by split decision.

This prompted Roach to say that de la Hoya could no longer pull the trigger. Two years later, he proved prophetic as his ward Manny Pacquiao systematically broke down de la Hoya over eight rounds before the Golden Boy of boxing finally quit on his stool.

Manny has fought a variety of top flight boxers - from sluggers to ring tacticians.

In Floyd, he will find a complete boxer - a slick counter puncher with power on both hands and the best defense in the business today to boot.

While recent KO victim Miguel Angel Cotto may be the hardest puncher Pacquiao ever met, Floyd poses a different look.

Floyd has the speed and guile to match Manny’s explosiveness and aggressiveness.

This one will be a hell of a fight.

Let us wait and see who will play the Caesar and the members of the Roman Senate.

Who will get slain on the Ides of March (at least near it) next year?

Did I say the Ides of March is also my birthday?

Source: asiancorrespondent.com