Filipinos came out in big numbers to watch the fight. (Photo by Mwangi Ngamate)

By Mwangi Ngamate
mwangi@caymannetnews.com

Saturday Cayman’s Filipino community stamped their presence by visiting the pubs and cheering Manny Pacquiao the now reigning heroic celebrity in their country.

The bout had Americans, and others cheering Miguel Cotto just as he had support from his home ground advantage as they fought. This was just another “NFL football game.” To the contrast of this the life of over 96 million people from the Philippines came to a virtual standstill to watch the fight. This is what was happening here, too, in the Cayman Islands because Pacquiao is a rarity who quickly excites his country with passion. Just like Josef Estrada who excited the poor to a movement, so has he excited the poor and the rich to become an enigma in this side of the world.

To start with the fight was greeted by three national anthems, Philippines, Puerto Rico and that of the USA. But quickly matters settled and it became a fight between power and speed.

Cotto had a killer blow but could not master the speed that he needed to match blow-for-blow with Pacquiao.

Local radio commentators said that Cotto had a good shot to win or make it close enough that a point or two would mean the difference. How wrong were these boxing commentators, who believe a good big man will always beat a good little man and a little boxer cannot take the punch of the bigger fighter.

Cotto looked good in winning the first round and maybe the second in what would have been described as a controversial verdict. But Pacquiao’s speed had started to work against Cotto. Just how a falcon ambushes a mouse, and before it is known to the latter he is 20 metres above the ground Cotto could not account for how three blows got onto his head and his opponent landed on his chin with his right, taking him down. But size is good in boxing, because up did Cotto rise, seemingly unhurt.

In the fourth, Pacquiao landed a beauty of a left hook, putting his man down again and he proved his point. This time it was clear that Cotto was feeling the energy of this little guy.

A person who did not know the ages of the two would say that Cotto was the older player and Pacquiao the younger one; how wrong were those of us who thought that Pacquiao would waste away. The celebrity from the Philippines also knew how to wear his prey down with exhaustion which is a skill with every lioness masters with age.

By the fifth, it was apparent how this fight was going to go. Pacquiao, moving steadily on his man and Cotto backing up. Many a time did Pacquiao make the gesture “Come on, I do not have to keep chasing you all over the ring, stop so that we can fight.”

At least the fight reminded us of other stars who are now deceased like Sugar Ray Robinson, three punches in a second is a dream that most boxers do not accomplish in their lives.

At the age of 30, Pacquiao is a 14-year pro, who made his debut at 16. He has been fighting at the top levels of competition and giving some of the most sensational performances in the ring in recent years.

He was voted “2008 Fighter of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America. He also won the BWAA award in 2006, as well as The Ring’s 2006 and 2008 “Fighter of the Year.”

Most observers also recognize him as the best fighter at any weight in the ring today—the best “Pound for Pound.” Saturday’s fight was a decisive victory for the non-western world who know that without a knockout or a clear victory boxing winners come only from only one part of the world.