When Manny Pacquiao fights these days, it's more like a spectacle or parade than your typical squared circle matchup. Like many superstars before him, his celebrity status draws interest to events that, for other "regular" fighters, are otherwise ordinary.
For instance, the process by which opponents are chosen for Manny isn't so much a negotiation as it is a sweepstakes. Fighters, high profile or not, make the rounds on the internet, doing whatever it is they feel will get them the payday they've been waiting for, be it trash-talking or begging. And for many fans, this is just as entertaining as the fight itself.
It's unclear whether or not they showed up on a doorstep with a handful of balloons, stuffed animals and an over-sized check for $5 million, but Shane Mosley hit the lotto this past Tuesday when it was announced by a number of sources that he'd be fighting Pacquiao on May 7, 2011.
Now at the height of his popularity, the 52-3-2 (38) Manny is facing initial backlash from the boxing community for choosing the 39-year old as his next opponent.
"Sugar" Shane, currently 46-6-1-1 (39), is a Hall of Fame-bound fighter. But the California native was last seen feinting and clinching "The Contender" anti-star Sergio Mora to a frustrating split decision draw this past September. His previous fight in May of this year saw Mosley lose at least 10 of 12 rounds to the sport's deposed former pound-for-pound king, Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Shane's thrashing of feared welterweight Antonio Margarito was indeed impressive, no matter the circumstances. Mosley was a clear underdog against Margarito in January 2009, and he pounded the "Tijuana Tornado" with thudding body shots and huge hooks to the head before stopping him in the 9th. But he also failed to capitalize on the potentially career-defining win, taking off 16 months before his loss to Mayweather.
That the Mora fight ended in a relatively controversial draw and put folks to sleep in the process was bad enough, but the promotion itself was laughable and trite.
In any event, here we are, waiting another 5 months for a fight that nobody seems to want. Granted it has only been 2 days since the fight's announcement, but popular boxing news outlets and news figures have already declared that they haven't heard from a single person not tied to the matchup who actually wants to see it.
The fight has been repeatedly deemed a "stay busy" fight by many, but that tends to suggest that at least one fighter involved is, well...staying busy.
While Manny's recent higher weight achievements are without a doubt impressive unto themselves, aside from comical weight demands, diva antics and ridiculously arrogant behavior, when the Mosley fight rolls around this May, Manny will have fought 5 times in a little over 2 years. That's not exactly a hellacious schedule, and hardly "staying busy." And on the heels of lopsided decision wins over foes with favorable styles that lacked any career momentum, fans are left expecting more from Manny.
Shane hasn't exactly been stepping in the ring often either, by the way. The Pacquiao fight will be his 5th in 3 years.
There is of course almost no need to mention the fact that a pound-for-pound showdown between Manny and Mayweather has loomed for over a year now, and completely imploded multiple times with plenty of blame to spread around generously. And equally lame, according to many fans, is the fact that a third fight with arch-nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez was quickly dismissed by Pacquiao and his promoter, Top Rank's Bob Arum, in favor of this gruel.
It was officially announced this week, yes, but many of us saw it coming.
The numbers, of course, don't lie. Shane Mosley is probably a more recognizable name in the sport than Marquez, and has undoubtedly been involved in farther-reaching fights and events in the sport than the future Mexican hall-of-famer. Unquestionable though is the fact that Marquez is the only fighter to even temporarily tame the unbridled aggression of Pacquiao, arguably winning both of their prior tangles. Additionally, Marquez, unlike Shane, is on an extraordinary twilight roll in his career, despite not fighting often himself.
It may just be that a seemingly dull 2010 in boxing has us fans anxious for one of the sports biggest fights involving one of the sport's biggest fighters. Or it may be the disappointment of concretely realizing that Manny - a guy so many of us looked to for the "anytime, anywhere" attitude and good guy story - is merely human like the rest of em.
The story is beginning to sound familiar.
If Manny drives over to his mistress' house, beats her, threatens her kids and steals her iPhone, I'm outta here.
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