keca_736uv

...tHe pEopLe'S chaMp...

...oVeR tHe paSt fEw rEceNt yEaRs...wE...tHe fiLipiNo pEopLe haVe bEeN caPtiVateD aNd aMaZed by paCqUiaO aS tHe "fiLipiNo chaMp" tHat stePs iNto tHe rEaLm oF bOxiNg aNd cOntiNuaLLy raiSes tHe fiLipiNo ideNtity aNd fiLipiNo sPiRit fOr aLL tHe wOrLd tO sEe...fUrtheRmORe he dOeS tHiS sO witH paSsiOn aNd dEdiCatiOn tHat neVeR cEaSeS to aMaZe fiLipiNoEs aNd otHeR pEopLe aS wEll...hiS pReSeNcE aLoNe sEnDs oUt rOaRiNg cHeErS fOr thiS huMbLe fiGhteR of gEneRaL saNtOS whiCh he riGhtfuLLy deSeRvEs...aS hE eNteRs tHe riNg...hE haS tHe hOpEs aNd pRayeRs of a whOle fiLipiNo naTiOn rEstiNg oN hiS shOuldeRs...aNd iNdeEd thiS haS fuRtheRed hiS fiGhtiNg sPiRit tO maKe hiM a fEaRed aNd renOwNed fiGhteR...

... hE cOntinUoSly caRriEs thiS "...buRdeN...pRiviLeGe...wHatEveR yOu maY caLL it..." iN eVeRy fiGht hE iS in...aNd aS tHe eYeS oF the whOle wOrLd haS sEeN aNd witNeSsEd...hE haS dOmiNated aNd tRiuMphEd iN hiS reCeNt fiGhtS aGaiNst eLite fiGhteRs..."tOp mExiCaN bOxeRs" to bE eXaCt...fRoM maRqUeZ...tO dE la hOya...tO mOraLeS...to sOliS...tHe paCmaN sEeMs to be liViNg uP to hiS aLiaS aS hE sLowLy mUnCheS oN tHe tOp fiGhteRs fRoM mExiCo...bUt it haSnt aLL bEeN viCtoRiOuS cRiEs aNd chEeRfuL cElebRatiOns...aS aNy fiGhteR maY haVe eXpeRieNcEd...tHe "fiLipiNo chaMp" haS had hiS baD mOmEnts...hiS gRaciOus defEat to mOraLeS giVeS a tEstaMeNt oF tHe taLeNt oF mExiCo in tHe rEaLm oF bOxiNg...bUt mOre iMpoRtaNtly...it shOwS uS tHat eVeN thE paCmaN caN haVe hiS lOwS...

...tHe ePiC fiGht tO be...

...aNd iN nO mOre waS oNe oF hiS baD daYs maNifeSted betteR tHan iN hiS reCeNt [sEcOnd] battLe wiTh baRrErA...wiTh tHe eYeS oF tHe whOle wOrLd sEt oN thiS ePiC fiGht [whiCh sEeMiNgLy wiLL bE baRrErA's laSt fiGht]...it waS tHe maNNy paCqUiaO fEvEr oNce mOre...eMbRaCiNg tHe fiLipiNo pEopLe...aS tHey chEeR aNd hOpE fOr a kNoCkdOwn wiN by paCqiUaO...bUt haViNg tHe pLaN oF retiRiNg oN thE hOriZoN oF baRrErA's pLaNs...he iNteNds tO haVe a laSt viCtoRy nOt oNly fOr hiMsElf bUt fOr thE pRide oF hiS cOuNtRy aNd tHe rEvEnGe fOr aLL tHoSe tHat haVe faLLeN pReY tO tHE miGht fiSt oF tHe PaCmaN..."fOr mE thiS fiGht iS pErSoNaL...i wiLL wiN...nOt oNly fOr mYseLf bUt fOr aLL tHoSe tHat haVe bEeN deFeAted by hiM [paCqiUaO]"...saYs BaRrEra...

..."tHe wiLL tO wiN"...waS tHe tHeMe fOr tHe epiC battLe oF paCqiUaO aNd baRrERa...aNd tHat wiLL waS iNdeEd teSted aS tHe aWaitEd daY aRriVed iN tHe miDst oF eVeniNg at maNdaLay bAy...laS veGaS...tHe whOle wOrLd aWaits...aS tHe cLOck tO fiGht tiMe sLowLy tiCks...aNd aS tHe tiMe oF rEckOniNg aRriVeS...eChOeS oF cHeErS aNd bRaVadaS wErE raiSed aNd hOwLed aS tHe fiGhteRs maDe theiR waY tO tHe riNg...baRrEra sEeMiNgly haD a emOtiOnaL waLk aS he knOws iN tHe baCk oF hiS miNd tHat thiS [maY be] hiS laSt fiGht befOre retiRiNg...whiLe paCqiUaO maKeS waY tO tHe riNg witH a sMiLe aS oNe of hiS sOnGs iS pLayEd fOr hiS eNtraNce...

...sOmethiNg oFF...

...haViNg aLL pRepAratiOns aNd pRemaTch fOrmaLitiEs sEt aSide...tHe mOmEnt mOst aWaiteD by tHe aUdiEnCe aNd viEwErs haS finAlly cOme...aS tHat gLoRioUs riNg of tHe beLL rEsOuNds iN the eArS oF tHe pEoPle aNd the fiGhteRs tHe fiGht [nO...tHe baTTlE i shOuld saY] cOmMeNcEs...cOmMeNtatOrs oF tHe fiGht eXpECted a veRy bRilliaNt fiGht aS tHey sPoke oF theiR eXpeCtatiOns oF PaCqiUaO tRyiNG tO oVeRwheLm baRrEra iN thE fiRst fEw rOuNds...whiCh waS a reNoUned stYle oF paCmaN...bUt sOmethiNg haPpEnEd beYoNd tHat whiCh waS eXpeCted oF hiM...paCiUaO sEemiNgly staRteD sLow aNd saFe...

...iN a suRpriSiNg tWist oF tEchniQue shaLL wE say...paCqiUaO staRted nOt tRyiNg tO oVeRwHeLm baRrErA...hE pLayEd sLow, saFe aNd teChniCal...whiCh iN tHe caSe oF boXiNg aNalyiSts waS baRrEra stYle oF fiGhtiNg...aNd it waS cLeaRly sEeN aS baRrEra sEemiNgly laNds a puNch oR tWo cLeaNeR aNd mOre fReqUent tO tHe uSuaLLy baRgiNg paCqiUaO...eVeN thOuGh maNnY waS sCoRiNg mOre pOiNts tHaN baRrEra...aS thE fiGht pRoGrEsSeS...eVeN tHe cOmMeNtatOrs tHeMseLvEs nOtiCes sOmethiNg "off" witH tHe waY paCquiaO iS fiGhtinG tHat tiMe...it waS uNuSuaLL aNd nEw...bUt sOmethiNg tHat didNt wOrk tO tHe aDvaNtaGe of paCquiaO...

...tHe tRue battLe...

...iN aNy fiGht...be iT a bOxiNg maTch...a cHeSs dUeL...oR a sOcCeR gaMe...it iS faCt [oNe miSuNderstOod by sOme] tHat a fiGht iSnt jUst a cOntRaStiNg wiLL oF tRyiNg tO oVeRcoMe aN oPpOneNt...itS nOt jUst aBoUt pLayiNg tHe gaMe...itS aBoUt beiNg iN the gaMe...a fiGht iS iN tRutH a battLe...pHysiCally...mEntaLLy...sOciaLLy...eMotiOnaLLy...pSychOlogiCaLLy...witH tHe pEopLe aRoUnd yOu...aNd mOre iMpoRtaNtly wiTh yOurSeLf...iN a fiGht...yOu aReNt jUst fiGhtiNg agaiNst aN oPpOneNt...yOu aRe gOiNg aGaiNst yOuRseLF...phySicaLLy pUshiNg yOu tO fiGht...mEntaLLy chaLLeNgiNg yOu tO oVeRcOme...sOciaLLy kEePiNg tRust aNd rEspeCt...eMotioNaLLy bRiNgiNg yOu tO hOpE...pSychOloigiCally teLLiNg yOu tO wiN...

...yOu aRe gOiNg aGaiNst oTheRs...tO yOuR sUpPoRteRs aS yOu tRy tO uPlift aNd retaiN tHeiR tRust aNd beLieF in yOu...tO yOuR cRitiCs aS yOu tRy tO cOntinuaLLy pRoVe tHeM wRoNg...tO yOuR viEweRs aS yOu sHoW thEm wHo yOu reaLLy aRe aNd what yOu aRe tRully caPabLe oF...aNd laStly...tO yOuR oPpOneNt wHo aLso faCes tHe saMe chaLLeNge...tHeSe diFFeRent eLemEnts maKe uP tHe rEality oF what sEeMs tO be a siMple maTch bEtwEeN bOxeRs...a rEaLity tHat nEeDs tO be aCcEpted, eMbraCed, aNd mOst iMpoRtaNtly uNdeRstOod...

...whAt it mEaNs tO wiN tHe battLe...

...a fiGht iSnt jUst aBoUt wiNniNg tHe maTch...tHe tRue viCtOry oF tHe battLe cOmEs iN tHe liGht of tHe diFFeReNt faCtOrs...itS aBoUt tHe tRiuMph oF yOuR pHysiCal liMitatiOns...oVerCoMiNg oF yOuR mEntaL rEstriCtiOns...sOciaLLy uPhoLdiNg rEspEct...eMotiOnaLLy aCcOmpLished...pSychOlogiCally satiSfyiNg yOurSelf...kEePiNg yOuR naMe aNd rEspEct...aNd dEfeAtiNg yOuR oPpOneNt [whiCh fOr mOst naiVe fiGhteRs iS tHe oNly thiNg that is iMpOrtaNt]...uNtiL thEn caN yOu tRully saY tHat yOu haVe wOn tHe fiGht...aNd wHats mOre wOn tHe battLe...

...aNd iN tHe eNd...tHe rEaSoN why i beLieVe tHat maNnY paCqUiaO wOn thE fiGht bUt lOst tHe battLe waS beCauSe of tHe siMplE rEaSoN tHat it waSnt hiS day...bE it a matteR of hiS chOiCe oR uNcoNtrOlabLe eVent...tHe faCt tHat hiS staRt waS uNuSuaLL aNd iNeffeCtiVe...hiS fiGht waS cOuraGeOus bUt teRribLe...hiS aiM "kNoCk Out gOaL" waS nEarlly rEachEd bUt oNly nEarly...hiS mOod sEeMed diFFeReNt aNd dOwNsiZiNg...hiS pResEnCe waS a bit oFF...hE waS a bit oFF...aNd iN tHe eNd...it sEeMed tHat he hiMseLf waS hUrt...aS he said iN tHe pReSs cOnfeReNce...

...tHe wiLL tO wiN...

...pLeAse dOnt gEt mE wRoNg...i mYseLf aM a paCmaN faNatiC aNd wOuld nO leSs wiSh he haD wOn aS he did...i aM haPpY he wOn aNd aM pRoud of it nO dOubt...bUt it kEePs oN buGgiNg mE hOw aNd whAt haPpEnEd tO paCmaN tHat day...whAt waS wRoNg...wHat waS oFF...aNd it iS iN thEsE cOnfuSiOn tHat i tRy tO eXtraCt mY sEntimEnt fRoM...iN mY eYeS he wOn...bUt i feLt aS iF he didNt sUcCeEd...sUcCeSs iS diffeReNt fRoM viCtoRy...yOu maY wiN bUt nOt sUcCeEd iN whaT yOU aiM...oR viCe veRsa...[yOu maY wiN bUt nOt geT wHat yOu waNt...aNd yOu maY gEt whAt yOu waNt aNd nOt eVeN wiN]...

...hOweVeR aNd whateVeR it waS...tO kEeP it siMpLe...maNnY wOn tHe maTch...maYbe it waS hiS dOwNriGht puRe skiLL...uNlikeLy stRoke oF luCk [i dOnt sUgGeSt...jUst maYbe by 0.01%]...bLeSsiNg fRoM abOve...oR siMply hiS will tO wiN...aNd i saLute, aPPlaUd, aNd cOnGratuLate hiM aS muCh aS eVeRy pRoud fiLipiNo dOes...it iS just mY feRveNt wiSh tHat a fiGht liKe tHat wOuLd nOt coMe tO paSs iN tHe fUtuRe...bEcaUse hE maY have wOn tHe fiGht bUt he lOst tHe battLe...

..."laBaN paCmaN!!!"...