Lord, make Manny Pacquiao the perfect storm

By Recah Trinidad
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:11:00 11/14/2009



TO DEAR MANNY PACQUIAO, our country’s hope and pride, please pause for a few seconds before you take on the biggest mission of your life as a warrior.

Please listen to this request from all of us who are all behind you in your most important fight.

Please keep a firm grip of yourself.

Don’t snap, don’t scream like a wounded tiger when things get out of hand.

Hold on tight.

Don’t growl, bare your fangs.

Don’t glower and clap your gloves.

Don’t play the blind, burning bullet with no sure target.

* * *

Also, please don’t consider this as a tip or advice.

Freddie Roach, for sure, has amply brought this up with you a lot of times.

This is an urgent request and we make it with fears you could be pushed, taunted, slurred, or even fouled, inside the ring.

We beg that you stay focused when you get hit or hurt.

Don’t lose patience and drop your guard.

Stay your old, speedy, skillful self.

* * *

Going by how you’ve trained and prepared, this should be of no use by now.

Mr. Roach has in fact said he expects nothing less than a perfect fight from you.

Not that we don’t trust your greatness and dedication.

We have full faith in you.

We pray and are confident you will succeed in winning a seventh world crown.

We trust you will be able to plant the Philippine flag on a boxing summit never before reached by man.

* * *

But we’ve to come up with this plea in order to make sure you don’t fall into a dirty old trap.

We pray that you don’t repeat the old mistakes you did when you kept charging blindly, often defenseless, in that bloody first fight against Erik Morales which you lost.

Of course, against Ricky Hatton the last time, you did bang your gloves and jump in when he grabbed, grazed and bullied you against the ropes.

The result was that classic stoppage in the second round.

But we’re making this request because of one thing.

Miguel Cotto doesn’t promise to be another Hatton.

* * *

Hope our fears are unfounded.

But, at the same time, please don’t get us wrong.

We’re not stopping you from fighting like that feared Pacific Storm that crossed the ocean to make a sweeping conquest of Mexican boxing greats.

The conquest is now ready to extend to as far as Puerto Rico, which also boasts legendary prizefighters.

We are solidly behind you in this incredible mission.

May you stick to the battle plan and not deviate from the win-win path.

May your stormy gifts result in a dancing dominance of your foe.

May the Good Lord turn you into a rhythmic perfect storm in your biggest fight.

Thank you for all past conquests.

God bless you.

God bless us all.

God bless the Philippines.

Source: http://sports.inquirer.net/columns/columns/view/20091114-236137/Lord-make-Manny-Pacquiao-the-perfect-storm