Manny Pacquiao and The Roman Coliseum

By Frances Martel

Cambridge, MA- We are living in one of the most polarized eras in boxing history. A combination of nutrition and the impact of mass media have divided most fighters into two camps: those that primordially value skill and those that believe courage will always prevail. The contemporary spectrum from talent to heart in the game runs somewhere from Bernard Hopkins (48-4-1, 32 KOs) to Arturo Gatti (40-9, 31 KOs), with fighters like Floyd Mayweather (38-0, 24 KOs) somewhere in between. This past weekend’s clash between Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) and Jermain Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KOs) made a strong case for preferring the latter.

PACMAN LOOKS TO “REMOVE” BARRERA

Before you have a chance to give up on those boxing lessons and go watch “Rocky” for some inspiration, Manny Pacquiao (44-3-2, 35 KOs) will be back to balance the scale next week against a foe who isn’t, surprisingly, Erik Morales (48-6, 34 KOs). Pacfans will hardly notice. Pacquiao, beloved by millions for his nationality and by a few for his indefatigable spirit, is poised to defeat another over-the-hill Mexican star in Marco Antonio Barrera (63-5, 42 KOs). While Pacquiao might opt not to use his mental faculties too much in the ring, thus allowing his fights to degenerate from potential artwork to bloody Roman Coliseum entertainment within seconds, his handlers have narrowed the field of lucrative and easily trumped opponents for him with brilliant precision. Barrera, in style, fights like an improvement on Erik Morales; he is from the same school of fighters, with more experience but less wear and tear, and as defeatable as any fighter with 68 fights to his name. Barrera and Morales are the successors of Julio Cesar Chavez (107-6-2, 86 KOs), who now resemble the champion more circa his bout against Kostya Tszyu (31-2, 25 KOs) than against Hector Camacho (78-5-2, 37 KOs).

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