Time to hang up the gloves? Or not?

I’m having trouble writing, as I just listened to the just concluded fourth encounter between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. Of course, by now everyone already knows the shot heard around the world that put our People’s Champion on the canvass, out cold for more than a minute! Nobody saw what happened, why all of a sudden when Pacquiao seemed to regain the upper hand in the bout, he just switched off and dropped onto the canvass. I was actually thinking that he got hit with something thrown from the crowd! The slow motion replay revealed a well-place right hand that hit Manny’s chin throat and chest, sending his nervous system into a state of overload and just shut down instinctively. He had no choice but to fall. And the fourth, and supposedly decisive fight that will finally determine who among these two bitter warriors was the better fighter, is history. For us, it all ends on a sad note.

With Pacman dedicating this victory, had he won, to the victims of typhoon Pablo, and the Palace trumpeting Pacquiao’s victory, had he won, as proof of the resilience of the Filipino, it could not get any sadder than that. After a heartbreaking loss to Timothy Bradley, this loss, more convincing in manner, may be a message to the prized fighter to start thinking of hanging up his gloves, and perhaps, pursue his other endeavors which he himself has gone into. I would think that a fight with anyone else like Mayweather Jr. is already out of the question. I know Erik Morales also tried to make a comeback of sorts, but when you start to lose in boxing, that’s just one heck of a slippery slope to stay on!

I know this is the very first fight where Marquez decks Pacquiao. I can just imagine how this urine-drinking pugilist’s mouth would be running off, shouting to the world how he should have been declared the winner in the past three encounters! I guess that’s just something we all have to live with. Especially Manny!

I guess we will all have to wait as to our champion’s next move. I just got a message saying that Pacquiao wants to rest, then come back fighting. Who his next opponent will be, if any, we will have to wait. But I’m sure there are those in his camp who would rather see him call it a day. But Manny Pacquiao, as big an icon as he is, deserves all the support from the country. Should he decide to come back for another fight, the support is always there.

As for talks about a Pacquiao-Marquez V, I guess it’s really up to Manny and his promoters. After all, Rocky did have five sequels, right?