The 70th fight

Wiki describes his occupation among other as an athlete, politician and TV personality.  The online encyclopaedia then describes his profession as a professional boxer (not a pro basketball player) and a business person.

At 40 years old, the multi-tasking boxer will climb the ring for the 70th time, definitely not the last as I see it, against an opponent who’s eleven years younger and more known for his fights with the law.  They’re about even size-wise but that’s about as far as comparisons go.  The fighter who also goes by the very appropriate nickname “The Problem” is a four-division titlist but he will be like a clueless piglet in a pigpen when likened to the athlete-politico known as Pacman, the sport’s only eight division title holder.   His age makes him eligible to run as president of this republic come 2022 and his chances are freakishly good, to the horror of the very, very minority elite.  

Yes, it’s Adrien Broner versus Manny Pacquiao at lunchtime this Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.  It’s been almost two years since Pacman had a fight in the US but still, Vegas oddsmakers have our fighter as the heavy favorite with a -300 and Broner at +240.  This means that your $300 bet on Pacman only gives you $100 while your $100 bet on Broner wins you $240.

Boxing’s only full-time senator and a full colonel in the PH Army Reserves was once a devout Catholic who used to wear the rosary around his neck on the way to the square ring and kneels and prays on the canvass prior to modifying opponents faces.  Now, he has found true religion (not the ridiculously expensive jeans) and easily inserts bible verses between conversations.

But have no fear boxing fans, Mommy D is still a zealous Catholic that she has a rosary wrapped around her hand on fight night and the other hand doing gestures directed at her beloved son’s opponent that would shame a voodoo priestess, complete with whatever it is she’s chanting.

Whatever the result, Pacman reportedly is guaranteed to receive $20 million with Broner getting about $8 million, his biggest career paycheck.  Here’s the caveat.  UFC Fight Night is also scheduled at the Barcleys Center in Brooklyn, NY with flyweight champion Henry Cejudo defending his crown against TJ Dillashaw.  The choice is yours, fight fans.

An interesting undercard on the Pacman-Broner tiff is Cebuano Jahck Tepora who is under Pacman’s MP Promotions, and will be defending his interim WBA Welterweight World Title against former world champion Hugo Ruiz.  This will be his third successive international fight following his victory over South African Lusanda Komanisi at London in September 2017 (KO, 2nd round) and recently last August in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the vacant interim WBA Featherweight title against Edivaldo Ortega of Mexico (TKO, 9th round), as an undercard for the Pacman – Mathysse mainer.

We’re all hoping for a knockout win from Pacman and Tepora this Sunday.  And since we’re on the topic of knockouts, when, oh when can the authorities of Metro Cebu knock the living daylights out of vehicle gridlock.  What happened at the Consolacion-Mandaue area the other day from morning until late evening makes me ponder on the destined malady and tragedy the commuters from the North deserve from the brilliant minds of traffic planners.