By Norm Frauenheim-
Manny Pacquiao is back in America amid a mix of inevitable questions faced by any boxer about to fight for the first time since turning 40. It’s an old face. Yet a fresh one, too, perhaps because he really is renewed or maybe because we’ve just missed him.
During an era ruled by noisy narcissism Pacquiao has been missed for everything he doesn’t say, which has always been a lot. Everybody flexes their mouth these days. Even LeBron James is calling himself the greatest (lower case intended).
After a couple of decades that have included titles at eight weights and political titles in two Filipino houses, however, the former Congressman and current Senator leaves over-the-top exaggeration to somebody else.
For the next week-and-a-half, that somebody happens to be Adrien Broner, who gets headlines more for what he does outside of his boxing career. Only Broner’s warrants are outstanding.
Broner loves the bully pulpit, and he figures to use it loudly and profanely before his last chance for welterweight relevance on Jan. 19 against Pacquiao at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand in a Showtime pay-per-view bout.
Standing in a striking contrast, there’s Pacquiao, a few years older than he was in his last American visit, yet as modest as ever.
“My journey in this sport is still continuing,’’ Pacquiao said Wednesday to the assembled media at trainer Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym. “I’ve accomplished everything I’ve wanted to, but I also want to continue to keep my name at the top.
“Even at 40-years-old, I can still show the best of Manny Pacquiao. I’m going to give the fans the speed and power that they’re used to seeing.’’
That’s boilerplate Manny. Five years ago, it would have sounded naïve, more moments of Manny uttering platitudes. But today there something comforting about those familiar words. At one level, at least, he’s the same guy. Only at opening bell will we know whether he’s the same within those ropes. But that unchanged modesty is a sure sign that at least some of the physical skills are still intact. Bragging is a symptom of insecurity and there has never been sign of that in the quiet poise still evident in Pacquiao.
Can Broner test him? Beat him? Yes and yes. Broner’s right-handed counter is dangerous enough to put a premature end to Pacquiao’s comeback. But will he? It says here he won’t for reasons already seen. Broner’s defining fight was a 2013 loss to Marcos Maidana. It was damning then and Broner has yet to prove he isn’t the guy who shrunk in retreat under Maidana’s furious rate of punches during a long night in San Antonio.
Video of Pacquiao at a media workout this week indicated he’s in terrific condition, good enough to at least rain down successive punches onto Broner during the early moments. Guess here is that Pacquiao’s power is still very much there. Let’s just say it’s as genuine as that modest streak. If Broner feels it a couple of times, he’ll use his speed in much the same way he did against Maidana more than five years ago. He’ll retreat, straight into another defeat.
That would spark intense speculation about what – who – is next for Pacquiao. It also would set up talk about a rematch with you-know-who. Fact is, there’s already talk about a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In history-repeats-itself, Pacquiao ran into Mayweather at another NBA game this week, this time at a Clippers game at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. The immediate and inevitable parallel was their meeting at a Miami Heat game, a key encounter that finally led to the disappointing Mayweather decision over Pacquiao in 2015. For a lot of fans, I suspect, a sequel would be more of a historical redundancy than a good rematch.
“My plan is to take it one fight at a time,” Pacquiao said. “I can’t talk about future fights until I do what I have to on January 19. You can ask me again after this one.’’
Trite, true and good enough for me. Welcome back, Manny.
