Nothing's Gonna Change...

The Filipino love affair with karaoke/videoke is widely acknowledged in this country. As a matter of fact, one website ranked it as number one on its list of "Top 10 Ways to Know You're Filipino".  One of the so-called "anthem" songs, is this hit originally done by George Benson entitled "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You". It is played so frequently on the rotation of karaoke/videoke bars (especially those of the drunken variety) that it's a minor miracle it hasn't been used as the title for one of those cheesy local movies that features the latest showbiz love-teams.

In college, I was in this Spanish class where our professor introduced us to, yup you guessed it, this song in Spanish. Now the mere idea of having a Chinese-looking guy teaching the class a Spanish version of an English song was a surefire way for it to be remembered. And I was pretty sure this would be the oddest encounter I'd ever have with this song. 


Until a couple of days ago.. when I saw this: Manny Pacquiao doing his best Magic Sing rendition on US national television.

Apparently, the world's best pound-for-pound boxer enjoyed guesting so much the last time that he had to return for a second run. Of course, being the pure-blooded Pinoy that he is, I have no doubt that this was one way for Pacquiao to release his tension as the March 14 championship fight between him and Joshua Clottey gets closer. (never mind that it was done in front of a live studio audience and the American viewing public) And let's not get into a discussion about the quality of his rendition, as he was guesting on Jimmy Kimmel, not American Idol. What worries me, though, is how his nonchalant singing and guesting might be reflective of how he and the rest of Team Pacquiao view the upcoming fight.

Oddsmakers have placed the PacMan as the overwhelming favorite to beat the challenger Clottey. Most fight fans share the same sentiment, with most of the predictions centering, not on who will win, but on which round Clottey will fall. Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, has himself predicted an early stoppage for his prized fighter. Somehow, I cannot bring myself to share their optimism. Let me rundown the reasons why.

First, the fight for the welterweight crown will be done at its natural weight limit of 147 pounds. Clottey, a former champion in this division, seemed pleasantly surprised that Team Pacquiao did not demand for a catchweight as it did for the fight with Miguel Cotto. Why will a few extra pounds matter? It matters because the weigh-ins are done a day before the fight. This gives bigger fighters like Clottey, who is a natural welterweight, the chance the bulk up 10-15 pounds more, and have a marked size advantage come fight night.    

Next, Clottey has never been stopped in his entire career. His three losses came via a disqualification, and 2 decisions. This only shows that this guy is one tough fighter. And at the age of 32 he can still be considered at top physical form. It doesn't help either that 20 out of his 35 victories have come via KO. This makes him a double-barreled threat.

For the arguments above, one can counter that Pacquiao has fought at the 147 pound limit before, and has beaten natural welterweights in the past. However, Clottey does not appear to have the negatives that the PacMan's previous opponents had: a) he's not over the hill, and can still pull the trigger; b) he isn't traumatized over a previous loss; and c) he's not a habitual drunkard.

Lastly, I'm worried for Pacquiao because he might not be as focused for this fight. As we all know, he is running for congressman in Sarangani Province this May. There have been pronouncements coming from his camp that this might be his last fight, at least in the foreseeable future, already taking into account a probable victory at the polls. From a boxing standpoint, it is also possible that Team Pacquiao considers this as a tune-up fight, while talks with Floyd Mayweather are stalled, in preparation for that dream megabuck matchup. Could this be a case of counting the chickens before they are hatched? 

Of course, an unexpected loss will change everything, and send all these plans down the drain. That is why Team Pacquiao should be extra careful in this fight. A fighter like Clottey, who has nothing to lose, is a very dangerous opponent. This brings to mind what I consider, at least in recent memory, the greatest upset in boxing, which celebrated its 20th anniversary a month ago. 

The PacMan should learn from the lessons of history: that sometimes, even the seemingly invincible can fall, if they let their guard down. 


Oddly enough, while Clottey is not as big a name as previous Pacquiao opponents, this is one fight that Manny must win. More than anything, it's his legacy as one of the greatest boxers of all time that's on the line. 


If Pacquiao is able to keep his focus, then I see him winning against Clottey via a 12 round decision. It is now a matter of motivating him properly, showing him that the fight won't be a walk in the park. And just as an extra incentive, someone should tell him that he'll probably be invited to sing on Jimmy Kimmel again, as long as he keeps on winning.