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I was lucky not to succumb to any seizure during and after the fight since I was still nursing a surgery wound. I tensed every time Wapacman raised his shoulders, spitting air through his nose while snapping his gloves. Expect a flurry of mitts to follow his opponent on the ropes trying to hang for survival or on canvass in humble submission to the deity of boxing.

Hail Paquiao! Hail Pacman! Now, Hail Wapacman! Later, Hail Congressman, and in the near future, Hail President of the Republic of the Philippines!

There is no question anymore of speed being superior to weight and power. Any physicist agrees that speed brings power and devastating effect upon impact just like a penetrating bullet.

What is amazing with the tussle of Wapacman and Cotto is about how each prepared for the event. While Cotto was training early, Wapacman was just busy with endorsements and in making a movie, not counting how many times he has guested in TV, showcasing his passion in singing. Wapacman showed how confident he was of the fight, as if taking the fight not seriously enough, grinning while being led to the arena.

The outcome of the fight was decided in the third round when Wapacman dropped Cotto to the canvass with a right hook followed by a left uppercut in the fourth round. After sizing up Cotto’s punching power in the first few rounds, Wapacman realized he could fight by just standing, watching Cotto as a child in tantrum, swinging punches desperately to just even pinch a hole in Wapacman’s armor, made up of solid brawn chiseled by harsh discipline in the gym, as a former construction worker and street brawler. The remaining time in the fight were just reduced to guessing round where Cotto would finally yield to Wapacman’s mighty strikes like lightning bolts from the skies.

Even by using all figures of speech and analogy I could imagine, there is no way I would be able to describe Wapacman’s prowess. He is completely unmatched in any way when inside the ring.

All my envy and jealousy of him turned into piety. Long been converted as his religious follower in the ring, I’ve never doubted his ability. However, every time he fights, just like most of us perhaps, I always go for his opponent as the underdog. It is just natural to expect a challenge, but real challenge is nowhere–

I have an inkling that most of the boxers that fought him lately and those still wanting to fight him are not so much convinced of winning but more of being part of history for having fought a phenomenon and certainly the best boxer ever.

Also Check: Postscript to Pacquiao I