Pacquiao: Proudly Pinoy

You win some. You lose some. Such is the law of life. Whatever it is we may be doing, eventually, the law of averages comes up. Manny Pacquiao has been coming off a series of wins -- he has to lose sometime. Erik Morales previously lost to Barrera (whom Pacquiao had previously beaten, and badly) and his victory yesterday, was sweet.

Erik Morales was just the better fighter in that ring yesterday -- every move studied, calculated, methodical, deliberate. As some Pinoys say of a music CD that they like so much since all the songs are nice: "Walang tapon." That was Erik Morales yesterday, no wasted energy or effort there.

And if Erik Morales was the better fighter, Manny Pacquiao was the best. Fighting with gloves not of his own choosing. Nursing a bad cut sustained in an early round. He never gave up. He put up a good fight and was never knocked down. Bloodied and bruised face, flying mouthpiece notwithstanding, he lasted the whole 12 rounds. The score was close, 115-113. He gave it his all but sometimes, even coming with everything ain't enough.

And so, ever the true Pinoy, we see Manny Pacquiao managing to smile at the end of the fight. The odds had turned against him and yet he pressed on. Playing to win, when you are already winning -- is quite easy to do. Playing to win, when all may be lost, is definitely not for the faint of heart and faint of heart, the Pinoy is not. So we await the next fight of someone who is proudly Pinoy. No ifs, no butts (pun intended) -- the (Pac)man lives to fight another day. :-)