How I ‘saw’ Ugas’ win against Pacquiao

“When an underdog wins, they win for everybody, because somebody gotta come through that door and break it open and make it possible.”

—Saint John

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THE first thing that impressed me about Yordenis Ugas was he isn’t a thrash talker. Not an obtrusive person. He doesn’t insult his rival. Very professional.

Silent water runs deep, as the saying goes.

Second was his height (5 feet and 9 inches).

Height has always been a major advantage in the welterweight category.

Third was his amateur background (highlighted by a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics). 

Once you have an exciting and extensive experience in the amateur ranks, you’re almost always penciled to become a world class professional fighter.

Then I reviewed the Cuban’s fights on video; I studied his style and movement in the ring. I knew Ugas was the Real McCoy, someone who could match Pacquiao’s ferocity above the ring when the goings get tough.

I diligently did my assignment as an analyst and sportswriter.

I knew I would be grilled intensely by my colleagues in the broadcast media who always sought my opinion and trusted my pre-fight analysis in boxing during the “live” interviews.

I always anticipated on-the-spot and thought-provoking questions like: “What is your prediction?” and “Who do you think will win and why?”

Even if Ugas was toting an “unremarkable” ring record (now 25-4-0, 12 KOs), it didn’t discourage me from picking him to win against Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao.

 

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When I made pre-fight “fearless forecasts” in the past and wouldn’t pick Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs), fellow Filipinos with deep admiration and love for Pacquiao ribbed me for being “un-Filipino” and “biased against a fellow Filipino.”

I expected the same treatment when I announced that Ugas would score a huge upset if there was no knockout and the fight was decided by the judges, thus I always said “sorry” to Pacquiao’s fans before saying that Ugas might win on points.

Pacquiao remains to be extremely popular among Pinoy fight fans that they always believed he could still destroy his rivals by stoppage if the duel would not reach 12 rounds.

They forgot that the wear and tear factor has already caught up with Pacquiao, who has been fighting as a prizefighter since 1995. 

At 42, he may not be as destructive and quick compared during his heydays years back when he would send to retirement some of the most feared former world champions who had crossed his path like Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Oscar Dela Hoya, and Joshua Clottey, to name only a few.

Many of Pacquiao’s die-hards would always base their judgment on the hitherto best boxer pound for pound’s invincibility on emotion, not on science, statistics, period of inactivity and reality.

 

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Gamblers who placed a heavy bet on the “fighting lawmaker” who will now be obligated (I decline to use the word “forced”) to abandon boxing and focus on his political career now that he failed to bag Ugas’ WBA welterweight jewels, were the real big losers.

Pacquiao, 42, was the heavy underdog when his fight this year was announced against unified WBC and IBF 147-kg ruler Errol Spence Jr., 31.

When Spence Jr. pulled out and gave way to Ugas, 35, due to a torn retina two weeks before the August 21 bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Pacquiao became the heavy favorite.

Gamblers made a last-ditch effort to shift their bets and suffered the consequences for the “poor judgement.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

 

 

Time to ‘force’ Pacquiao to retire

“You can never have the comeback if you don't have the retirement.”

—Chael Sonnen

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WHEN he lost his final fight against unknown Hiroyuki Murakami by unanimous decision in Japan on May 20, 1971, the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) in Manila reportedly “forced” Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Jr. to retire by canceling his professional boxing license.

The brave former WBC junior lightweight champion from Bogo, Cebu was only 37, and he wanted to continue his boxing career despite absorbing his 27^th loss since turning professional with a KO win against Little Dundee in Davao City on August 12, 1952.

Boxing authorities thought it was time for Elorde (89-27-2, 33 KOs) to hang up his gloves for his own good.

At 35, a prizefighter is considered as “over the hill” or “retirable.” 

He must now protect and prioritize his health, and retirement is one way of preventing a potential fatal brain injury common among athletes involved in hard and violent head collisions.

Elorde, one of the greatest boxers in his division, died of lung cancer before his 50^thbirthday in Manila on January 2, 1985.

For his own good, Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) should retire win or lose after his bout against Yordenis Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs) in Las Vegas on August 21.

If he won’t, the Nevada State Athletics Commission should enter the picture and seize or cancel his license. Again, it’s for his own good.

There is no sense anymore for multimillionaire Pacquiao to continue fighting and risk a permanent brain damage or other injuries related to the brutal sport.

He must also preserve his legacy and avoid humiliation if he loses badly in a farewell fight.

 

-o0o-

 

The 42-year-old 8-division titlist is reportedly aiming to become president of the Philippines in next year’s election, and Pacquiao can’t afford to run the country—in case he wins—with fractured faculties. 

Filipinos can’t afford to live with a bed-ridden or “mortally damaged” president. 

Even if he will not run for president, Pacquiao has to stop fighting in the ring for money and fame.

He has plenty of money and abundance of fame; in fact, he can use them to garner more votes or to help the downtrodden without necessarily languishing in the dirty world of politics.

Depending on the severity of the injury, those who get a traumatic brain injury may face health problems that last a few days or the rest of their lives. 

For example, a person with a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion may experience short-term symptoms and feel better within a couple of weeks or months. 

And a person with a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury may have long-term or life-long effects from the injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP).

There were reportedly about 61,000 traumatic brain injury-related deaths in the United States in 2019.

That’s about 166 traumatic brain injury-related deaths every day, CDCP said.

 

-o0o-

 

In fact, Pacquiao doesn’t need to once again win a world crown by attempting to wrest the WBA 147-lb bauble from Ugas to prove he is the best welterweight fighter in this generation.

Good if he will outclass the granite-chinned Cuban champion so he can log another record in boxing.

What if Pacquiao will lose and suffer permanent injury?

Money can’t bring back a normal life if he becomes vegetable. 

Money can’t buy or find the spare parts to replace a damaged brain and body. 

The big duel against Ugas is now inevitable unless one of them backs out in the eleventh hour. 

Do we need to see Pacquiao being carried out on a stretcher after being badly mauled by a younger fighter after authorities failed to confiscate his license and throw it in the river to force him to quit boxing?

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can Ugas defeat Pacquiao? Why not?

 

“Boxing is like jazz. The better it is, the less people appreciate it.”

—George Foreman

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

I WON’T be surprised if the 12-round WBA super welterweight (147-lb or 66 kilograms) championship fight between champion Yordenis Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs) and challenger Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) on August 21 in Las Vegas will last the distance.

If the result will be decided by the three judges, there’s no guarantee that Pacquiao would be the winner—unless he scored a knockdown in the early rounds (where a mandatory eight-count is administered by the referee) like what happened in his title fight against 32-year-old Keith Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) in Las Vegas on July 20, 2019.

If not for the flash knockdown Pacquiao scored in the first round, his split decision win against Florida-based Thurman after 12 stanzas could have turned the other way. 

A split decision means only two of the three judges saw Pacquiao the winner; the lone dissent thought Thurman was the boss.

As of this writing, many Filipino fight fans have already written off the 35-year-old Cuban, who stands five feet and nine inches, three inches taller than the Filipino senator, who started in professional boxing as a skinny light flyweight (108 lbs or 48 kilograms) in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro in 1995.

 

-o0o-

 

For being a “mere” substitute of 31-year-old Errol Spence Jr. (25-0, 21 KOs) and toting a not-so-scary ring ledger, Ugas failed to impress Pacquiao’s dyed-in-the-wool admirers. 

They don’t give Ugas the ghost of a chance to beat Pacquiao; they predict the Cuban will capitulate in the first four rounds.

They think he’s a pushover with no impressive KO power; a dishwasher who could produce “only” a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics despite Cuba’s much-vaunted golden line-up and notoriety in amateur boxing.

His being orthodox in stance didn’t help lift his marketability among boxing aficionados, who believe Ugas would be an easy target for being lanky and flat-footed.

Once Pacquiao connects and catches the sturdy-chinned Ugas in the midsection, the Cuban defending titleholder will go down like a sack of potatoes because he doesn’t backpedal and sidestep like Vernon Forrest, Pernell Whitaker, Zab Judah, Andre Berto, Shane Mosley, and Felix Trinidad, they theorize.

 

-o0o-

 

But Ugas is not illiterate. 

Having studied Pacquiao’s past ring terrorism, Ugas is expected to avoid a dark alley acquaintance brawl in the early rounds; the Cuban will not place his head on the chopping block and allow a free throw from the left-handed Pacquiao without detonating his own bombs during an exchange.

Ugas might take some cue from Jeff Horn (20-3-1, 13 KOs), the last fighter to beat Pacquiao by unanimous decision in Brisbane on July 2, 2017.

Unlike Ugas, Horn is a roughhouser who used all the dirty tricks in the textbook to befuddle and handcuff Pacquiao before a cheering partisan crowd.

Pacquiao absorbed all of Horn’s bullying tactics and couldn’t catch the Aussie who moved like a pendulum. 

Aware of Pacquiao’s legs who now seemed like bony twigs at 42, Ugas might hold, push and embrace his Filipino challenger in a hope to tire him out and, thus, avoid an early trip to canvas for any of them.

There’s no way Ugas can settle the rivalry by knocking out Pacquiao as he apparently lacks the power to shake the Filipino’s ribcage even if Ugas will use a sledgehammer.

 

-o0o-

 

Ugas throws his right jab like a butterfly and traps his opponent with a searing left; he uses a long range to unload his combos and creates a web to confuse his rival who will end up eating Ugas blows.

Against the aggressive Pacquiao, Ugas will stay in front and cover the Filipino’s face with his own head to force Pacquiao to untangle and pave the way for his own artillery attack.

A clash of heads and low blows by Ugas won’t be far-fetched. The fight could end up as a draw if one of them suffers a nasty cut due to accidental headbutt before four rounds.

All eyes definitely are still on the 42-year-old Filipino ring superstar, once dubbed as the best boxer in the world pound for pound.

Fans used to watching Pacquiao dismantle his opponents when he was in the lower divisions, will hanker for a quick KO or TKO victory which he last scored three years ago against Lucas Martin Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur.

Whenever Pacquiao fights, the pressure put on his shoulders by bloodthirsty fans to wreck and blast to smithereens his opponent before 12 rounds is tremendous. 

Against Ugas, Pacquiao will also be up against nature—the age factor; the wear and tear of absorbing brutal punishments in the square jungle for more than 20 years, not to mention the mental anguish of having to engage the powers that be in Philippine politics in a bone-jarring mind game in another dirty arena.

A stoppage win for Pacquiao may not come, this time; and if Ugas has a full tank and manages to extend the carousel, he can hack out a majority or split decision after 12 rounds, a major upset that would shock everybody.

In boxing we don’t underestimate an opponent and call him patsy even if he is a Johnny-come-lately.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Wasay’

 

 “Violence is the language of the unheard.”

—Martin Luther King III

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WHAT happened to the 51-year-old man inside a Lower Manhattan bank ATM August 15 afternoon could happen to anyone, including me who is a regular visitor in the vicinity.

And this will confirm my assertion that mad men in New York target not only Asians but also other races.

Violence aimed at anyone in New York and in other states happens with or without the pandemic.

It’s actually a case of being at the wrong place in the wrong time or a “to-whom-it-may-concern” type of assault.

This will further prove my hypothesis that self-dense or confronting our attacker or attackers physically may not be a wise move, especially for the women and elderly victims as suggested by some wisecracks in the Philippine Consulate New York.

The Philippine Consulate here has made a suggestion to train Pinoys in New York with self defense amid reports of the upsurge these past months of hate crimes that victimized many Filipinos and other Asians.

I don’t believe it would save us if beasts in this urban jungle harassed and physically harmed us “for being Asians.”

When we were attacked, we could only fend for ourselves. 

The police, like in the movies, will arrive only after the action.

We are lucky if we survive.

 

-o0o-

 

A senior male friend once reminded us: “Bawal ang pa tanga tanga. Dapat laging handa at may presence of mind tayo habang naglalakad sa kalye dito sa New York.” 

Many of us may have now seen the video of the gruesome attack on

Spanish-speaking Miguel Solorzana, 51, who luckily survived and was recovering at Bellevue Hospital from the horrific madness that distracted many ATM users.

The attacker was seen on video casually walking into the facility with a bank of ATMs, holding a “wasay” or hatchet in his right hand — and then suddenly lunging at Solorzana, alone inside the bank ATM and who seemed not to even notice the attacker until he was under siege.

The assailant, a black man believed to be mentally and emotionally disturbed, repeatedly hacked the defenseless, man who was withdrawing money in the ATM, in the head and leg in what New York Police Department described as a shocking caught-on-camera ambush.

A suspect in the terrifying assault was taken into police custody late August 17, or two days after the assault, and reportedly taken to Bellevue Hospital for evaluation. 

No further information about him was immediately available, according to reports here.

 

-o0o-

 

Reports said the victim had been at an ATM at the Chase bank on Broadway near Morris St. about 5:20 p.m. when the assailant, who wore a black mask over his face, initially walked behind him—but then suddenly turned around and swung the hatchet at the man’s leg.

“The Queens resident, clutching his backpack in front of him, valiantly tries to defend himself, but the attacker shoves and grabs him, swinging the hatchet at his head as the overpowered victim tries to wrest it away, the video shows,” reported New York City’s Daily News.

“After the attack, the suspect is seen angrily stomping over to each of the bank’s ATMs, smashing the screens with his hatchet, before dropping the weapon and walking away, the video shows.”

Solorzana, who lives in Corona, reportedly needed two surgeries after the bloody attack, his friend Manny told The News.

“The whole family is in Mexico,” Manny said. “I didn’t ask him about what happened, i just wanted to make sure he’s okay.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York cockfighting bettors: ‘Sirang sira na ang buhay namin’

“Oh, it's not really gambling when you never lose.”

—Jennifer Aniston

 

By Alex P. Vidal 

 

COCKFIGHTING online has destroyed the life of many Filipinos not only here in New York, but also in other countries with large number of OFWs (overseas Filipino workers).

This was lamented by a certain “Butchoy”, a 63-year-old retired Philippine Army captain, who now resides in the Woodside, Queens.

Butchoy disclosed that in two years of betting in cockfighting online while living in New York, “I lost a fortune.” 

“Hindi lang ako ang namulubi. Marami pa diyan. Tahimik lang kami pero sirang sira na ang mga buhay namin.” (I’m not the only one who is now penniless. There are so many of us there who are just concealing our misery, but our lives have been destroyed.)

He sobbed: “Marami diyan hiniwalayan at pinalayas pa ng mga asawa nila dahil inubos pati savings sa sugal.” (Others have been kicked out from their houses by their wives who had also filed for separation.)

Butchoy, a part time chef and animal rights advocate, admitted he nearly lost his family because of gambling. “Buti binigyan ako ni misis nang second chance.”

He showed an ATM receipt to indicate what was left of his money in the bank: $240.

“Buti nga may laman pa o tingnan mo two forty (dollars). Noong isang araw $6,000 pa yan. Ganyan ako sinira ng online cockfighting na yan. Mahigit isang daan libong dolyar ang nawala sa akin in only six months. (What’s left in my ATM is only $240. It had $6,000 the other day. That’s how online cockfighting destroyed me. I lost more than $100,000 in only six months.)

 

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Butchoy said there are two competing gambling dens ran by Filipinos in one community in Queens. “Dapat ipasara na yan. Dapat itigal na. Ang mga may ari lang ang kumikita diyan.” (They should be closed down for good. Their operations must be stopped. Only the owners are making a pile there.)

Cockfighting online is illegal and prohibited under the law.

Butchoy said cockfighting online has impoverished a lot of Filipinos hooked on gambling, especially in countries where there are OFWs.

“Bernard”, another New York-based Pinoy cockfighting online addict, won $2,000 Thursday but lost $4,800 Saturday. 

On Friday he spent $1,600 in an overnight drinking binge inside a bar to celebrate with fellow bettors.

“Papatayin ako ni misis pag nalaman niya ‘to. Huwag na muna ako uuwi.” (My wife will kill me if she will discover this. It’s better for me to stay away from our house for a while.),” bewailed Bernard, who fell asleep in the bar because of too much drunkenness.

According to many Filipinos in the neighborhood, Bernard logged the highest winning cash in cockfighting online betting: $80,000.

“But that was two years ago,” Jun, a chess player, confirmed. “Beginner’s luck lang yun. After that palagi na siyang (Bernard) talo. Akala niya kasi tuloy tuloy ang suwerte niya. Uubusin siya ng cockfighting online na yan.” 

The types of Sabong Betting Odds, sources said, are:

Parehas:  Even odds

Lo Dies:  $100 wins $125 / $200 wins $250 / $400 wins $500

Walo-anim: $300 wins $400 / $600 wins $800

Onse:  $400 wins $550 / $800 wins $1100

Tres:  $1000 wins $1500

Sampu-anim:  $600 wins $1000

Doblado:  $1000 wins $2000

 

-o0o-

 

This would probably be my last letter from outgoing New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, which he also sent to other New Yorkers:

“Dear Alex, In March of last year, we created this newsletter in order to keep New Yorkers informed of the State's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to give you the facts directly. After 18 months, New York has gone from the highest infection rate in the country to one of the lowest. Millions of New Yorkers have been vaccinated with more getting vaccinated every day. The work of getting shots in arms and responding to COVID will continue, but tonight's Coronavirus Update will be the last. I want to thank you for reading—and for your individual actions, big or small, that helped your fellow New Yorkers throughout this unprecedented pandemic. You can continue to monitor the State's progress on ny.gov.

Here's what else you need to know tonight:

 1. COVID hospitalizations are at 1,772. Of the 99,005 tests reported yesterday, 3,575, or 3.61 percent, were positive. The 7-day positivity average was 3.09 percent. There were 362 patients in ICU yesterday, up seven from the previous day. Of them, 134 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 11 New Yorkers to the virus. 

2. As of 11am this morning, 77.6 percent of adult New Yorkers have completed at least one vaccine dose, per the CDC. Over the past 24 hours, 32,309 total doses have been administered. To date, New York has administered 22,932,286 total doses with 69.9 percent of adult New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See additional data on the State's Vaccine Tracker.

 3. The State Department of Health has authorized a third COVID-19 vaccine dose for New Yorkers with compromised immune systems. Following the CDC's recommendation, eligible New Yorkers can receive their third vaccine dose 28 days after the completion of their two-dose vaccine series, effective immediately.

4. All health care workers in New York State will be required to be vaccinated by Monday, September 27. This includes staff at hospitals and long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, adult care, and other congregate care settings. Limited medical and religious exemptions will be allowed.

Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": A new world record was set at Nardin Academy in Buffalo, New York, last week. Basketball players from all across the region came together to play what is now the world's longest basketball game. The game, which lasted five days, one minute and seven seconds, was organized to raise money for mental health resources in the Buffalo area. Ever Upward, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alex P. Vidal Quotes

 

Give her P100 million

  

“Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.”

—Dan Gable

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WHAT a shame that the Philippine government gave 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz “only” P10 million.

She deserves more than that; Diaz should get P100 million.

All Pinoy Olympians who did not win a medal should get P2 million each, not just P500,000.

Our sports coffer is awash with oodles of cash. 

The money is only being stolen by crocodiles masquerading as sports officials.

The cash incentives for athletes who gave the country so much glory and pride are peanuts compared to the billions of pesos being ripped away by thieves in the Bureau of Customs and the Department of Public Works and Highways, among other graft-ridden agencies.

We can never tell if we can bring home again another gold in the future Olympic Games; we aren’t sure if we can surpass the 1-2-1 (gold-silver-bronze) 2020 Tokyo Olympics haul in the 2024 Paris Olympics, 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the Olympic Games thereafter.

If this should be a once-in-a-lifetime cash bonanza, let’s make it a big bang. 

The increase in cash incentives for deserving athletes like weightlifter Diaz, woman boxer Nesty Petecio, and men boxers Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial should be done through a legislation.

No politician should grandstand and claim credit for the success of our Olympians.

 

-o0o-

 

When he gave Thailand its first-ever gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, boxer Somluck Kamsing or Somrak Kamsing was awarded 50 million baht or almost equivalent to 50 million in Philippine money.

And that was six Olympic Games ago.

Thai Olympic gold medalists now reportedly get approximately 200 million baht each, aside from the cash incentives from private donors.

For giving her country its first-ever gold medal since the Philippines joined the Olympic Games in Paris in 1924, Diaz, 30, should get more than P10 million from the government on top of the financial and material windfall from the private sector.

But we have no choice. It’s not the fault of our sports officials; we can’t blame even President Rodrigo Duterte.

The amount that Diaz will get from the government is actually stipulated in the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Incentives Act RA 10699 also known as the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act. 

Under RA 10699, Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medalists are entitled to P10 million, P5 million, and P2 million, respectively

Approved by the late former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III on November 13, 2015, the law reportedly expanded the coverage of incentives granted to national athletes and coaches.

It repealed RA 9064 or the National Athletes, Coaches and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001. 

Under this old law, gold medalists for the Olympic Games were only entitled to P5 million, while silver and bronze medalists for Olympic Games were entitled to P2.5 million and P1 million, respectively.

 

-o0o-

 

We Filipinos are not the only ones being assaulted by mad men in the New York City subway train and other public places.

As I have written in the past, as long as the pandemic is here some racist characters in America will continue to terrorize those who they believed were responsible for bringing the deadly infectious virus called COVID-19 in the United States; and they have been targeting mostly the Asians.

Because we Asians almost look the same in the shape of our eyes, we are all potential targets.

Every now and then we can hear incidents of harassments and assaults—physical and verbal. And the New York City government, as well as the New York Police Department, can’t stop this violence. 

The case of Filipina Potri Ranka Manis, a nurse and cultural artist who sustained bruises in different parts of her body and had to be brought to an emergency room following the incident last Aug. 10, was the latest racially motivated attack in connection with the pandemic.

The only way to “fight” hate crimes is to be vigilant, stay away from characters who are emotionally and mentally unstable while inside the subway train station, travel with one or two companions if possible, don’t sleep inside the train, bus, and their stations, and refrain from traveling at night.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)