Pacquiao, Barrera a little too calm before Las Vegas rematch
I read an article in the Review Journal yesterday about the boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera this Saturday. I actually follow mixed martial arts much more closely than boxing, but a fighter is a fighter.
For the first time in my recollection, two fighters were respectful of each other at the pre-fight press conference. Not just respectful, but downright cordial.
I’ve never been a fan of all the pre-fight bravado that fighters tend to throw at each other. I understand that repeated incendiary comments can give one fighter a mental edge, but I always thought I’d rather just see a good show of sportsmanship.
And now here I am witnessing that very thing – two respectable fighters being respectful of each other. No fire and fury. No brawling at the press conference. No feuding.
It feels like it’s going to be a boring fight.
But more than taking away from the entertainment value of the fight, the lack of temerity between the pugilists makes them seem more timid than sportsmanlike.
Supreme confidence, a feeling of night on invincibility is the most potent weapon in the fighter’s arsenal. Any wavering or hesitation can turn a fight around in an instant. The experienced fighter can sense when his opponent is shaken and that can spell doom.
Both men have trained intensely for this fight. I don’t doubt that each is confident about his victory, but the fight itself is much less compelling for me when I don’t love or hate either of the fighters.
As much as I used to dislike the trash talk leading up to fight, I have to admit that those emotionally charged fights always have an almost palpable air of anticipation and are always more fun to watch.
