Sports Pilipinas Rewind: Post-Pacquiao-Rios Fight Analysis with Manny Piñol and Del Bacho

In a recent “Sports Pilipinas” special, renowned boxing analysts Manny Piñol and Del Bacho reviewed the recent bout between Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios. The match was Pacquiao’s first win after two devastating losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez. “Sports Pilipinas” correspondent and GMA News reporter Mark Zambrano interviewed Piñol and Bacho about how Manny has matured as a boxer, what strategies led to his victory over Rios, and their expectations for the future of both fighters.



Read the full interview below.
 
Mark Zambrano: Mga Kapuso, kakatapos nga lang ng bakbakang Pacquiao-Rios at muling nabuhay ang buong sambayanan sa pagkapanalo ng People’s Champ matapos siyang hiranging WBO International Welterweight Champion sa pagtatapos ng 12 rounds. Kasama natin ang boxing writer/commentator, Gov. Manny Piñol, at mixed martial arts pioneer at sports writer na si Del Bacho. Magandang gabi sa inyong dalawa, Gov., Del.
 
Del Bacho: Magandang gabi din naman.
 
Mark Zambrano: Gov. uunahin na kita. Kasi siyempre ang pinakamalaking katanungan dito bago nagumpisa ‘yung laban, ‘yun bang knockout na nakuha ni Manny Pacquiao dun sa pagkatalo niya kay Juan Manuel Marquez nung huling laban niya eh makakaapekto pa ba sa kanya? Base dun sa nakita n’yo, meron pa bang lasting effect [ito]?
 
Manny Piñol: Actually, meron sa tingin ko. And that precisely explains the reason why ganun ang fighting style na ginawa niya and he admitted it at the end of the fight, in the interview with Larry Merchant, sinabi niyang naging cautious din siya because he did not want the repeat of what happened in the Marquez fight.
 
MZ: For a fighter, Del, ikaw nakalaban ka na. You know how it is inside the ring. Alam mo ‘yung pakiramdam, ‘yung emotion na nandoon habang lumalaban ka. ‘Yun bang nakita mong Manny Pacquiao kanina eh, ‘yun ‘yung inasahan mong makita after the fight?
 
DB: Most definitely. Kasi ang isang fighter, ‘pag nakatikim ng tulog ‘yan, kagaya ng tulog na tinanggap niya kay Marquez dati, it could either destroy you, or it could light a fire. Most of the time, ‘pag ‘yung fighter galing sa talo, bumababa ang kumpyansa, medyo cautious. Wala akong nakitang ganun kay Manny. Buong buo pa rin [ang kumpyansa niya].
 
MZ: Maraming contention kasi ang nagsasabi na bumabagal na daw si Manny Pacquiao, wala na daw knockout punch si Manny Pacquiao. Dun sa nakita natin kanina, kahit walang knockout punch, alam mong kontrolado niya ‘yung buong laban eh.
 
MP: At saka dapat maintindihan natin na yung kalaban niya, si Bradley Rios, is a big fighter. At ‘pag matalino ka na boksingero, eh alam mong may risk, may chance na matulog ka ‘pag tinamaan ka. And I think what Manny and Rios did was to sacrifice a little of the power in the power department, to be able to compensate dun sa speed department.

MZ: Pagusapan natin, Gov, yung bilis ni Manny Pacquiao. As I mentioned kanina, maraming nagsasabi [na] posibleng nawawala na daw [siya], bumabagal na daw [siya]. But in this fight, I don’t know if you share the same sentiments with me, ‘yung bilis niya nagamit niya both as an offensive weapon and a defensive weapon, ‘di ba?
 
MP: I agree na talagang na-emphasize yung deficiency ni Rios sa fight na ito. In fact, sa fight tonight, si Brandon Rios appeared as an overpaid sparring partner.
 
MZ: Parang ‘di niya alam [kung] anong adjustments [ang] mga gagawin niya.
 
DB: ‘Dun sa nabanggit mo tungkol sa speed, ano, kasi he wants to rumble. Gusto daw niya tinatamaan siya, gusto niya magbabanatan sila dun sa clinch and all. Mahirap makipagbanatan kung wala sa harap mo ‘yung kalaban mo. Bumabato ka pa lang, wala na, tinatamaan ka na uli, kaya ‘di siya maka-execute eh. Kung mapapansin niyo, lagi siyang naka-cover, ‘di siya makabitaw kasi ‘pag bumitaw siya, tatlo, apat ang papasok [na suntok].
 
MP: ‘Tong sinabi ni Brandon Rios na he will send Manny Pacquiao to retirement, napa-speed si Manny. What Manny did tonight was to tell [to those who] say that he wants to retire...
 
DB: Para bang, “Hijo, ‘di mo alam sinasabi mo.”

MZ: ‘Yun bang power punch ni Manny Pacquiao, kasi nakita natin kanina, [‘yun ba] ‘yung gugustuhin niyang ipakita?
 
MP: ‘Yung pagbagsak, Mark, I think it was a knockdown [because] it was precipitated by a punch. And ‘pag ganun, sa boxing kasi, medyo nakatalikod lang yung Rios sa referee ano, kaya ‘di nakita ‘yung knockdown. But I really believe that that fall was a legitimate knockdown, because mayroong suntok na umabot kay Rios bago siya bumagsak.
 
MZ: Gentlemen, ano, kung paguusapan natin ‘yung [mga] pinagdaanan ni Manny, lahat ng laban na pinagdaanan niya, his victories and disposals, makikita mo na tumatalino si Manny. He’s evolving mentally. Sa palagay ko, ‘yun ‘yung fact na gumagawa sa kanyang better, smarter, or dangerous fighter.
 
MP: Actually, ang ipinakita ni Manny tonight was [a] matured Manny Pacquiao. Nakita mo ‘yung nagta-take risk siya, as in the Marquez fight. ‘Yung Marquez fight, ‘di siya dapat natalo doon. Binubugbog niya, basag-basag na ‘yung mukha, and he was in the verge of winning that fight with TKO, and yet dahil sa kumpiyansa siguro masyado, masyadong nagkumpiyansa, masyadong nagtiwala sa sarili, binaba yung depensa, tinamaan [ng] isang suntok lang, and he learned from that. Tama yung sinabi ni Del kanina [na] instead of allowing fear to prevail over him because of the knockout, I think what happened was, Manny Pacquiao learned from that knockout. And that is what he told Larry after the fight, “I don’t want  a repeat like in the Marquez fight.”
 
MZ: Mayroong nagbanggit sa ‘kin dati na ‘yun daw trauma [na] nakuha ni Manny Pacquiao, if ever meron mula sa knockout niyang pagkatalo kay Marquez, ‘yun daw ay lalabas lamang pag nasaktan siya ng tuluyan uli. But this time around, ‘di natin siya nakitang nasaktan. ‘Yun ba eh, pwede nating safely sabihin na the trauma isn’t there o dahil ‘di lang siya nasaktan?
 
MP: It’s something that we cannot definitely say at this point of time, kasi tama ‘yung sinabi mo. ‘Di siya nasaktan sa laban na ito, pero tinamaan siya. Kung titingnan mo yun mukha ni Manny after the fight, talagang unscathed talaga yung mukha. Walang bahid ng suntok na tinama ni Brandon Rios.
 
MZ: Matibay lang talaga ‘yung Rios. Wala tayong masasabi sa tibay ng panga niya.
 
MP: Dapat nating respetuhin. Going back to the trauma...
 
DB: I think it’s safe to say din [na] it will always be at the back of his head how he deals with it. [It] will define talaga [kung] anong klaseng champion talaga si Manny Pacquiao - how he deals with it. Pero, as a fighter, and ‘yun, lagi ‘yung possibility na yun.
 
MP: And what impressed me most was Manny Pacquiao’s actions and decisions in the last round. Last round, binugbog niya si Brandon Rios, [at] talagang nasaktan [ito]. Pero instead of following through, he backed off. Tama nga naman, “Ba’t ako magta-take ng risk?” He’s mature. “Twelfth round, ilang segundo na lang panalo na ko. Should I take the risk of getting towards the end of the round?”
 
MZ: Tulad ng nangyari ‘nung Round 6.
 
MP: Tulad ng nangyari kay Marquez [fight] na desperation shot. Because you have to understand that Brandon Rios, even if he was beaten in all of the eleven rounds, he still had the power to knock out a Manny Pacquiao in the twelfth round. So siguro pumasok sa isip ni Manny, “I’m not going to take risk anymore. I’ve done my job of fighting this fight. I’ve shown them who the better fighter is.”

MZ: Mayroong at least two rounds na dikit eh, na posibleng kung paguusapan nga natin yung scoring ng mga judges eh, merong binigay na rounds kay Rios eh.
 
MP: One judge gave two rounds to Rios, and I think one of those rounds [was] Round 8. Talagang madikit ‘yung laban, but I still gave that round to Manny by a close point.
 
DB: Pero tama ‘yung word na ginagamit natin tungkol sa two rounds na ‘yun. ‘Yung two rounds na ‘yun, binigay sa kanya. ‘Di niya kinuha  ‘yun, di niya tinrabaho yun, di niya pinanalo ‘yun. Binigay ‘yun sa kanya. I don’t think he did enough para makuha yung dalawa na yun.
 
MP: Round 8 was a close round, but I think it should have gone to Manny.
 
DB: Ako, sasabihin ko talaga d’yan sa nakita natin [na] motion, action, domination ‘yung naging resulta eh. Andun ‘yung aksyon ng mga suntok niya, ‘yung movement - everything. ‘Yung footwork, it was flawless. Very flawless. Napakahirap niyang tamaan. Nakikita naman natin, ultimo ‘tong si Rios ‘pag ‘di siya napapatama, napapailing siya e. Magaling siyang umiling ah. Actually, ‘tong laban na ito was a replay of Antonio Margarito and the Oscar dela Hoya fight.
 
MZ: A bigger, wider fighter sa harap at bilis ng ating Pambansang Kamao.
 
MP: Naaalala ko pa, Mark, pagkatapos ng, the morning after the Oscar Dela Hoya fight, I left Las Vegas. I went to Chicago and I received a call from Manny Pacquiao, and you know what he said, “Nakita mo?”
 
MZ: That says it all. Okay, sa ilang saglit lang tuloy-tuloy pa rin po ang aming pagsusuri sa labanang “Pacquiao-Rios: The Clash in Cotai”. Ito ang post-fight special ng Sports Pilipinas.
 
MZ: Nagbabalik po ang Pacquiao-Rios post-fight special dito pa rin po sa News TV, at kanina, pinaguusapan namin dito ni Gov. Manny at ni Del ‘yung scoring bago tayo magpunta sa break. Ngayon, puntahan natin ‘yung, kanina pinaguusapan [na rin] natin ito eh. ‘Yung final few rounds kung saan talaga [ipinakita] ni Manny kung ga’no kaganda ‘yung performance niya against Brandon Rios.
 
MP: Actually ‘yung last three rounds, sa rounds [to] which actually Manny showed his excellence, Manny Pacquiao did his best and nakikita natin dito ‘yung talagang experience ng boksingero na nakaranas na ng magagandang panalo and nakaranas nang masakit na pagkatalo.
 
MZ: Ramdam na ramdam natin kanina yung kagustuhan ni Rios na pumasok eh, pero tulad nga ng binanggit mo kanina off-cam, ang hirap tamaan ng target na ‘di mo makita. At saka merong mga awkward moments para kay Brandon Rios na nakaharap pa siya d’on, [tapos] andito na si Manny and those were very very awkward moments for him ‘cause d’un mo makikita ‘yung kabagalan ni Rios at ‘yung kabilisan ni Manny.
 
MZ: Del, the left straight, the left hook, it’s all been about the left buong laban.
 
DB: ‘Di lang left straight eh, double left straight. Bago ‘yun, ngayon niya lang uli pinukol ‘yun [since] Eric Morales. Binato niya rin ‘yun kay Margarito a few times, pero ngayon lang talaga very evident yung double straight niya. Ngayon, ang nakakatawa dito, para siyang kumakatok. Knock knock. ‘Pag sumilip ka ng kaunti, sapul ka o upper cut. Ang ganda ng mga kombinasyon eh. ‘Yung left straight na ‘yun, mapapaginipan ni Bam Bam ‘yun.
 
MZ: Now is one of the best times na nag[ka]isa ang ating bansa habang nanonood kay Manny dahil nga may nangyari – sa bagyong Yolanda, at ‘yung earthquake sa Bohol. And I’m sure ‘yung mga tao natin dun, ‘yung mga kababayan natin, pilit na bumabangon. Nagkaroon [sila] ng pagkakataon dahil dun sa panalo ni Manny. For us Filipinos, I’m sure sa inyo din, anong significance nitong panalo na ‘to para sa lahat ng Pilipino, lalung-lalo na ‘dun sa Eastern Visayas?
 
MP: Well, unang-una, I can talk about the Zamboanga siege. Siguro ‘yung araw na ‘yun na pumasok sa Zamboanga, [tapos] lumalaban si Manny, baka ‘di natuloy yun. Baka tumigil ‘yun. It’s an unfortunate attack. I can’t say the same thing for the earthquake, no, typhoon, no, pero talagang makikita mo ‘yung sincerity ni Manny, ang pagmamahal niya sa tao. Right after the fight sinabi niya na sa typhoon victims ng Yolanda na, “Kita tayo.”
 
DB: Talagang napakaganda n’on, ‘yung [pagkatapos ng] dinanas mo na delubyo, pinapanood mo yung idolo natin, nagchee-cheer ka, nanalo, sabay humarap sa inyo, [at sinabing], “Kita tayo.”
 
MP: At saka ito, Mark, maging leksyon sa ‘ting mga Pilipino, kasi may mga Pilipino na [grabe] ‘yung crab mentality na sinasabi natin, isang talo, dalawang talo, sasabihin agad, “Ah, wala na si Pacquiao. Tapos na ‘yan.” Bakit ‘di natin isipin kung gaano kagaling si Manny. Look, I state this every time I have the time. In our lifetime, we will never see another Manny Pacquiao.
 
MZ: Del, nasubaybayan natin halos lahat, if not all, ‘yung mga laban ni Manny sa kanyang career, yung mga belts na nakuha niya, the way he got those belts. Nakita nating lahat eh. In your opinion, itong laban na ‘to, how will you rank [this] kumpara dun sa ibang laban ni Manny?  Would you consider this one of the top great fights of Manny?

DB: It’s definitely a very, very positive and very impactful fight in his career, but in terms of the quality of the opponent, in terms of the clash and the level of the greatness of the other fighters, Brandon Rios is not there yet. Wala pa siya dun. No disrespect to the other champions, and all the hall of famers in the past, just to add to what Gov said ‘no.
 
MZ: Nakita natin kanina na even if he wanted to, ‘yung maturity ni Manny, ewan ko. I think that is something everyone should consider eh. Hindi na siya ‘yung fighter na panay knockout na lang ang hinahanap eh. You can win in many other ways. Marami pang paraan para maka-knockout.
 
MP: Mark, ako, I would rank this fight with Rios as one of the best. Coming from a loss, not only a loss, [but] a devastating loss, this is one of his best performances, and ito yung makukumpara ko sa performance niya against Oscar dela Hoya na mismo ako kinakabahan. Totoo kasing masyadong malaki ‘yung Oscar dela Hoya, pati si Antonio Margarito, ‘di madaling kalaban ‘yun. Sa Margarito fight, nasaktan si Manny. Isang suntok sa tadyang nasaktan siya, and in Rios, although tama yung sinasabi ninyong  dalawa, mabagal [siya], not in the class of other opponents of Pacquiao. But you have to understand that this comes right after a devastating loss to Juan Manuel Marquez and this is not an easy fight for Manny. Nandoon pa sa utak niya ‘yung pagkatalo niya, and ‘di natin maabot. And I think that shocking loss, knockout loss to Marquez was what made this fight it is. [For] one, ‘yung Rios camp, “knockout Manny” kasi ‘yung mindset nila eh. Bumagsak na ito, babagsak na ulit ‘to ‘pag tinamaan. But that was, sabi ni Freddie Roach, a “girl’s kick.”
 
DB: That’s true. A girl can kick better than a real man.
 
MP: Well, anyway, ito ‘yung pinakabuod ng laban na ito: Here’s the Rios camp thinking that they could make a repeat of what Marquez did, allow Pacquiao to dominate and plan a big march that could end the fight ‘cause they thought, wrongly of course, that ‘yung pagka-knockout [niya] kay Marquez ay maiiwan pa sa utak ni Pacquiao. On the other hand, it worked to be an advantage of Manny Pacquiao. ‘Yung thought ng pagka-knock out niya kay Marquez reminded him na huwag kang magkumpyansa and this is what he had set. It put the Rios camp in a cage, na ang kanilang strategy lang is to knock out Pacquiao, kaya talagang si Rios, if you would just notice, kept on planning on.”
 
DB: Parang walang Plan B.
 
MP: Gusto lang talagang sumuntok nang malakas, kasi ‘yun ‘yung mindset nila eh. ‘Yung Pacquiao naman, alam niya ‘pag tinamaan siya baka bumagsak siya. Kaya iwas din siya and ‘yun ‘yung buod ng laban na ito.
 
MZ: What’s next for Manny and Rios?
 
MP: ‘Yun ang, ako, I still hope na one of these days, they will see the fight na almost all of us [is waiting for], the fight against Mayweather. May mga insight din po ‘ko na gustong lumaban ni Mayweather and let’s be very honest about this, isa lang ang issue jan - Bob Arum. Kasi ‘yung Mayweather, ayaw talaga kay Bob Arum, and ‘yun lang ‘yung pinoproblema natin d’yan. So ang question d’yan is, will Bob Arum give way to allow the world’s boxing champions’ fans to witness the greatest fight?
 
DB: Kasi no one else matters. Sorry, with all due respect sa mga contenders, no one else matters unless it’s Floyd.
 
MP: Out on the way to Mayweather, siguro pwede pa ‘yung Bradley. [A] Bradley [fight] would be a good fight, ano. Over ‘yung ibang fighters, ‘yung Bradley, it has the drama. Nandoon ‘yung element of revenge, and correcting an injustice.
 
MZ: What about a Pacquiao-Marquez fight?
 
MP: I don’t think Marquez will be willing to fight Pacquiao again. Nakaisa na siya eh. Tapos na, para bang bata na nakapitik na ng ilong, “Ayaw na, tama na ‘ko.”
 
MZ: Final words, gentlemen, about the fight that we have just witnessed. Manny Pacquiao back on top, back in the radar, and a lot of fights coming up. Final thoughts on the fight?
 
MP: Well, he’s not on top yet, but he’s back, and I think Manny proved again na ‘yung pagkatalo niya kay Timothy Bradley was very controversial. ‘Yung pagkatalo niya kay Marquez, admittedly talagang talo, but it was accidental. Talagang naisahan siya d’on, and pinakita niyang ‘yung kanyang ring skills, unparallelled by any other boxers in this world.
 
DB: For Brandon Rios naman, in the future, I see this kid being relevant again. Kagaya nga ng nabanggit ko kanina, ‘yung natutunan niya sa pagkakagulpi sa kanya ni Manny, malaking bagay ‘yun. Wake up call, at the same time, quality opponent for him as well and that fight with Manny will actually bring him up to a higher level in terms of edging on fighters. Aakyat ‘yan, bibigyan na ng mga quality opponents yan, and who knows, baka pumutok siya in a big, big way.
 
MZ: Okay, maraming salamat, Gov. Manny Piñol, Del Bacho.

–Transcript prepared by Sports Pilipinas and Donna Allanigue/PF, GMA News