Pacquiao-Bradley: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas

My wife, who has the habit of peeking through her fingers as she covers her eyes every time Manny Pacquiao hits his opponent with power shots, exclaimed: “Was I dreaming or what!” after Mr. “Are you ready to rumble” Michael Buffer announced the split decision in favor of Timothy Bradley Jr.   Just like those who booed the decision, she was stupefied by what just happened. She kept asking me what I thought of the decision and why I was not angrily protesting.   I joked with her that she is indeed dreaming and I explained to her that Las Vegas is a twilight zone—a place beyond matters of fairness and unfairness. It is a dreamworld where the unreal becomes real, and the real, unreal. Everything there has a beginning and an end, whether we like it or not.   As a world-class institution of entertainment, it is a stomping ground that claims the best and the worst in us. It is a place that projects the creative world of innovation and design, but at the same time, it panders to the destructive influence of cold cash and organized corruption.   First and foremost, Las Vegas is a seat of money economy, calculating and excessive, and not a paragon of values and morality.   And so when friends and pundits criticized Manny for losing his old spunk in boxing, I try to rationalize it in a wider context.     I must say that his power shot is still there, but the way he attacks his opponent with blazing speed is now gone. And I think no matter how he claims that he has learned his lessons from his subpar performances, one really wonders whether he still possesses the puño de furia (fist of fury) as one of my Mexican acquaintances calls it.   The reality is, Manny has changed in a dramatic, but sadly, in an unsustainable way.     First, the creeping ravages of time are slowly catching up on him. I can still picture him in my mind as he batters the likes of Oscar De La Hoya or David Diaz to a pulp while in his 20s. A pugilistic feat that is clearly absent with his recent fights with Juan Manuel Marquez and Bradley.   Second, despite his “born-again” outlook of life, no one can deny the fact that he has spread himself too thinly. He is now a multiple persona living the high life—a politician, a businessperson, a TV host, a Bible teacher, an evangelist, a faith healer, a boxer, and with too many parasitic hangers-on to boot.   Although, psychologically, he thinks he can do all these things, realistically he can’t keep up with all of them without sacrificing the quality of his craft. Sooner or later something has to give. To think that he can play so many roles and also expect to devote 100 percent of his attention to his craft as a professional, world class, and popular athlete is simply unrealistic. Even Superman had his own breakdown.   Third, his relationship with Freddie Roach has changed from mentor-mentee to coach-diva. Never mind the many run-ins he had with his coach who cannot tolerate nonsense distractions. Manny is no longer a wide-eyed trainee but a celebrity with star power who can call his own shots. Whether it is for the better or not, Freddie has this to say, “he now works for Manny.”   In the end, Las Vegas doesn’t truly feel for Manny whether he wins or loses. I don’t care a bit whether it does or not. I think, as long as there is more money to be made, it’s a win-win situation for the city that never sleeps.   What gets my goat, though, is the effect of this controversy on his two young sons. They’re still too young to understand the ways of the world—the ways of grown men and women who calculate and scheme for all the devious reasons to serve personal or organizational ends.     I understand the general principle that few leave this world unscathed by some form or manner of injustice, but to experience it in a way that involves people closest to you brings up a lesson so personal in a powerful way.     I know Manny’s children live privileged lives, but this shows you that wealth alone cannot shield you or make you impervious from the ways of the darker side of humanity. I was glad that Manny exemplified to his son how to remain magnanimous even in the midst of great injustice.   For me, Manny did not lose the fight, he was denied a win. But as they say about Sin City, “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”   I hope it stays that way and I wish everyone not to dwell anymore on what happened in that place.   That is, Las Vegas.