In my opinion, the reason why naysayers and borderline fans rushed to criticize Pacquiao is so obvious it borders on the ridiculous. The truth is that Shane refused to fight toe-to-toe, and Pacquiao appeared less mobile than he had in his previous four or five fights. During the post-fight interviews, Pacquiao claimed he was suffering tightness in his legs, which fans took to mean he had cramps.
Okay, let’s say we buy that, though I’m not a big proponent of fighters whining about pain after a fight. I give Manny a pass because he still won convincingly, and I believe he was simply disappointed he didn’t give the fans a knockout. If people want to knock Pacquiao for anything, then blame it on the lack of movement as a result of his legs.
But please, fans (and haters alike), just realize that by criticizing Pacquiao’s performance last Saturday — by saying he is now a fighter on the decline, or Floyd Mayweather did better against a common opponent — you are basically admitting to something you don’t even realize. You are, in essence, holding the Filipino to such a high standard that even when he scores a twelve round unanimous decision, a third round knockdown, and runs a boxing clinic on an aging but seasoned Hall of Famer, it still isn’t enough. People wanted the KO, the TKO, the thrown towel, the “No Mas!” ending we’ve grown so spoiled by. It’s an admission of greatness masked as beneath the guile of false critique.
