FIGHTING on legs weighed down by over two years of inactivity, Manny Pacquiao absorbed a shocking unanimous decision defeat to Cuban Yordenis Ugas yesterday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, a loss that may have been the Pinoy boxing icon’s swan song.
“I don’t know, I don’t know. Let me rest first and relax and make a decision if we will continue to fight or not,” Pacquiao, 42, said in response to questions whether he had fought the last fight in his illustrious career that had made him a multi-millionaire and propelled him to heights he never imagined he could achieve.
The judges scored the fight 115-113, 116-112, 116-112 in favor of Ugas, who controlled the second half of the fight with his jab as the more aggressive Pacquiao struggled to land his punches on his return to the ring after a two-year absence.
The clear favorite of the 17,438 fans at the T-Mobile Arena, Pacquiao came out aggressively in the early rounds with his trademark speed and combinations but the Cuban’s long reach enabled him to keep the former eight-division world champion at arm’s length and his jab proved an effective, if not fight-winning, weapon.
The crowd was reduced to a nervous silence as the fight headed into the final rounds with no sign of the knockout that Pacquiao needed to come out a winner, although spectators were roused into voice when the fighters went toe-to-toe in the 10th.
Gracious in defeat, Pacquiao, whose face was badly bruised with cuts in both eyes, congratulated Ugas, 35, for the win and apologized to the crowd who had expected him to prevail despite over a two-year layoff.
“It became a problem for me because I wasn’t able to make adjustments right away. My legs were tight so I wasn’t able to move as much,” he said, admitting that he was bothered by the Cuban’s left jab that threw him off his timing.
“I am thankful to the fans for coming here to witness the fight live. I am really appreciative of your efforts to come here despite the pandemic to watch the fight live. I am sorry we lost tonight. I did my best. I apologize,” Pacquiao said in what could likely be his curtain call in the American gambling capital that also may have dealt a big blow to his plans to run for the presidency in next year’s elections.
In a post-fight interview, Pacquiao said he will make public next month what his political plans are for next year. “I will be making an announcement next month,” he said.
Malacanang said the Filipino support for Pacquiao will not waver or the honor and joy he brought to the country be diminished by his loss.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Pacquiao will forever be etched in the hearts of Filipinos as the “People’s Champ.”
Armed with lethal left jab and counterpunches that connected with telling effect, the Cuban showed he was deserving of the belt that was awarded to him by the Panama-based boxing body last January, the belt that was stripped from the Filipino ring star for not fighting for over a year.
Ugas, a former 2008 Olympic bronze medalist who defected to the United States from Cuba in 2010, went into the fight as a 3-1 underdog. He was a last-minute replacement for unbeaten American Errol Spence Jr., who was originally set to defend his International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council welterweight titles against Pacquiao.
Spence was forced to withdraw from the highlyanticipated clash due to an eye injury, paving the way for the Cuban to become a late stand-in since hewas in the undercard of the original program.
The stunning outcome recalled Pacquiao’s own upset win 20 years ago when he stepped in as a latereliever to capture the IBF super bantamweight crown over heavilyfavored South African Lehlo Ledwaba with a sixth-round technical knockout win on June 23, 2001 at the MGM Grand Arena.
In a show of ultimate respect to his defeated rival, Ugas went straight to his Filipino foe’s corner to embrace him after the decision was announced.
“Definitely, Pacquiao is a great competitor. But I came here to show everyone that I am definitely the WBA champion. A lot of respect for him but I won the fight,” said Ugas, savoring the biggest triumph of his career.
“They said that he (Pacquiao) was the champion; now they know who the real champion is,” said the Cuban, who chalked up his 27th win against four losses, adding that unifying the titles in the tough welterweight division would be his next priority.
Encouraged by the victory, he said that Spence is next on his list.
Pacquiao saw his three-match winning streak snapped as he absorbed his eighth setback against 62 wins (39 KOs) and two draws.
Pacquiao’s vaunted speed, power and superb footwork that terrorized his past foes in eight weight divisions were no longer there, likely a sign that Father Time may have ultimately caught up with him.
Although he began sharply like the Pacquiao of old in the early rounds, he was a pale shadow of his younger self, looking winded as the fight wore on, while theyounger Cuban began to assert his dominance in the latter rounds with his vicious counterpunching and body shots. — With Jocelyn Montemayor, Raymond Africa, and Reuters
