Brand Pac-man on the verge of lapsing – Boxing Special
Former WBO welterweight titlist Manny Pacquiao finds himself amidst darkness, especially after his title loss to unbeaten American Timothy Bradley. Pacquiao was once considered the king of welterweight division but now he is being considered a brand on the
verge of destruction.
Recently, President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship Dana White revealed that Nike has shut down the Manny Pacquiao line of athletic shoes, believing it to be a signal to either Pacquiao’s downfall or the sport’s. The damage that was done to Pacquiao’s
reputation after his loss to Bradley has sent shockwaves around the world. The controversial split decision win of Bradley disappointed millions of fans across the world, making them shift from boxing to UFC.
“They’re shutting down the Manny Pacquiao line and starting up the Jon Jones line... I don’t know why they shut down the Pacquiao line, but they did and that (expletive) was selling like hot cakes. I got Manny Pacquiao (expletive) from Nike,” said White
in an interview.
Although no official report from Nike has been sent out regarding this issue, it is being widely believed that the reason for Nike ending the Pacquiao line was the downfall of the fighter or the sport. It is hard to accept the fact that Nike has ended its
terms with Pacquiao, considering the Filipino is a boxing icon around the world.
Pacquiao lost his WBO title to Timothy Bradley on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The decision was condemned widely by analysts, fighters and fans.
Fellow fighters such as Amir Khan of the Great Britain termed the loss as a ‘robbery’ for Pacquiao. Khan even mentioned that due to such decisions the sport of boxing is losing its credibility day by day.
Khan’s comments were taken as no exception, as many former fighters have been criticising on the same as well. Former fighter Ricky Hatton suggested Bradley to give the title back to Pacquiao According to Hatton, even Bradley knew Pacquiao had and so he
should be man enough to do what is right.
Not just Pacquiao’s folks, even Bradley’s folks believed the American lost the fight. Andre Ward, a close friend of Timothy Bradley, came up saying that Bradley should have not accepted the title in the first upon hearing the decision.
Nevertheless, Timothy Bradley has claimed time and again that he was declared winner by the judges and so he will not make an exception to the rule.
Whether Pacquiao had won or not, he officially lost the bout, adding another loss to his portfolio. The Filipino fighter has fought 54 fights to date, losing just 4. He is an icon, not just in his country but around the world.
Unfortunately, as many others, it seems like it is time for Pacquiao to lose his shine. Against Bradley, Pacquiao was not up to his mark. Many analysts believed he was wildly throwing punches and most of them were not really connecting. Keeping that in mind,
most analysts are of the view that the Filipino storm is now losing its rage and soon he will be a thing of the past.
Some suggest Pacquiao should retire from the sport to avoid further losses. However, the Filipino former champion insists he is at the top of his game and soon he will get the title back.
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