By Lynde Salgados
Correspondent
AS Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao remains hesitant on his next career path, Cagayan de Oro’s legendary boxing hero Rene Barrientos ― the former WBC super featherweight champion ― is almost certain on what logical advice he could give to a fighter dealing with Father time.
“Manny should better off retire both in boxing and politics. Boxing is a young man’s game and politics is the dirtiest game in the world. Why not enjoy the wealth and fortune after years of sacrifice at the expense of your own life and limb because of extreme poverty. If not of poverty just like Manny, I will never risk my face to be punched atop the ring,” said the now 80-year-old Barrientos in an interview at his house in Mahogany St., Barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City.
After his unanimous decision loss to the 35-year-old Yordenis Ugas, the WBA featherweight titleholder from Cuba, the 42-year-old fighting senator hinted upon his return to the Philippines that he might consider a rematch with the former Olympian Ugas in January next year or pursue a presidential bid.
Before Pacquiao came to grace the boxing spotlight, there was the late Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde ― the longest-reigning world junior lightweight champion ― who held the title for seven years and three months.
But fighting past 30 against the 21-year-old Barrientos on February 27, 1965, at the Cebu City Coliseum, the veteran Elorde needed some luck to fashion out a controversial win on points that drew flak even from the Cebuano fans.
Barrientos recalled that he was the busy fighter then, throwing more punches that the crowd got mad when the referee called it a slip instead of a knockdown for Elorde in the 11th round of their 12-round bout for the latter’s Orient Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title.
Learning from the Elorde fight, the then 25-year-old Barrientos went on to defeat the American Ruben Navarro for the WBC super featherweight crown on February 15, 1969, before the home crowd at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.
In Pacquiao’s case, Barrientos said that anything outside of his impending retirement would reflect the greedy intent by the people who surround the world’s only eight-division champion, and who would always treat him as the goose that lays the golden eggs.
“It’s still Pacquiao to decide his fate. Should he keep fighting at a disadvantage age then, I’ll presume that the so-called friends and associates that will benefit from his prizefighting will literally kill him,” Barrientos warned.
The granddaddy of Philippine boxing said he monitored Pacquiao’s preparation against Ugas that he knew his American-flavored Team Pacman at the Wild Card Gym in California had subjected him to a rigid training regimen, like 30-round sparring in one day, that eventually led to his downfall he suffered a cramp on his legs during fight night.
This, aside from a lung-busting jog and sprint off the hilly Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California where former Olympian Roberto ‘Bobby’ Jalnaiz said that a seven-kilometer stretch was just a normal routine procedure for the veteran Pacman to endure every morning, not to mention prolonged yet agonizing body sit-ups and stretching.
“Binaboy nila si Manny. At 42, training like that is one hell of physical abuse. When you’re old, you no longer have the absorbing power or pain endurance because it's already hard for the battle-scarred muscles to bounce up and absorb pain against solid blows. Gabunal-bunalan pa iyang lawas sa training which is clear foolishness because it takes time for swollen muscles to heal. I know because trabaho ko na sa una. I’ve been there before. The spirit is willing but the flesh is already weak when you’re old,” Barrientos pointed out.
The Aklan-born Barrientos, who settled for good in Cagayan de Oro after marrying the daughter (Antonietta) of his boxing manager Dr. Antonio ‘Dodong’ Almirante, both of them are now deceased, said Pacquiao may still have the urge to fight “though it's not the most sensible thing for him to do.”
After his semi-retirement due to injury, Barrientos returned to the ring for two more bouts in 1978 that he won over fellow Filipino Joe Faune by two-round knockout (KO) and Thai slugger Jong Satherigym by decision.
In his last fight, Barrientos was already 40-year-old against the Thailander who was only 23-year-old.
It was during this time Barrientos realized that he already had enough on the ring as he would easily get tired, catching up his breath after every missed thrown punches.
“I know the situation where Pacquiao is in right now. In my last fight that i managed to overcome, ako ang gapanumbag pero ako ang gakapoyon. I was expecting for second wind but it never came.”
However, Barrientos said he won’t be surprised if Pacquiao will continue fighting.
Unlike in the olden times, today’s guaranteed boxing prize is jaw-dropping, not to mention the astronomical pay-per-view sales when the fight promotion involves elite ring gladiators.
“He lost to Ugas but granting he earned around $20-million in that bout it’s still billion when you try to do the math like multiply it to 50 in Philippine money,” he enthused.
Pacquiao may have lost the touch and his old menacing form to age, and it’s not hard to read one’s body clock for an intelligent boxer to figure out.
Pacquiao already has everything: wealth, fortune, and fame. But billions come in a whiff for another tantalizing fight to offer.
And for Barrientos, who understands boxing better than any ordinary mortals, Manny’s great dilemma right now is how to resist the smell of sure money cash-flowing from the bank and the urge to compliment his larger-than-life political ambition for the Philippines’ highest post.
“Manny has nothing to prove. If he seriously intends to go for politics then he should not box anymore kay makabuang ang kumo especially if you’re being hit harder in the head,” said lawyer Antonio Carlo Almirante, the grandson of Barrientos’ longtime Kagay-anon boxing manager-turned father-in-law in the late Dr. ‘Dodong’ Almirante.
