By Jack Walsh
MANNY Pacquiao took on former K-1 kickboxing champion Rukiya Anpo in a three-round exhibition on Sunday, headlining the co-main event of Super RIZIN 3 at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
The bout, which was deemed a draw due to neither fighter being knocked out, proved that Pacquiao, 45, is well past his prime.
While the Filipino legend is undoubtedly one of the greatest fighters in the sport’s history, earning a whopping 12 titles in eight weight divisions, a potential WBC welterweight challenge against current Interim king Mario Barrios could be detrimental to Pacquiao’s long-term health and even his legacy.
This wasn’t the Pacquiao competing that we all know and love. The same Pacquiao who annihilated Antonio Margarito with his ring versatility and immense quickness, or even the Pacquiao who knocked down Keith Thurman at 40 years old, winning the WBA super-welterweight title just five years ago.
This Pacquiao was older, slower and showed visible signs of damage from punches — true indicators of an aged veteran. No fight fans want to see Pacquiao take a battering past his prime from Barrios, or any other fighter for that matter.
The thought of such an event draws painful memories of past champs facing the physical reality of jumping in the ring years after their glory days. For example, the beating Trevor Berbick put on the greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali, or when Danny Williams KO’d a burnt-out Mike Tyson.
Fans would prefer to remember Pacquiao as a 62-win force who backed down from none over his 26-year career. The exhibition wasn’t entirely brutal, but it certainly wasn’t pleasing or anything to particularly remember — at least as a Pacquiao fan.
In the first round, Anpo landed a jarring straight right hand as the first connected punch of the fight. He was constantly using his longer reach to establish his jabs to set up further powerful straight rights and he even landed a handful of mean shots to the body, including a snapping left hook with 19 seconds to go until the bell rang.
Pacquiao tried to land several blows at the end of the round that were seemingly blocked, and another two punches which skimmed each side of Anpo’s face. This led Anpo to tag Pacman with a mean right and left hook and yet another jarring straight right.
In round two, Pacquiao attempted to assert himself as the dominator but simply could not deliver. Anpo, meanwhile, was in control of the pace and able to land, again, various power hooks.
Anpo consistently threw punches upstairs, which he would then follow up with vigorous hits to the body. It was clear that the pressing body shots were affecting Pacquiao, and Anpo took notice.
He was able to land what seemed like anything he pleased, on a hesitant, slower Pacquiao. In the third, Anpo continued to connect powerful hooks and, in the early seconds, a commanding left, right, and left combated Pacquiao’s new pace and punch output.
The elder Pacman was clearly looking to take some sort of control in the final three minutes. Anpo eventually pushed Pacquiao against the ropes, followed by a left to the body and a gruelling combo upstairs.
While not helpless, Pacquiao was able to land a couple of notable uppercuts, and his output was certainly more respectable throughout the third compared to the previous two rounds.
But, it was clear that it wouldn’t have been enough to be deemed a 10-9 round by judges if the matchup had been scored. While it was likely refreshing for Pacquiao to step into the ring and compete, the results were clear. Anything more than an exhibition is simply unnecessary, and a Barrios fight should no longer be at the forefront of any discussion. Period.
