August 22, (THEWILL) – On Saturday, in the world welterweight championship fight in Las Vegas, veteran Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao was defeated by unanimous decision by Yordenis Ugas, the Cuban title holder.
It was a comeback bout for the 42-year-old who had been away from the ring for a two-year period. This was immediately obvious as he was clearly lacking his trademark speed and power that used to distinguish the catalogue of bouts of his storied career.
This fact, coupled with his advanced age, in purely professional terms, have led to the inevitable questions about his continued active career and whether the Hall of Famer, can extend his career to a 73rd fight after becoming the only man to win world titles in eight divisions.
Pacquiao was initially billed to take the IBF and WBC champion Errol Spence Jr. until Spence withdrew after having sustained an injury in preparation for their fight. Ugas was therefore a late substitute and he kept Pacquiao behind with his remarkable jab strategy.
That jab trademark Ugas fighting style earned the title holder the better of the earlier rounds as he held his feet in the centre of the ring while dealing with the more experienced Filipino. Pacquiao attempted his trademark flurry of punches to turn the tide in his favour but Ugas stopped that with a right hand jab.
By the fourth round, the markings that appeared around Pacquiao’s eye was clear evidence that the fight was not going the way of the boxing legend. Two decades of blistering speed and crushing power were nowhere to be seen and Ugas was content to continue jabbing on the counter as Pacquiao struggled.
It was only in the 10th round that the famous Pacquiao left hand stung Ugas for the first time. But, Ugas was in the mood for a comeback and nailed him right back with a right-hander to balance the strike.
The intensification of Pacquaio’s work rate belied his age as he was clearly throwing a higher volume of punches as the bout continued. But it appeared to become desperate by the 12th round.
Competing in the 498th round overall of his illustrious career and what may very well be the last time, Pacquiao surged forward with a surprising burst of reserves. It was nothing that terribly troubled Ugas and he saw to it that Pacquaio ended the fight with damage around both eyes for his troubles.
The Cuban was expectedly the unanimous victor as the judges scored the fight 115-113, 116-112, 116-112 in his favour. The loss wraps up Pacquiao’s current official record at 62 wins, eight losses and two draws, in what is still a remarkable career taken together
Even if he never enters a ring in combat any more, the sensational Filipino southpaw has had career-defining wins against Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Pacquiao also shared four incredible fights with Juan Manuel Marquez.
Although he lost the highest-grossing fight of all time to Floyd Mayweather on May 2, 2015, he still remained one of the biggest US-based attractions in the history of the sport. It will be a celebration when he finally hangs his gloves for good.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
