EDITORIAL – A hot commodity

Even before Manny Pacquiao could dry his sweat right there in the ring, just minutes after he demolished David Diaz for the lightweight championship of the world, the wolves just could not wait computing the next dollars they can make out of the Filipino boxing icon.

There on top of the ring they were already discussing who the next opponent of Pacquiao might be. They were not even willing to allow Pacquiao to catch his breath. How terrible it is to see such a glorious moment ruined by sheer and unbridled lust for money.

Of course Pacquiao chimed in that he was willing to face anybody that his promoter would place before him. But surely you did not expect a different reaction. Pacquiao is a fighter. It is his job to fight anybody.

What Pacquiao just doesn't get is that the people around him earn very good money on account of his sacrifices in the ring. It is easy to push him into the lion's den because they are not the ones in danger. And they get very well paid for it.

But what about Pacquiao? It is he who faces the lion. His demolition of Diaz should give him a few lessons to learn by simply looking at the possibility that the same could happen to him, or even worse.

Boxing is a very unpredictable and dangerous sport. Heaven forbid, but the risk just could not be eliminated that he might damage or lose his eyesight. He could even injure his brain. And then what? Will the people around him still be there?

Of course it is the job of his handlers and managers to get Pacquiao the best deals. But for God's sake can they not even wait until the man gets a little rest? Must they push him so hard just so they can hasten collection of their own lucrative cuts from his paycheck?

Boxing, it is said, is one of the most cutthroat sporting businesses there is. Sometimes it gets to be so obscene. If Pacquiao doesn't wise up, he will realize only too late that he is a hot commodity more in the literal sense, that is, a commodity, an item to make money out of.