Saturday, December 6, 2008

Pacquiao Won!

I'm taking a few minutes away from the celebrating to make a quick post. In one of the bigger surprises in boxing history, Manny Pacquiao just beat Oscar de la Hoya is a fight tonight at the MGM in Vegas. To give you the CNI take on the fight, here's some things to consider:
  • Pacquiao is much smaller than de la Hoya yet he won. This means: you may be smaller than an opponent and still win the fight.
  • Pacquiao was the underdog (odds-wise). This means: if you bet on him you made a whole lot of money. Plus, even if the odds are against you, you can still succeed.
  • There was no grand knock out of a better fighter besting a lesser fighter. It took eight rounds for Pacquiao to win a technical knock out. This means: sometimes winning isn't a quick knock out. Sometimes you have to just slog away at your goal until you win.
  • For both fighters, daily training and preparation is key to even being able to step into the ring. This means: preparation and training is key to success no matter what your goal is. As the old saying goes "success is preparation meeting opportunity".
  • The Philippine military and the armed rebels they are fighting called an unofficial cease fire for the fight as has happened during other Pacquiao fights. This means: some things take precedence over war...like, um, a fight. Interesting...
  • Pacquiao was born and raised in a small town in the relatively poor country of the Philippines. This means: it doesn't matter where you come from or how much money you have, keep your goals in mind and work hard to reach these goals and you can absolutely be successful.

2 comments:

  1. I don't like boxing, but those are some good lessons that you derived from the fight. Goes to show, one can learn from everything, even things one doesn't care for. I find it very amusing that fighting gets put on hiatus over a boxing match. Ironic. :)

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  2. Alazzia,
    Maybe it would help to remember two things, and I say this in the kindest way possible: 1) This site is all about overcoming situations, whether mental, financial or physical; 2) in ancient Greece, entire wars were stopped to allow the best soldiers to compete in the games (including boxing), which is no different than a cease fire for a boxing match today. It's not amusing. It's the normal state of mankind. Most countries in the world understand national pride, and boxers certainly understand proving one's mettle in a physical contest. As CNI alluded, people who have tested themselves are more confident. Conversely, Teddy Roosevelt reminded us that the man in the arena is a better man than the critics, "those cold, timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." The real irony is that people can live their whole lives and not know the difference.

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