The real Best in the East

Even Bruce Lee would’ve challenged Pacquiao

By ALEX P. VIDAL / PNS
June 2, 2009

SAN DIEGO, California  –  The best in the East.

This titanic title once belonged to the legendary kung fu maestro Bruce Lee who as the pride of the East even the best boxer in the world dared not to see him eyeball to eyeball in his heyday in the early 70’s.

But after dismantling Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in the IBO light welterweight duel dubbed “The Battle of the East and the West” in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 2, Manny Pacquiao is now reputed as the best warrior in the East in contact sports – including mixed martial arts and wrestling.

Had Pacquiao lived in the era of Bruce Lee or vice versa, the founder of Jet Kune Do combat form and Chinese’s cultural icon would’ve challenged the Filipino lefty to a no-holds-barred duel to determine the real king of combat sports in the East.

Bruce Lee had humiliated seven-time world karate champion Ken Norton in their own version of the battle between the east and west.

And although the current darling of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is Lyoto Carvalho Machida who is partly from the East, Pacquiao still stands alone unmolested in the totem pole of prizefighting, making him the most sought-after world champion in any multi-million dollar showdown.

Machida, who recently upset Rashad Evans in a clash of unbeaten fighters in UFC 98 billed as the “Ali-Frazier bout of UFC”, also wants to be known as the best in both the East and West.

Although a Japanese-Brazilian, Machida, the current UFC light heavyweight champion and Shotokan karate specialist, claims to be a product of eastern full contact sports institutions having trained Muay Thai in Thailand and participated in New Japan Pro Wrestling in Tokyo before hitting pay dirt in the UFC.

As this developed, another pride of the west, Shane Mosley, have also expressed willingness to engage Pacquiao in a slugfest “in a catch weight”.

Mosley’s Challenge

Mosley’s challenge came after light middleweight upstart Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. dared Pacquiao to a showdown before the end of 2009.  Top Rank promotion had also mentioned Miguel Cotto’s name as Pacquiao’s possible opponent.

“There are conflicting reports from the Pacquiao camp an upcoming fight between me and Manny Pacquiao. I want it to be known that I want to fight Pacquiao and I want to fight him now. I’m willing to meet at a catch weight to make that happen,” Mosley said.

“I know this is what Freddie Roach wants as well, as he has previously stated this to press. I am the best fighter in boxing and I am ready to reclaim the title of number one pound-for-pound fighter.”

To end the guessing game, it was the 30-year-old boxer-cum-politician from Gen. Santos City, Philippines who broke the iceberg by declaring he was interested and ready to face flamboyant Floyd Mayweather Jr. on October 17.