The Immortal Insight: It's like I'm boxing without my gloves

Call me crazy but I'm so excited about tomorrow (today, Saturday). And it's not because of what you might think either. I'm as giddy as a schoolgirl. You may ask, "What could possibly have you this excited?" Could it be two NLDS games tomorrow? No. Could it be the Red River Rivalry game? No. Could it be you start a job? No. Could it be you're going home to visit? No. Then what could it be? The answer is simple:

Manny Pacquiao (44-3-2, 35 KO)

vs.

Marco Antonio Barrera (63-5, 42 KO)

Now most people who know me don't really consider me a boxing fan. In fact, most times when my grandpa watched it, I politely left the room. But in the years I spent with him, I grew to appreciate the sport a little more each time. With every left hook or right jab, my grandpa leaned forward from his perch on the couch and would watch each mind-numbing blow. "God damn, d'you see that?" he'd ask me. Now for the first time in a long time I won't be able to hear him next to me amazed at the fight he's watching. Because it was his enthusiasm for the sport that really got me paying attention. The first real fighter we both loved watching was Manny

Pacquiao. When I first saw the Philippines native I thought he was just another scrawny guy trying to make it in the boxing world. But when I started to watch him he captivated me. Pacquiao moved so quickly yet he packed an amazing punch. My grandpa and I would sit there and both cringe and moan "ooohh..." after every Pacquiao punch because he's just that damn exciting to watch. Not only that, he's a huge hero in his home country. So much so that he ran for political office but was cheated out of an election.

Now, when Pacquiao and Barrera first fought Pacquiao was an underdog and now he comes into this fight as the clear favorite; however, it shouldn't be something he takes lightly, not that he would. Barrera will be coming with a purpose. He was knocked out by Pacquiao in their first fight in the 11th round, but more so, Barrera has publicly said this fight would be his last "big fight." Apparently his career is in the decline and even if he won the match, he wouldn't return to the squared circle unless it was for a farewell match against a scrub. Should be interesting to see what happens between the two. FoxSports.com has a preview of the matchup.
Unfortunately I don't have 50 bucks to spend on this fight so I'm probably going to head to Buffalo Wild Wings or another sports bar to try and get in on the action. And I'm sure by the first few rounds I'll be on the phone with my grandpa saying, "Ohhh, did you see that? Pacquiao is kicking the shit out of Barrera!" Then he'll probably start talking about the old times in boxing and how great it was when he saw the local Villa kid fight in West Odessa. I sure do miss our "meaningless" conversations. It's just not the same on a phone - almost like I'm boxing without my gloves.

Pacquiao fighting Morales in the first fight: