I had to start this blog late because I like to write, but I also believe in bad juju.
Let's just say that I was awake when Eumir Marcial and Kayla Sanchez lost their matches and I was kind of refreshing YouTube when Hergie Bacyadan battled that Chinese woman.
So I watched the Carlo Paalam match minutes after the fight was done.
Also, what happened to the other "a" in his surname?
I wanted to correct the arena announcer and the commentator but at the same time, it may be a good luck charm.
First of all, Jude Gallagher is exactly what I envision Irish boxing masterclass. He has this "ready to brawl" vibe and it showed during the match. The dude controlled the center of the ring and kind of like Ricky Hatton went straight to Paalam whenever he wanted.
Paalam on the other hand, is a wily veteran who knows how to get things done. Similar to Nesthy Petecio, he has swagger, and he also has urgency.
Olympic boxing is often decided during the first round and it felt like both fighters wanted to get the edge early so they can play hide-and-seek in the third round. For us Filipinos, the current system is the better system, because the 10-9 system rewards the round's best fighter. If we had this system during the times of brothers Roel and Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco, they could have won the gold medals.
Like Marcial and the Uzbek fighter, Paalam fought a giddy virtual teenager who combines youth with durability. Unlike Marcial, Paalam struck early and by the third round, his guns were already clicking. The second round is basically the judges giving the win to the person they think deserves it but at the same time, it also gives them the benefit of the doubt if whether the higher-seeded fighter has a chance to win the match.
I know that Paalam had his running shoes when the third round came in, but he was still throwing bomb after bomb on the Irish fighter. I guess this is why we saw Gallagher somewhat frustrated in the round, because he wanted to engage but Paalam picks his moments. Again, Gallagher is acting on desperation while Paalam is going with experience. While a knockout is a fantastic way to get a win, it's the medal that's important.
Paalam is one win away from a podium finish and standing in his way is Australia's Charlie Senior, who got this part when he came through against Belgium's Vasile Usturoi.
GO FOR GOLD, MAN!