Charly’s Manny faces

For a prizefighter,however,the 23-year-old lightweight boxer from Philippines,is rather calculative in his approach,conniving almost. He doesn’t just go all guns blazing but prefers to bide his time,scheming unwaveringly to find his opponent’s weakest link—the invitation to pounce into that final melee attack. And more often than not,when Suarez connects with his right-hook,the opponent is left counting stars on the mat. Ask Bangkok Elephants’s Egkachai Prommaka about it. And it’s not surprising that the high-flying Filipino is the only Mumbai Fighters pugilist to have recorded a KO in his season stats during the World Series of Boxing (WSB) so far.

“Knocking your opponent out is obviously the best way to win a fight. But I always prefer to begin with scouring the ring,throwing in a few jabs and a couple of one-twos,and setting him up for the final punch. My speed has always been my strength,” says Suarez,who has won the gold medal in two consecutive Southeast Asian Games—knocking his opponent out in Laos the first time around.

Though he reveals to have been a Speedy Gonzales from an adolescent age,”many people told me I would make a great boxer even when I was five,” he says,boxing was never Suarez’s primary passion. And he only started wearing the gloves with any seriousness once in high-school.

The shrewdness in the ring though can be attributed to Suarez’s decision to add an accountancy degree to his CV. It’s his aptitude to deal with figures and monies,he insists,that has made him extra-calculative as a boxer.

“Being an accountant certainly helps me gauge every situation in the ring,and off it as well when it comes to handling whatever I earn as a boxer,” says Suarez. And the business is good for now,he insists. While competitions around the world keep him busy,they also ensure that he manages a comfortable lifestyle back home in the Philippines. And being a part of the WSB has not only provided added exposure,it has also enhanced his earnings.

There’s much more to Suarez than just his nationality that remind one of his world-famous compatriot. There’s the very oriental manner in greeting the crowd once he enters the ring,not to forget the quiescent pose he strikes both before and after a bout. It is his sudden punch followed by the right hook offensive,however,that really makes you think of Manny Pacquiao—the Filipino stalwart who has put his country on the boxing map.

And it’s not because he’s irresistibly enamoured by his contract that Suarez starts talking about his potential business plans when you ask him about his interactions with ‘Manny’. Blame the disparity in the English accents for that. The mention of ‘famous boxer’ from his homeland,however,is enough to ascertain who is being referred to.

“Oh Manny is a legend back home. He has achieved so much but is still so simple. I keep meeting him quite regularly and he’s always full of advice for me. His advice to me is to remain focused on becoming the best boxer possible and that the riches will follow thereafter,” says Suarez.

“And yes,my style of offensive is based on his,” he adds. And it’s worked for Suarez,as his many knockout victims around the US and Cuba will accede. It’s in fact become his speciality,and fast turning him into a feared asset in the WSB and boxing circles around the world.

And while he too dreams of replicating the feats of Pacquiao in the future,for now Olympic dreams are firmly set in Suarez’s sight. For now he is soaking in the benefits of starring in the WSB for now—though he prefers Filipino girls and spending time within the confines of his hotel-room. But come April in Kazakhstan,there will be only one focus for Suarez. The target will be set. And not many would doubt the Filipino ninja-warrior from finishing as a knock-out.