Re-acquainted to the Past

Priceless moments! Sparks of time, that come with perfectly fitted events into this broken artwork that we call reality. It is in these fine moments in time that we think that God is behind us in every step in life, smiling in the bright sky, behind its clouds. In every step, walk, and run of life, you have to believe that God is behind your road, and life can't get any better especially when everything is falling into place. All we have to do is play our role and enjoy the ride. It is almost like our story in being written in such a manner, so exquisite and grand that even if life can get us into the brink of failure. You just have to look up and see, that a light is shining upon you to make a change into the greatness that God is molding in us. That mold, is the masterpiece artwork, that our full potential sculpts us into the greatness we ought to be. We are created from what we were. Stones create magnificent sculptures, Diamonds create beautiful necklaces, Cocoa beans create good chocolate, and hardships create great Champions. From where I was, is no mystery, from the day I discovered my strength to the inspiration I hope to become in the future. Although, before my ride in boxing started to roll, I had to come into certain places to reach where I am at this point. One place I had been is the Martial arts Dojo, where I was taught Moo Duk Kwan, a well-known Korean martial art. Yes, I discovered my gift of power in that gym, but other than that life-changing moment in my life, who would have thought I were to return to the place where I had become a martial artist. In a dreary afternoon, I had planned to go to my tailor to fit in my gala attire for the pinning ceremony that I will be part of. As I received my clothing, I felt hungry and so I had to eat in a nearby fast food. As I finished my meal, I noticed this building furnished to its luster appearance. It apparently was the same building my Dojo once stood. It was bustling with crowds beyond compare to its former charm. The once old building with a broken escalator, has turned into a shopping center with reasonably priced goods. As I walked in, I began to notice the beauty of its renovation. It has become much wider with a subtle ambiance to it that I can't get enough of. I never would have thought, I would walk down through the same steps I walked in the past until this present day. It's as if I was in a time machine, and that it was just yesterday when I waltz through the same steps with determination no words can possibly describe. I am then walking into the future with my head held high, and only experience was enough to separate me from my former self. Stores surround the vicinity with interesting goods which caught my attention. One of which was a DVD of the ESPN Mike Tyson Collection that I bought on a reasonable price, as I negotiated the saleslady with my charm. I had been looking for this DVD in a long time, and who would have thought that I would find a DVD of Mike Tyson, in the place where I coincidentally discovered my power. It meant a lot to me and gave a lot of significance and symbolism to my puncher's roots. I had to go to the gym and see how they were doing, and so I went upstairs. Noticing the improvements, I have been impressed by their facilities, trainers, and staff. They have been courteous and accommodating. I asked for them to open the old Dojo up for me, as it was locked. Walking inside gave me a rush of memories.. Memories that I dare not forget. Moments of failure, constant trials, embarrassments, happiness, strengths, and wisdom. I remembered it all, from the changing room at the back to the familiar blue mat in front where we had our training's. Back in those day's my goal were self-defense, weight loss, and health. I wasn't much of a kicker, so I wasn't that impressed. Up until I had a training that had me punch a cushion bag with someone holding it, inspired me tremendously. I punched so deadly, that whenever my right hand was given the chance, I would tremendously take the breath out of the holder. Crushing shots gave way in making everyone come to me in amazement. I remembered saying to my co-trainee's that the secret to my strength was my right hand. As I kept punching it on concrete for a very long time, it somehow gave me the capacity to tolerate throwing powerful punches without hurting. So I could punch all night long without hurting myself, I explained. It is a gift that comes with punching power that gave way for me to pursue the sport of boxing. Oh those were the days.. So I left the place, somehow fascinated with my experience I walked miles until I get a grip of myself, had dinner, and took the public transportation back home. An experience of a lifetime, only to re-acquaint myself with my former master the following day in a debutante's party. Oh was I surprised! Simply coincidence or a twist of fate, it is certain that I am learning about my history and myself. I also believe that God is guiding me throughout this natural course of time and teaching me about certain aspects of myself that I should never forget. For a promising future comes with a person who sees its past as clearly as its present. I will never forget the past like a tattoo embedded into my flesh. An invisible mark only determined by experience. For everything that I am today is a product of who I was, years before.

Growing Up

I remembered the days in my childhood like it was yesterday, when kids my age were going around and playing games. Going into friend's houses, running around like our energy seemed to be limitless. I was a pretty thin kid back then and I always was the athletic type. My mother told me, it was hard to feed me back then, cause I always run around, and was busy enough that I did not want to eat, almost as if playing had overtaken the value for nutrition. I remembered it quite vividly, that I became the gang's leader. (Gang in this sense, are kids who go out together, not some bad organization) I would tell every kid in school to join me and play in every place I thought was fun. Although some places may be dangerous, I always looked for the challenge. It led me to places like the west woods of the school, the mountain of broken chairs in the gymnasium, the huge sand hills from the renovation site of the school, and a lot more. It was pure adventure back then. With our minds constantly giving us a sense of direction through imagination, dreams, and possibilities. You can call it, my childhood glory day's. This gave way to unleash the leader inside of me, that would someday be essential for my future. It is not a secret, that I have been part of the Boy Scout Society. I have been presented with certificates and high remarks from my mentors. In my elementary years, I was part of tons of jamboree, which taught me the value of unity and independence. I have had my finest moments of courage, perseverance, and hard work. It taught me countless things that I bring forth to this very day. Things that would someday encourage me to become something great. All these aspects were requisites so I can become what I am, and that is, a person with dignity, honor, and excellence. In my high school days, I was skilled in most aspects of command, that I could command an entire crew as directly as anyone possibly could, either in fancy drill or plain context command. I was also a skilled fancy driller, that it took me to challenges where my skill could be flourished and learned. I was with discipline, focus, and control. With loyalty, determination, and perseverance, I ended up becoming the Boys Scout Movement "President". Being a President though is not what you get with skills alone, but rather, it is earned through respect, attitude, and character. It is in the team where success lies, all a commander can do is command, but nothing can be done without unity. My life growing up taught me the sense of leadership, empathy, and responsibility. A character trait of what I hope to be a requisite into becoming a champion.

Tornado Origins

A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. - Wikipedia

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado )

As the definition explains it, A Tornado is violent and dangerous. This moniker of mine was actually created almost seven years ago, from the inspiration of the movie Harry Potter. Lord Voldemort, the antagonist of the story, actually had fragmented pieces of his real name, which is shuffled from Tom Marvolo Riddle. In the same sense, My 13 year old self, shuffled my name for fun, which ended up with the name "Rhuis J. Creptain." Some letters were actually removed to make it sound like a legitimate name counterpart.

Having the shuffled name somehow influenced my life. In a twist of fate, another movie have again influenced me some more, and it was the movie "Pluto Nash", starred by Eddie Murphy. It had a futuristic setting, but what interest me was the nick names they had. It was a futuristic name, which I thought I must also have. (It was the dawning of the 21st Century at the time, and I thought it might be cool to make one for fun) People in the movie had nicknames with a rule of

"Object + Name = Futuristic name" (People had nicknames like "Nicky Sticks" in the movie, and of course the infamous name "Pluto Nash")

Coming up with a name counterpart "Rhuis J. Creptain", it helped me screen names and find for a suitable name for my own. I had some time to think it through until I came up with "Rush Joe". (Similar to the format of Pluto Nash. "Rush Joe" comprises of, Joe the name and Rush the object) The moniker "Tornado" was later chosen when I seriously got into boxing. (I liked the moniker Cyclone, but decided to be the Tornado, as it rhymed with "Rush Joe" and is in a sense, a Cyclone)

As proof of it, I had an account made at age 13. I was a child who played online games like any ordinary kid. The name still exists and never changed. I almost forgot the whole story of the "Rush Joe" thing until I have recovered my ancient accounts. Never have I thought that I would discover a great deal of history of myself. It was seven years from the last time I opened the account, and here is the link.

http://www.neopets.com/userlookup.phtml?user=urishz

I am a Neopets player back then. A freshman in the prestigious school called the Ateneo de Davao University. I was going through the internet service the school provides at that time, and thus created the Neopets account. I remembered it so vividly, that we used our Identification Cards to log in. *chuckles*

That's history, and that is why, I got the name Rush "The Tornado" Joe. I will always carry this name with pride.

Pacquiao - Mosley: Outcome and Thoughts

Manny Pacquiao and Sugar Shane Mosley is supposedly one of the greatest fights in this century and a possible relative successor for the fight of the decade if Floyd Mayweather Jr. didn't fight Manny. People had their hopes high in seeing a slug fest between the two, noting their records and their individual accomplishments in the ring. Sugar Shane Mosley is a future hall of famer. He defeated the likes of Oscar de la Hoya, Ricardo Mayorga, and Antonio Margarito. Mosley is a fighter with great power and hand speed, but we all know that Pacquiao is going to be too much for the older Mosley. Manny Pacquiao has won eight world titles in separate weight classes from flyweight to welterweight. He has been knocking out opponents with the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Ricky Hatton, and a lot more. There would be two outcomes to expect in a Pacquiao fight, either be knocked out, or opponents get too scared to exchange with the puncher in Pacquiao as seen in Barrera II and Clottey. (Who would have thought another one will come) It all comes down to the conclusion that this match-up is going to be one of the greatest fights we would see in boxing history.

The Entrance:

It all starts with the entrance. Both fighters entered the ring with great entrances. Mosley went first with LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out. It made the impression in my mind that Mosley is heck serious that he believes he would knock Manny out. (A dreaded scenario that has been haunting me, perhaps realizing Shane Mosley's capabilies) After Mosley's entrance it was Manny's turn. Manny Pacquiao went in with the tune of Survivor - Eye of the Tiger. I thought it was great to see the caption eye of the tiger going, not only because it was nostalgic in Rocky III, but also because it is seen that Manny must have lost intensity in his previous fights since the Cotto fight. The introduction by Jimmy Lennon Jr., was superb. He gloriously introduced Mosley as a future Hall of Famer and Pacquiao as one of the all-time greatest, which Micheal Buffer might reluctantly do. All in all, the entrances were great. I didn't actually had the time to weigh the quality of the program, as I was shaking profusely, like a guy with Parkinson's. I must have been real nervous, or was it just the air-conditioning facing straight to me.

The Fight:

The fight started with the two trying to feel each other out, with great action in the early goings. I shouted every time a punch landed flush either on Pacquiao or Mosley. It was exciting, and as it reached the third round Manny treated us with a vintage knock down of Mosley with a classic one-two combination. The left straight landed flush on Mosley, knocking him down. As he knocked Mosley down, I jumped right off my seat without hesitation, almost as if adrenaline was rushing all over me in an instant. It was a great feeling! Ending the round, I had to clap in appreciation to the round. (Confirming my prediction that Mosley will be knocked down early by the Pacman) As the fight progresses, it has been found to be fewer actions throughout the sixth round. Hearing some jeers from the crowd, which was unusual in a Pacquiao fight. I couldn't blame them. The fight was becoming relatively boring. I noticed the people around me seemingly quieter compared to previous Pacquiao fights. As it reached the 10th round, Manny seemed to be coming back into the fight, perhaps hearing the jeers from the crowd and wanted to step it up a bit. Manny hit a left hook but missed wildly and they both clashed together, and as they clashed, Mosley seemingly pushed Manny out of balance which sent him to the canvass. It was called a knock down by referee Kenny Bayless. As Manny took the mandatory eight count, seemingly frustrated, Manny turned the heat on and gave Mosley a beating to remember until the final round. Manny Pacquiao won by Unanimous decision.

Thoughts:

The fight was played in a wrong way. It almost looked like a well payed sparring match. I have to criticize the fighters in this instance. In a boxing match, it is not pleasing to the eye, seeing fighters keep tapping their gloves at each other. I mean, what did you come here for, a handshake or a fight? My frustration grows. I thought Pacquiao and Mosley had too much respect on each other that they didn't engage as much in the fight. This could be attributed with Jimmy Lennon Jr.'s intro of both fighters. I mean, what would have gone through your mind if you're facing a future hall of famer, let alone an all-time great. It must be mind boggling. Despite these external factors, I was expecting a champion to have emerged in the fight anyways. It ended disappointingly, as Manny couldn't get Mosley out of there, attributing to Shane's great chin. (as I talked about in my prediction) Manny Pacquiao's intensity is now a question, if Floyd Mayweather Jr. is looking for the perfect time to fight this guy, well it must be time. Manny Pacquiao just had the worst performance of his career. Floyd if you're reading this, take the fight, you have a chance to beat him now. (A chance that I never thought would come until this poor performance from Pacquiao) The fight had jeers going, it was unusual for a Pacquiao fight, but completely understandable. Although it made me think that there were like two or three guys who were clearly the jeer origin, this could be a Mayweather Operative of some sort perhaps sabotaging the Pacquiao fight? Who knows? The program was great, but the fight could be four to five rounds boring, but most rounds were entertaining and the drama made up for the rest of the fight. I mean, not all the time can you see Manny get called for a knock down. I commend the referee for that wrong call, without it, it would be too boring. It was like a wake up call for Manny to summon his intensity. It brings the excitement and drama a boxing fight rarely have. I hate to say it, but this will be part of the collection of Pacquiao's great career, despite its lackluster performance.

Picture: Manny Pacquiao fell down after a push from Sugar Shane Mosley. Kenny Bayless looking to give the mandatory eight count on the Pacman.

Pacquiao - Mosley Prediction

Once again, another mega-fight is coming up. It is the fight between Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao against "Sugar" Shane Mosley. It has been one of the fights most people have been anticipating in 2011. A potential match-up started between the two, with the inability of Floyd Mayweather Jr. facing Manny Pacquiao. Again, the dream match between both Mayweather and Pacquiao turned out to ruins, but what replaced it could be something close to the quality we get from a Pacquiao - Mayweather fight. Pacquiao - Mosley is one of the best fights out there. It has not been a secret, that Freddie Roach (Pacquiao's Trainer) wanted Sugar Shane Mosley to fight Manny Pacquiao. Although the world wanted Mayweather Jr. against Pacquiao, Freddie Roach thought otherwise. The build up is done, we are set to see this a few hours from now, and I predict this will be one of the greatest match-up's in boxing history.

Strengths:

Shane Mosley - He has tremendous experience, being able to beat legends like Oscar de la Hoya in his prime. Sugar has one of the best chins in boxing, being able to take punches from punchers like Miguel Cotto. He has tremendous hand speed and wicked power in both hands, as we saw how he beat the living daylights out of Antonio Margarito, and almost knocking Floyd Mayeather Jr. down.

Manny Pacquiao - A dynamic puncher who has one of the fastest hands in all of boxing. He has power in both hands, as he is able to knock fighters like Ricky Hatton out cold. The Pacman has tremendous footwork, able to move effectively in and out. He also knows how to throw punches in weird angles, where his opponents can't see where they come from. An overflowing stamina, as he just doesn't get exhausted even with a monster-like pace.

Weakness:

Shane Mosley - He is old, and we all know what age does to a fighter. They get weaker, being unable to pull the trigger. This perhaps will cause problems to his stamina, accuracy, and speed. He is not much of a defense man as well.

Manny Pacquiao - Noting his previous performance against Margarito, It is shown in the later rounds that he either was letting Margarito finish the bout, or was he just exhausted. Speculations like this open a possibility on this weakness. Pacquiao is an over-aggressive fighter, he may get caught with counter punches if he is not careful.

Prediction:

I can see the fight as a toss-up in the early rounds; Pacquiao starts fast and lands combinations, while Mosley will be looking to do both counter punching and effective aggression. I can see Mosley, getting hammered a lot to the chin with straight lefts from Manny. Mosley on the other hand perhaps getting to hurt Manny at least more than four times, as Sugar begins to throw wild combinations on a hurt Pacquiao. Both will be aggressive in the first four rounds. I also predict Mosley getting knocked down by Pacquiao early, probably a left straight or an uppercut. A knock-out can happen early, but if it does reach the distance, Mosley will be exhausted to the point where a Technical Knock out would occur in rounds six or seven. It cannot go past the seventh round.

Conclusion:

Manny Pacquiao will win by Technical knock-out in either rounds four or seven.

Note:

These are only predictions, and anything can happen in a boxing match. We cannot look down on Mosley's skills, for I believe, there is a high chance for Mosley to knock Manny down, and knock him out after the knock down. Mosley is a known finisher. Mosley also has the best chins in the business, he can take a punch, and thus, there is a relative chance that he does go the distance with Manny. Sugar Shane Mosley is a dangerous fighter.

Importance:

If Pacquiao knocks out Mosley, it will give a clear definition on who is Pound for Pound, the best in the world, as Floyd Mayweather Jr. had a tough time against Mosley, and he was unable to knock him out. In this instance, Manny will ask for the lion's share between Mayweather Jr., if a match-up will be held between the two. If Manny wins a decision, its gonna be 50/50 with Mayweather Jr., and I hope by this time, Money will take the fight. If Shane Mosley knocks Manny out, or wins a decision, it is clear that Mosley will be number two in the Pound for Pound rankings, and Mayweather Jr. as number one.

Picture: Promo Slogan of the upcoming Pacquiao - Mosley mega fight.

In-Shape or Out of Shape

There are moments in training, where you could early assess certain aspects of your current state. Questions like.. Am I fit? Am I In-shape or Out of shape? Through experience, I am able to learn some facts, that will easily determine whether a person is in-shape or out of shape. We may look ourselves in front of the mirror and see muscles and fat. We all know that more muscles, means more fit. Fats is what keeps anyone out of shape. It is in muscles that burn fats, and it is in fats that shows us we need more exercise. These two, are the determinants of how fit we are. Building Muscles is great, it gives you strength, endurance, and an increased metabolism. This is a permanent way to lay off the fat. Fats, on the other hand, gives you warmth, extra energy, and is useless when not used, and when it keeps building up, it gets worse. Fats make people prone to disease, it is a fact. Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, and a lot more, it keeps rolling. In the event of Industrialization, Food is easily available, making the average Joe into a "Sumo Rikishi". A lot more people are obese and overweight than it is to be normal. The only hopes for healthy lifestyle in the numbers can be found in developing countries like the Philippines. This is not all that is true though, as I once have been overweight. I guess being out of shape can happen to anyone whether in a poor, middle, or rich country they may live. Being out of shape is a problem for anyone. I know the feeling, because I've been there. I wanted to lose weight and almost gave up on anything until I discovered Boxing. Boxing is what saved me from being unhealthy, and out of shape. My tip for anyone who tries to achieve what I have, is to find something physical that you love to do, like sports. If it works for me, it may work for anyone as well. Losing weight doesn't always need to be a painful experience, it can also be fun. Boxing made it fun for me. After losing all that weight, you begin to get in shape, which then gives way to your conditioning. You will be so athletic that you will know a new meaning for being out of shape. It is not about being fat, or anything physical at all. It's about stamina. It's about finding out if you can last longer than what is expected. In my case, it is found in effective punching with appropriate defense in a span of twelve rounds. Through experience, I can interpret how a person is well-conditioned or out of shape through a scenario. A Scenario just like when you find yourself throwing an effective combination may have two possible outcomes; either you get exhausted, which indicates you are out of shape, or you get excited and keep throwing flurries, in this case you are in-shape. To keep yourself at top shape, it is important to have some intense cardiovascular work-out like running, sprinting, or jumping rope. Stamina is key. I've experienced these things, and I know a lot of athletes can agree to me on this. Being out of shape is a term that evolves as you progress in your lifestyle.

The Great Erik Morales

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I keep telling everyone, that my greatest idol in boxing, was never Manny Pacquiao (perhaps counting him due to my filipino heritage), it was always the courageous Erik "El Terrible" Morales. I can see great fighters when I see one, and Morales is one of those I can clearly entitle as a "True Champion." There are phony champions everywhere, in these day and age, without the kind of guts that separates a true champion from a fighter. Erik Morales transcends all these kinds of people. He showed great heart, courage, determination, and fights despite the odds. (A Champion) In his recent fight against Argentinian puncher, Marcos René Maidana, Erik Morales showed why he is a Champion. My emotions might be of one who breaks in tears, for the moment, for another proud effort has been made, and this is why boxing has always been special to me. I could hardly watch a beaten Morales fighting with only one eye. (as his right eye was completely shut)With my surprise, Morales fought in even terms with his opponent. Answering back, when the opportunity comes, and bullying him at times. I could see flashes of the Great Erik Morales, who dominated bantamweight, featherweight, and the only fighter to really defeat Manny Pacquiao. Perhaps, a champion, will always be a champion despite age, limit, or odds. I have a ton to say about this great fighter, but I leave it at that, and the feeling that surrounds everyone when they watch Erik Morales in a defining moment of his iconic career.

Picture: The Great Mexican Legend, Erik "El Terrible" Morales. From his most recent fight against Marcos René Maidana.