Call me anti-Filipino or a non-boxing expert, but what my eyes witnessed last Sunday was the opposite of what the majority saw: I thought Manny lost.

The key moment was the 12th round. And the 11th. The 10th. Sadly, and inexplicably, like LeBron James when the 4th quarter of the NBA Final arrives, Pacman does the same: seeing the finish line in those last three rounds, he flees.

In the scorecards of all three judges, Manny lost that all-crucial final round. (Even Jerry Roth, the lone judge who scored the bout in Manny’s favor, gave Timothy Bradley the nod from Rounds 10 to 12.)

Back to the 12th round, had Manny won those final 180 seconds—by striking, by attacking, by bombarding the American with that German-like blitzkrieg attack of Pinoy punches, then the decision would have been reversed. Duane Ford and CJ Ross would have totaled 114-114 and Pacman would have won.

But, no. When it was time to unleash the storm of bullets off his red gloves, Manny did not. It was Bradley who looked revitalized. Manny should know better. Why leave the decision in the trickle minds of the judges? Why not go ferocious, animalistic, merciless, like we’ve seen him against Cotto, Margarito and De La Hoya?

Michael Aldeguer said it best: “Manny lost the last two rounds which sometimes could sway the judges. As I always believe, the last two rounds are the most important.”

Like any movie or book or concert, we know what part is most significant: The Ending. And, in this ending, Manny failed. And while we can argue forever about the outcome, this conclusion we all agree on: Manny has lost his power. He’s no longer the same man who bloodied David Diaz, who laid to bed Ricky Hatton, who transformed Joshua Clottey into a coward. Pacman has fought 60 times and, if we add all his years of brutal hand-to-hand exchanges from the teenage years to today, then it’s two decades of relentless combat.

The pattern is obvious. Wasn’t Manny unimpressive in his previous fight against Juan Manuel Marquez? (“Now we know how the Mexicans feel!” said Jack Jakosalem.) Against Shane Mosley, he, too, was unremarkable.

JIMMY LAO. I watched the fight inside the multi-million peso home theater (possibly the best home theater in the entire island) of Jimmy Lao, my fellow Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Cebu West. Inside the dark room with dozens of La-Z-Boy reclining chairs, our companions from Singapore (RC of Singapore West) joined us. Unlike the previous Pacman fights when shouting and cheering would energize us, this time, like a bad foretelling, the mood was subdued.

I was seated beside Romy Dy Pico. “Congressman,” we call him, Romy was in Las Vegas last November when Pacquiao beat Marquez. “The booing was so loud by the Mexicans when Marquez lost,” said Romy.

Conspiracy theories? Dr. Ronnie Medalle and our Rotary Past District Governor Ray Patuasi think so. They believe that Pacman is looking long-term and this loss his part of a grander scheme.

“No follow-up!” said Dr. Nonito Narvasa. Unlike the Manny-of-Old who’d tirelessly go for the kill when the opponent is weakening, this time he was passive.

COINCIDENCE? As pointed out by Quinito Henson in yesterday’s Philippine Star, here’s an interesting occurrence: Manny lost to Medgeon 3-K Battery of Thailand in 1999 after he won 15 straight wins. In 2005, he lost to Erik Morales after winning another 15 straight. And now… after winning 15 straight, he loses.

FINISH. To me, this defeat of Pacquiao is ultimately good for his career. (He’s still expected to earn, including PPV receipts, over $30 million! If that’s not good…)

Nobody wants Manny to fight three more times. He’s already on the all-time greatest list. He’s earned billions. He’s a congressman. He’ll turn 34 this December.

What’s the best scenario? Pacman secures a rematch in November and KOs the American. Manny retires with a win, his place in the greatest-of-all-time secure. Now that—and not a 12th round retreat—brings a Happy Ending to this real-life Manny Pacquiao movie.

John Gurzinski/AFP/GettyImages

It’s not just Manny Pacquiao who’s fighting today. There’s Boston vs. Miami in the do-or-die Game 7. And, if that’s not enough, last night we had Maria Sharapova winning (M. Jerome Limpag hopes!) and, later this evening, an epic French Open ending between Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic. All within 24 hours.

Mallorcan? That’s Nadal. He’s from the resort island of Spain called Mallorca. Why is the battle against Djokovic of legendary proportions? Because if Nadal wins, it will be his 7th Parisian title—a record. But, if he loses, it will be Djokovic who will record a masterpiece: He’d have won his 4th straight Grand Slam crown—all against the same fallen enemy, Nadal.

I pick Spain over Serbia. Though Nadal lost to Djokovic in their last three Grand Slam finals meetings, it’s the Mallorcan who has looked unbeatable the past two weeks. He hasn’t lost a set. He’s 51 of 52 matches (career) in Roland Garros. He’s also beaten Djokovic in their last two encounters. Tonight, watch Nadal-Djokovic at 9 P.M.

MARIA. Is there a female athlete who’s prettier? Taller? With more slender legs and flowing blonde hair? Than Ms. Maria? None. That’s why the most celebrated sportswoman is the 6-foot-2 former Russian native who now calls Florida home.

At the French Open, with the early departures of Serena, Schiavone, Azarenka, Venus & Co., it’s been an easy path for Maria. And, with Stosur losing to the unknown Sara Errani, it should be an easy, two-set victory for MS.

MIAMI. Nobody wants that NBA ring more than LeBron Raymone James. Drafted as the No.1 pick in 2003, he’s waited every month of June for NBA Commissioner David Stern to hand him that most precious jewelry. But each year, LBJ has been relegated to Groomsman (“always the contender, but never the Groom”).

Will June 2012 finally be the moment? It depends today. Because if the Heat sizzle and sauté the green peas called Boston, and with Chris Bosh returning fully by the NBA Final, then, yes, LeBron will pocket that NBA Championship.

Statistics? Miami is 7-2 at home in these playoffs. Boston is 3-6. This is problematic for Paul Pierce & Co. Plus, the return of Bosh appears to have troubled Kevin Garnett. In Game 6, he shot a dismal 12 points and rebounded only five times. Bad numbers.

Destiny is etched in the fingertips of LeBron. He will shine today and meet Oklahoma beginning June 12.

MANNY. A big fan of the Celtics, Manny will be watching (from inside the locker room) his team lose to Miami. But this won’t affect Manny.

Today in Las Vegas, Manny is aiming for his career win No. 60. He’s drawn twice and lost thrice. But the most important statistic? This one: Not since March 19, 2005 has Manny lost a fight. That’s seven years ago. Since that Erik Morales UD loss, Manny has won 15. Today, he’s gunning for Consecutive Win No. 16. In this era when, after each strong opponent, you fight another who’s bigger, faster, better—this 15-fight streak is unprecedented.

Two specific numbers interest me. One, that Manny is heavier than the other guy. This isn’t normal. When was the last time it happened? At 147 lbs., this is Manny at his heaviest. Also, the height. Used to seeing the Margaritos and De La Hoyas who’d stare down at our Pinoy superhero, this time, it’s Manny who’s taller than Bradley.

Money? Wow, what a disparity. Anybody who’s not ultra-famous who fights Manny gets $5 million. While this is huge, it’s minuscule compared to the $26 million guaranteed (plus PPV extras) for Manny. Boxing is big business. (By comparison, Nadal has earned $48M—in his entire career.) Manny earns more than 99 percent of the world’s top athletes—in just 36 minutes, max.

Will this be Manny’s last fight? We never know. With Manny now a Bible-loving and God-fearing Christian, who knows if he’ll forever say goodbye to boxing. While unlikely, we never know. That’s why we should treasure these few noontime hours. We have never—and will never again—see the likes of Pacman.

Wakee Salud took my phone call yesterday. Like we do in almost every Manny Pacquiao fight, I call him two weeks prior to fight night.

Wakee is Manny’s closest buddy. Their friendship began in 2005 after Manny’s loss to Erik Morales. Then, Wakee invited him to Lapu-Lapu City for a promotion. When Manny trained in Cebu for Marco Antonio Barrera back in 2007, where was his second home? The Rex “Wakee” Salud Gym in Labangon.

Since 2005, Wakee has been Manny’s good luck charm, with a 15-fight winning streak. “Every fight since we became close, I’ve watched in person,” he said.

“I’m leaving for Las Vegas on June 6,” said Wakee.

Anybody else from Cebu who’s going? I asked. “Tommy, Margot and, I think, Del Mar,” he said.

I queried Wakee about Timothy Ray Bradley, Jr. The 28-year-old Californian is undefeated in 28 fights. The “Desert Storm,” as he’s nicknamed, stands 5-foot-6 and is the current WBO Light Welterweight champ.

“No chance for Bradley,” he said. “Easy fight for Manny.”

Prediction? “Knockout gyud!” he added. Not that Bradley is a patsy. It’s just that, according to Wakee, his best friend is at a completely different level today.

“Si Manny, wala na gyud mag….. kuwan-kuwan,” said Wakee, stressing on the last word whose meaning is loaded with sinister connotations. Translated in English: He’s no longer fooling around. He’s all boxing business.

Wakee considers this 2012 as Manny’s best training ever. But, I asked, doesn’t he and MP’s team always say the same thing? Doesn’t Freddie Roach always brag—to mentally scare the enemy—that Manny’s condition is the best he’s ever seen? Doesn’t this happen every pre-fight?

No, says Wakee.     This time, it’s real. He saw Manny in Baguio a few weeks ago like he’s seen him in the “City of Pines” in every previous training session. Now, it’s different.

In Manny’s last two fights, Wakee admits that MP was unimpressive. Though he handily defeated Shane Mosley, the verdict on his showing was poor. Unlike the Manny of old who would destroy and annihilate, he was hesitant and unsure. He had cramps. The same with their Trilogy versus Juan Manuel Marquez. We thought Manny lost. Lahi gyud ang karaan na Manny, we all agreed.

“I watched Manny train in Baguio in those two previous fights and kibawo na ko daan (I already knew),” said Wakee. “Manny wasn’t at his best. He’d stay up very late at night. He’d skip his runs and footwork exercises. He kept on going back to Manila. That’s why I wasn’t surprised with Manny’s subpar performance in those last two fights.”

Now? “The best gyud karon ang condition ni Manny,” he said.

Wakee enumerated three reasons. The 3 P’s I call them: Pahaway. Practice. Pangadji.

Rest. Relentless Training. Prayer.

“Manny is very well rested in his training now,” said Wakee, who last saw MP at the Manila airport prior to his departure for the Wild Card Gym. “Unlike before when he’d stay up late and had too many distractions. Also, sakto gyud sa practice and training.”

Finally, the last and most essential P: prayer. “Dako gyud na usab kay (There are a lot of changes with) Manny. He keeps on reading the Bible. Everyday, he would have Bible studies. He would not be comfortable if a day passes that he doesn’t read the Bible.”

When I asked Wakee if his buddy invited him to join their Bible-reading sessions, he let out a long and hearty laugh. “Manny keeps on convincing me,” said Wakee. “Jinkee even sent me a Bible. And even Jinkee’s sisters have all become regular Bible readers.”

I told Wakee that I believe this will be Manny’s last fight. “No, no. Dili pa (not yet),” he said. “If he won’t fight Mayweather next, then I think Manny will have three more fights.”

Floyd? “Dayon gyud na (It will push through). Manny has already agreed to all his demands. Drug testing. And many others. The only problem is the money, the sharing. For me, the best solution is 40-40. They’re guaranteed 40 percent each with the winner receiving the balance. Winner gets 60 percent; loser, 40 percent. Fair, di ba?”

I agree. But first… next Sunday.