WIP - Paquiao!!!

Alright Guys, After watching Manny Paquiao's win on Saturday i've been wanting to do a sketch. My artist friend's probably recognize the style I chose to do this piece. I decided to try and emulate one of my comic book illustrator influences, Jim Lee! So this is a work in progress, but this black and white looks pretty cool I could see it as a t-shirt. But stay tuned for a full colored version. Hopefully it turns out BA enough that I could actually hang it up somewhere.

Now if you want my opinion on Mr Paquiao keep reading, otherwise I hope you enjoyed this drawing. 

After watching the fight on Saturday, I realized not many National Pilipino days are left. Meaning Paquiao, eventhough very impressive, is aging and probably should retire within the next few years. 

With that said, there is plenty of gas left in this athletes tank. Watching him fight was great to see. No one ever talks about Paquiao as a defensive boxer because he's mostly known for his brawler in fighter abilities, but watching him turn his should to block strikes from Bradley lefts, and using his left hand to block incoming shots from Bradley's rights was so impressive, it leaves me to believe Paquiao's reflexes are as sharp as ever. He also seems to be boxing with more caution and not so reckless (which some will argue it's because of the Marquez's knockout, or it makes his fights much more boring to watch). I argue however, that his boxing skills have improved with age. Boxing isn't just about brawling there's a lot of strategy involved just like any other sport. I hope he doesnt retire soon because I'm going to miss the National Pilipino day potlucks, but he's definitely have a few good fights left.