ROBERT Jaworski sat at ringside during the Pacquiao-Algieri fight in Macau on Sunday.
I wrote this hours before the bout would start.
?The Big J is a big Pacquiao fan so that he makes it top priority to watch every PacMan bout,? said Reli de Leon, a trusted adviser of the Living Legend in basketball.
Reli relayed the item to me via text message.
Jaworski and Pacquiao are buddies for quite some time now. The bond became tighter when they did commercials together for San Miguel Beer. In one beer commercial shoot the duo were doing a while back, Reli called me up to say I was needed at the location shooting in Makati.
?Why, am I a talent again for the San Miguel commercial?? (Humbly, I did four SMB commercials in the 80s-90s with FPJ, Recah Trinidad, Ding Marcelo, Danny Dalena, Mon Tulfo and the late Bert ?Tawa? Marcelo.)
?Unfortunately, no,? Reli replied. ?It?s just that Manny Pacquiao wishes to meet you in person.?
I was flattered, of course.
?What have I done to deserve PacMan?s special attention??
?He said you?ve been extra nice to him daw,? Reli said. ?He said he likes your columns.?
?Oh, that,? I said. ?Tell him thank you very much. I appreciate it.?
After Reli gave me the address of the shoot, he said, ?We will wait for you.?
?I will try my best,? I said. ?Text-text tayo.?
I texted Reli after five minutes.
?I?m sorry I couldn?t make it,? I said. ?I have errands to do for the missus. My apologies to Manny, the Big J and you. There?s always the next time.?
The next time was the Pacquiao-Algieri fight.
A day before Sunday?s bout, Reli texted me: ?Are you here in Macau now? Your two ringside tickets are with me.?
I had forgotten about Reli?s pledge to secure me tickets to the fight.
?Unfortunately, I didn?t make it,? I texted him back. ?Thank you for your kindness.
Enjoy the fight.?
Actually, the Pacquiao-Algieri fight also conflicted with my schedule as Rules official once again in the 65th San Miguel Fil-Am Golf Championship in Baguio presented by Toyota (I arrived in the Pines City Nov. 21 and the job requires me to be here until Dec. 6).
?Sayang,? Reli said. ?You and your wife are seatmates with Sonny Jaworski.?
