Manny Pacquiao is the Pambansang Kamao ? the National Fist. When he fights, the nation comes to a standstill. People gather in gyms and basketball courts to watch the fight on television. Peace descends on the remotest dissident areas of the country. Police find they have no crime incidents to report. Traffic eases in city streets that are usually jammed.
The nation exulted when he defeated famed American boxer Oscar de la Hoya, knocked out British boxing star Ricky Hatton, and beat Puerto Rico?s Miguel Cotto in 12 rounds. It mourned when he lost in an upset to American boxer Timothy Bradley and when he was knocked out by Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez. But he rebounded from some lackluster fights with a big win over undefeated American fighter Chris Algieri last November.
It was not only his compatriots who followed Pacquiao?s rise through the ranks. The whole world was drawn to the Filipino fighter who has won 57 fights, lost five, and drawn 2 in eight weight divisions. At the same time, they saw the rise of another fighter ? American Floyd Mayweather who was undefeated in 47 professional fights in five weight divisions.
As early as five years ago, fight fans the world over wanted to see a bout between the two champions. In 2012, there was talk of the world?s first bout with a $200-million purse ? $100 million for each of them. A United Arab Emirates investment group offered $200 million to have the fight in Dubai. But it all came to naught as Mayweather and his camp set up all sorts of conditions for a fight that it seemed he was reluctant to meet Pacquiao in the ring.
Last month, after Pacquiao devastated Algieri, the Filipino champion once again called on Mayweather to face him in the ring. A few days later, Mayweather responded with his own headline-grabbing challenge for a fight on May 2, 2015. It was the first time Mayweather had given a possible date for the fight but he still had many conditions, notably with regards to the division of the purse, that many doubt he was serious about his challenge.
There are still five months before May 2 and a lot of bargaining is needed before the ?fight of the century? can be held. In the past, the greatest ring battles were between heavyweights, such as Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier in the ?Thrilla in Manila? in 1975. Today, Pacquiao and Mayweather are seen as the greatest fighters in the world.
If and when they do meet, the whole world will be watching. On that day, life will come to full stop in our country. An undeclared truce will settle in the remotest corners of the land. In halls and homes throughout the country, Filipinos ? and not just boxing afficionados ? will be in the ring with Manny Pacquiao, the Pambansang Kamao, as he fights not so much for himself as for the Filipino nation.
