Just an hour after the Manny Pacquiao-David Diaz championship bout in Las Vegas, pirated copies of the fight were being sold in the DVD market in Quiapo, Manila.
Vendors were selling the Pacquiao-Diaz DVDs for P35 a copy with complete packaging and nearly the same quality shown on television.
Reports gathered by ABS-CBN News said the footage was copied from pay-per-view cable TV.
And because the Pacquiao-Diaz bout was such a blockbuster fight, the DVDs are selling like hot cakes.
“Mabenta talaga, kahapon pa. Nauubos talaga dito sa amin (Sales have been good, since yesterday. We?re even running out of stock),” said one Quiapo vendor.
He added customers apparently never get tired of watching the fight again and again.
Customers, meanwhile, said they still want to buy the DVD even if they already know the outcome.
“Nakakabitin kasi pag sa TV e. May patalastas e… Dito tuloy-tuloy (We?re not satisfied watching it on TV. There were TV ads. Here you can see the fight without cuts),” said Jay Advincula, a DVD customer.
Vendors also offer 15-in-1 Pacquiao DVDs for P50 each. The item contains the boxer?s past fights, and even his movies.
“Idol ko siya. Kaya ako bibili, para may remembrance (He?s my idol. I want to buy one for remembrance),” said Fely Pazziwagan, another DVD customer.
The DVD is riding on Pacquiao’s popularity boost after he defeated Diaz via technical knockout in the ninth round during their “Lethal combination” fight Sunday. With the win, the Filipino boxer became the new WBC lightweight champion of the world. – With a report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN
