Off the ring, a day after he clobbered Oscar de la Hoya, Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao seemed to be still in a fighting mood.
This time, though, Pacquiao was taking jabs at critics who had warned him that he risked serious harm to himself if he fought de la Hoya.
Apparently, he was referring to Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City. The lawmaker had even brought the issue to the Games and Amusement Board, which said it was not its call to even suggest to promoters of the ?Dream Match? to scrap the fight.
Rodriguez had said the bout was one nightmare of a mismatch, citing Pacquiao having to gain enough weight to be able to fight as a welterweight (147 pounds) against de la Hoya, who already had been fighting in that weight division. Until Sunday?s clash, Pacquiao fought as a lightweight (135 pounds).
?What I can only say to those who were critical of my decision to fight Oscar is that they had been rash against me,? Pacquiao, ?PacMan? to his legions of fans around the world, told The Manila Times during a telephone interview.
?PacMan? added that his critics, the ?politicians? that they were, did not know what they were talking about.
?They were commenting to make themselves famous at my expense. I think I know boxing and they don?t know anything about it,? he also told The Times.
Looking back, though, Pacquiao said that he was ?thankful? for the broadsides because they gave him ?more determination? for the job against de la Hoya.
?Tama sabi nila, mismatch, baligtad nga lang [The critics were right about the mismatch, though the opposite happened],? he added. Reports called the fight ?the mismatch of the century,? with de la Hoya at the receiving end of it.
Next fight
Pacquiao then got back to the more serious challenges of the business of boxing of which, as he had said, he knows a lot.
This time, he also did not mince words, saying that it does not matter if Ricky ?The Hitman? Hatton of Britain or Floyd Mayweather Jr. of the United States would be his next opponent.
?Either of them, Ricky Hatton or Floyd Mayweather, no problem, if he (Mayweather) is planning a comeback,? Pacquiao said. Before the ?Dream Match,? Mayweather had beaten de la Hoya by split decision and Hatton by knockout. After these victories, he announced his retirement.
But that decision on whether it would be Hatton or Mayweather, ?PacMan? clarified, was not up to him but to his promoter Bob Arum.
He also told The Times that he would return to the Philippines on Wednesday, when another hero?s welcome awaits him.
