ARBEN Santos, a quiet sportsman-businessman, wants Manny Pacquiao to stage one of his remaining fights for the year in the Philippines.
A bright idea, I must say.
Arben prefers that the fight be held at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao?Araneta being a historical marker itself for the nation?s undying love affair with boxing.
After all, it was in March 1960 at the Cubao Big Dome when the great Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde captured the world junior lightweight crown from American Harold Gomes.
But Arben will not object if authorities would have it presented instead in Subic?for commercial?if not tourism?purposes, that is.
?The important thing is, Pacquiao?s countrymen will see him fight in the flesh again, on home grounds yet,? said Arben. ?Isn?t it widely believed that he?d retire at the end of the year and go for another shot at politics??
Arben is a self-made man, whose businesses include ownership of the world-famed Cinnabon bakeshop that specializes in chocolate-laden pastries, and the fast-selling Crazy Crepes. Unbelievably, the American-based Crazy Crepes now has a chain in Cebu that, after only a short period of operation, has already captured a market of unimaginable proportions.
But Arben, who is probably one of only a handful Filipinos who rides in a chauffeur-driven Nissan Armada, is more known as a major oil trader at Pilipinas Shell than anything. The owner of an international shipping line, Arben now also does business with Petron and Chevron.
?Pacquiao is the only legitimate international sports treasure that we have right now,? said Arben. ?We must savor him now while he is at the peak of his career.?
I agree.
I HATE to see the day when Pacquiao will be fighting as an old, wasted prizefighter, his talent gone, his legs weakened by Father Time.
Why wait for muted silence to envelope a ring where their hero is being finally pummeled into submission by a much younger opponent?
Everything fades, except God.
I?d rather that I see Pacquiao being cheered on for his sheer ring savvy while he can still dish it out?for the cheering will cruelly die down once Pacquiao gets confronted by knees finally becoming heavy as lead, and fists of stone finally getting reduced to powder-soft knuckles of cotton.
Pacquiao himself should take it upon himself to make a go of it?gun for a fight here, impose upon his promoters while he still has those kingly powers to get things done his way.
He?ll be a bigger hero, the quintessential man if you will, once it has become a reality.
AT this stage of his life, Pacquiao, who drives a Porsche Cayenne while in America, has everything almost at his disposal. Being the current pound-for-pound king of the world, his word is virtually law.
If he will do that?have one of his remaining mega-fights held here?he?d be endeared in our hearts forever.
Next, he?ll be looking at a political career placed on his feet on a silver platter yet.
Pacquiao has admitted a number of times already that he?d revive his kayoed political career next year. He?ll go for the lone congressional seat in Sarangani, which is near his birthplace of GenSan.
GenSan was his political waterloo in 2006, when Pacquiao was badly beaten by the defending champion, Rep. Darlene Custodio.
My own prediction is that if and when Pacquiao decides to again throw his hat into the political arena, he might end up unchallenged.
His popularity, plus his aura and charisma, should finally make him fulfill his second dream?become a congressman?after having more than successfully achieved his first goal: Scale the heights of boxing greatness.
Four world titles. Beating the best boxing had to offer. Beat to a pulp Oscar de la Hoya in a grisly fight that should easily rank as the Upset of the Decade.
BESIDES giving his countrymen something to be proud of, Pacquiao fighting again on home soil should also make him rake in more money.
Remember, because of taxes plucked out from Pacquiao?s earnings in all his blockbuster fights in America, the National Fist will emerge richer all the more once he makes one of his remaining projected mega-fights staged in the country. That should likely be against the unbeaten and dangerous Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The savings from taxes he will generate would be more than enough for Pacquiao to buy even four more luxury cars, including a top-of-the-line Lexus.
For Pacquiao?s information, the world-renowned Lexus will soon be available in Manila with the establishment of Lexus Manila this month under the leadership of the inimitable Danny Isla, the pride of Toyota Motors Philippines.
The last global fight held here was on October 1, 1975, yet, during that famous Thrilla in Manila between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier for the world heavyweight crown.
The government, through then President Ferdinand Marcos, staged that fight.
For one thing, it put the country back on the world map.
For another, it made Carlos ?Sonny? Padilla, the father of singer-actress ZsaZsa, an instant world celebrity after a brilliant performance as the referee of the fight dubbed until now as The Fight of The Century.
C?mon, Manny. Do it.
More than you think, it?d be worth a great, glorious, farewell fight.
Pee stop
The famous APT Golf Cup hosted yearly by philanthropist Art Tugade will be held today. Expect many of Art?s friends again to wear the funniest, zaniest costumes and make The Orchard the veritable playground anew of the comic and crazy, if only for a day. This is one tournament that Jimmy Bautista, the amiable president of Philippine Airlines, never misses.
