International Boxing Federation junior featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao battered featherweight Marco Antonio Barrera and won a smashing 11th round TKO victory at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas yesterday.
Pacquiao silenced a huge pro-Barrera crowd and gave a nation that prayed for his success a resounding lift to their spirits at a time of trouble.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who has regularly entertained Pacquiao at the Palace following his victories abroad, followed the action on TV and praised the young fighter for proving that the Filipino is world class. She also paid tribute to his tremendous spirit and courage, saying the win is a ?whiff of fresh air.?
