LAS VEGAS — One of the world’s most gifted athletes is proving that, in some ways, he is not so unique after all.
Manny Pacquiao, the 31-year-old Filipino boxing champion from General Santos City, Philippines, joins a long list of accomplished athletes, who, for whatever reason, think that their remarkable talent doing what they do so well on the field or court —in this case, the boxing ring — will translate into success in the music business.
As the saying goes, “Every athlete wants to be a rock star, and every rock star wants to be an athlete.”
On Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Pacquiao will follow up his MGM Grand welterweight title fight against Miguel Cotto, with a concert featuring him and the MP band.
Pacquiao boldly announced the ensuing performance over two months ago, during September’s “Firepower” media tour, and was a surprising proclamation of confidence that caught even his longtime trainer off guard.
“I said, ‘Manny, you booked a concert right after the fight, what are you nuts?’” Roach commented at the final press conference on Wednesday. “He laughed and said, ‘I can do it. It’s okay.’”
Just last week, Pacquiao took a break from his tapered-down training regimen at the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles, to perform a ballad on the Jimmy Kimmel Show.
And by the looks of things, this is no “sideline” job, or else he would refrain from singing love songs and stick to material more suitable for his karaoke-like abilities.
Pacquiao has already had two albums (self-funded) go platinum in the Philippines, with tentative plans for another in the near future. If it does happen, let’s hope that proceeds from the sales of the album go to either Typhoon relief efforts or humanitarian outreach organizations back in the Philippines.
Pacquiao is on record as saying that his main goal for throwing his hat into the political ring is to give the Filipino population, in the province of Mindanao, the chance to make their lives better.
And as we all have heard before, life in the land of 7,107 islands comes to a grinding halt when “Pacman” laces up the gloves for each one of his thrilling fights.
The brutal truth of the matter is that the general public would much rather watch Pacquiao in the ring instead of listening to his music at home while entertaining.
Novelty acts are unbecoming of a man with so much heart.
His foray into the not-so-wonderful world of Philippine politics is a completely different story altogether, and will be explored with much more depth as the May 2010 election approaches.
The list of professional athletes, who have attempted to invest their time, effort and money with the hopes of making a name for themselves as a recording artist reads like a who’s who of professional sports.
Over ten years ago, Pacquiao’s friend and Nike stable mate, Kobe Bryant, attempted a rap album, which included a laughable duet with Tyra Banks, and was a complete disaster. The same could be said for Bryant’s fellow basketball star, Allen Iverson, whose rap record was shelved by his label (and NBA commissioner David Stern) soon after the release of his single, “40 Bars.”
Pacquiao’s potential future opponent, Floyd Mayweather Jr., has recorded his own rap song, although don’t try looking for it in stores unless you enjoy getting your fingers really dusty.
And of course, who could forget the infamous song from the 1985 Chicago Bears, “The Super Bowl Shuffle.”
The courage Pacquiao possesses to sing on stage is similar to the fortitude he exhibits in the ring, an otherworldly strength that stems from his lifetime of experiences growing up in the Philippines.
The only problem is that while one is awe-inspiring, the other is jaw-dropping.
So once and for all, Manny, enough already with the seriousness of your endeavor as a legitimate recording artist, and please put an end to the crooning.
Your time and energy would be much better spent throwing punches in the ring.
