The world is watching, from Buenos Aires to Abu Dhabi, Manila to Mexico City, London to New York, from east to west and north to south and the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez blockbuster has split sporting world opinion in two.
Who is the world?s best featherweight? Who is a pretender to the throne? Who will kiss the canvass and who will kiss the Holy Grail?
Today, at 7:45 p.m. PST (10:45 a.m., Sunday in Manila), one man will survive to earn a place reserved only for legends while another would probably get washed out and fade away. One man will bring home three belts and the other empty-handed. One man will hit pay dirt while the other will just kiss dirt.
In one of the most classic fights ever to come in years, boxing gurus could hardly come up with comparisons to this fight from previous ones, which not only promises to be a nail-biting, edge-of-the-seat thriller, but also a true war between the Philippines and Mexico?s fight aficionados.
Activity will surely stop in the Philippines, home to 85 million rabid, die-hard Pacquiao fans as this could be their World Cup, Stanley Cup, NBA Finals Game Seven and World Series rolled into one. A Pacquiao victory could even rally a slumping economy back on track like when Brazil won its World Cup years back.
For the 30-year-old Marquez, a fighter who has always languished in the shadow of pay-per-view compatriots Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, a victory under the spectacular and bright klieg lights of the MGM Grand Arena will catapult him to instant superstar status. He would surely receive the recognition he has always sought for in America and in his hometown in Mexico City.
The fans have come in droves, some driving from as far as New Jersey, Chicago and New York while some have actually planed in from Argentina, Canada, Mexico and Abu Dhabi, among others places. This fight has not just stirred emotions from Manila and Mexico, it has attracted the purists and the adoring fans of the sporting world.
Both protagonists weighed in at 125 pounds, one shy of the 126-pound limit and for Pacquiao, the reward of a warm beef stew, chop suey, steamed rice, boiled eggs, a large banana and fresh oranges came waiting for him after the Nevada State Athletic Commission gave the go-ahead signal.
At the Hollywood Theater inside the MGM Grand Friday, fan activity has started to take some bite and Pacquiao, after posing ala Bruce Lee, waved off jeers from Latino fight fans with a hand gesture resembling that of a cross. ?That meant, ?bless you?,? said Pacquiao, smiling.
An instant Filipino cheering gallery suddenly came to life, exclaiming in unison, ?Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!? It also broke the silence and the scene was similar to the ones previously seen at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood when viewers were not barred to watch training and sparring sessions.
Pacquiao offered to win this fight for God, his family and his fellow Filipinos. ?Para ito sa karangalan ng bansa natin,? said Pacquiao, who apparently thrives under pressure.
When asked about the pre-fight pressure, Pacquiao let out a hearty laugh, saying, ?Bakit kayo nenerbiyosin? Huwag kayong nenerbiyosin. Relax lang!!!?
The charismatic 25-year-old from General Santos City also got a call from no other than the president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday, wishing him well and good luck. Close friend and supporter Manila Mayor Lito Atienza also called on ?Pacman? to bring home the bacon.
?Bukas pa ang eleksiyon so panoorin ninyo na muna ang laban na ito,? said Pacquiao, who is aware that many viewers will troop to the remodeled Luneta Park today to watch his fight on a jumbo screen. ?Maraming salamat sa mga suporta nila at sa mga kababayan nating Filipino, unang-una sa ating mahal na Pangulo.?
Revered boxing analyst and TV commentator Larry Merchant said that the Pacquiao-Marquez classical fight between a southpaw puncher and an orthodox counter-puncher is comparable to the epic featherweight Barrera-Morales I and II battles as well as the Michael Moorer-Evander Holyfield match, even the Felix Trinidad-Bernard Hopkins tiff.
Pacquiao, on the strength of his ?People?s Champion? and Ring Magazine belt, has been installed as slight -180 favorite as Latino and other fight fans have made a field day betting on the current +160 odds on Marquez. The odds have fluctuated noticeably all day at the MGM Grand, too, as fans of the IBF and WBA king Marquez seized the initiative.
?I can?t wait. Manny?s ready,? said Roach, whose secret strategy has remained under wraps. Pacquiao will be wearing a fighting red and a blazing yellow No Fear trunks with a black waist belt.
Roach approached Marquez?s coach Ignacio ?Nacho? Beristain and wished him good luck, after the weigh-in.
Beristain, speaking through interpreter Ricardo Jimenez, said that the fight would be very difficult. ?You?ve never seen a left hander quite like him who throws punches from all angles. And we have to be very cautious.?
Joe Cortez has been designated to be the referee of the scheduled 12-rounder, while the three judges at ringside include Guy Jutras of Canada, Burt Clements of Nevada and John Stewart of New Jersey.
The fight will be under unified rules. Among them include the waiving of the three knockdown rule and only Cortez can stop the bout. A boxer who will get charged with an intentional head butt or intentional foul can not win a fight by technicality even if the fighter is ahead on points. The match will be declared a draw on such instance.
The Tale of the Tape gives Marquez, 42-2-0 (33 Kos) a slight edge in height but not in reach, against the younger Pacquiao, 38-2-1 with 30 KOs. Marquez has slightly larger biceps, waist, fist and thigh while the former flyweight and super-bantamweight champion has a larger chest, forearm, wrist and calf muscle.
Pop diva Lani Misalucha has been tapped to sing the national anthem of the Philippines.
