GRAPEVINE, TEXAS—Blessed be thy foul protector, Manny Pacquiao.
I’m not kidding, people. Pacquiao is such a devout Catholic that he had one of his many Pinoy priests actually bestow a blessing on all his boxing equiptment Saturday afternoon here at the Gaylord Texan Hotel, hours before his Cowboys Stadium rumble with challenger Joshua Clottey.
I didn’t see it but Boxingconfidential Editor Joe Shadyac, so close to me I consider him like a brother, was actually at the Prefight Mass along with Manny, wife Jinkee and the usual Pacman In Crowd.
“The priest blessed Manny’s robe, his trunks, his gloves and his cup. I guess you could call it the Holy Cup now given its sacrosanct condition, Shadyac said.
Now my mother insisted I go to public school, not St. Anthony’s (Allston section of Boston) where the nuns ruled with iron hands and steel rulers.
Manny Pacquiao writhes in pain after low blow by Agapito Sanchez (Dean Coppola Photo, Contra Costa Times)
I was a flop as an altar boy also. So I don’t claim to be an expert on Catholic tradition.
Someone mentioned dogma, I first thought of Manny’s Jack Russell terrier named Pacman.
But the question arises, would it be balsphemy now, or a sacrilege of some kind, for the rugged Ghanian to hit Manny low, to besmirch the blessed cup designed to safeguard, ahem, the Pacquiao Family Jewels so to speak?
I put the query to a relaxed, confident Pacman trainer Coach Freddie Roach minutes ago in the coffee shop.
I was thinking of (see photo) of Pacman writhing in pain on the canvas when the late, foul prone Agapito Sanchez whacked him hard and in an anatomically sensi
Roach laughed and said, “Only you, Marley, would think of that one.”
I think I will refer the question to a Higher Authority. Anyone got that Vatican Boxing Hotline phone number?
