MICHAEL MARLEY’S PHILIPPINE DIARY, PART 25:
BRING ME THE HEAD OF FLOYD JOY MAYWEATHER, JR, MANNY PACQUIAO DIRECTS PROMOTER BOB ARUM, NOV. 13 LOOMING LARGE; PACMAN SAYS BEATING DOWN THE CHIONGBIAN FAMILY IN SARANGANI CONGRESSIONAL FIGHT WAS LIKE AN ARDUOUS BOXING MATCH ONLY DIFFERENT; MICHAEL MARLEY VISITS PACMAN AT HIS MANSION AND AT HIS BILLIARDS CENTER, ALSO SPEAKS WITH WIFE JINKEE, MANNY’S FATHER ROSALIO, BROTHER BOBBY AND ADVISER MICHAEL KONCZ: OIL RICH POTENTATES FROM MIDDLE EAST MAY OUTBID DALLAS AND VEGAS COMBINED
GENERAL SANTOS CITY?Despite the fact that I may have met the residency time requirement already on this sojourn, I am not a constituent of the Fighting Congressman from Sarangani Province.
But Manny Pacquiao did speak to me Tuesday night, as his electoral knockout was on the verge of being certified by regional officials as a 2 to 1 landslide over entrenched billionaire Roy Chiongbian. I visited with the Pinoy Idol, who will be sworn in I believe on June 30 and sit in this nation’s lower house for the first time on July 1, first at his mansion and then was invited to hang out at the billiards center where the fighter likes to spend late nights into early morning when he’s not in training.
Let’s get to the boxing news spilling from Pacman’s lips first and leave the political reviews and previews for a bit later.
In some aspects, however, the WBO welterweight champion’s ring and political careers are intertwined.
Fight fans around the world will be relieved to hear that Pacquiao is going to continue his spectacular boxing career on a fight by fight basis.
?I am not saying that this fight in November will be my final fight. I spoke with my mother and she relented a little on her request that I fight no more,? Pacquiao said. ?My mother said I can fight one more time, she granted me that.?
Please note that Pacman was smiling brightly at the mention of Aling Dionesia or ?Pacmom.? he reverses and respects his mother but, clearly, he calls his own shots in politics and in boxing.
His formerly estranged father, Rosalio, told me that he would prefer to see his son not fight any longer but it’s Pacmom who has the greater influence as she raised Manny, his two brothers and a sister while the father went off with a different woman. (That estrangement seems to be long over as I saw Manny sit and chat with his father at the pool hall.)
?I will fight in November and I want to fight (Floyd) Mayweather. I know the fans want to see this fight, fans all over the world and I am ready to do my part. But, if we can’t get Mayweather, then I will fight in November, anyway, and I see no conflict or problem with my work in Congress.?
I asked Pacquiao, in the glow of his huge TKO at the polling places in the impoverished, rural province, what being referred to as ?Mr. Congressman? and the ?Honorable Manny Pacquiao? felt like when he woke up Tuesday knowing his electoral fate was sealed.
?It was a hard fight against my opponent, a very hard fight. They have a lot of money and a lot of influence in the districts. But I think my message was heard by the people and I think they can identify with me and my background. I think the people of Sarangani felt it was time for something new, time for a change.
?So, it was a tough fight like a fight in the ring, but there is a big difference. With a fight, when I get a victory and the fight is over with, we can have a party and relax. But, with my going to Congress to serve the people, the work is just beginning.
?I have many ideas and plans to improve the life of the people in Sarangani now that the people have chosen me as their representative. This was always a dream for me, to be a public servant, and I am so happy I made it in my second try.?
Pacman promised the electorate he would seek to erect a hospital, the first ever, in the province where many people live on a dollar or two per day. He told Business Week/Bloomberg reporter Max Atayo he will also get things rolling to erect a public university in Sarangani.
Back to what the Pambansang Kamao, or National Fist, plans to do where he makes big money unlike in politics where his operation was one giant spending spree.
I kept hearing rumors that presidential candidate Manny Villar, a real estate billionaire whose campaign turned into a major flop as Nonoy Aquino steamrolled his rivals, supplied most or all of the money for Pacman’s campaign in return for a public endorsement and linkage on the same ticket. I was never able to verify or knock down the rumors but there is no doubt, even with money from Villar, that Pacquiao dug deep into his own pockets for the winning effort in Sarangani.
Pacman said he is likely to train for a November in the Phillipines, either in Baguio or another location where he won’t be too far removed from Congress.
One key reason Pacquiao did not g after a mayoral or gubernatorial position is that he did not want to be down with an executive position which would be a fulltime job requiring around the clock attention.
Back to boxing for a final round, adviser Michael Koncz is hinting that possible Mayweather fight sites Vegas and Dallas (where Jerry Jones earlier started his bidding for the big bout at $25 millionm) may have a competitor in the Middle East.
Koncz would not name names or countries but he said that the royal family of one oil rich principality (United Arab Emirates may be a solid guess) was going to come up with a staggering bid in a week or two.
Koncz said there would no problem bringing in the Nevada boxing commission to run and regulate Pacquiao-Mayweather if the Middle East bidders is real.
Having said that, I must ask whether Mayweather, who seems to only want to fight in his hometown of Vegas and shows no interest in Jones and his Cowboys Stadium where 100,000 fans could rock the house, would want to travel that far when he won’t even go to Texas.
Even if the fight is not headed to Dubai or some other exotic locale, the next two weeks are critical in getting negotiations moving.
I learned Wednesday morning that Arum was set to go to a meeting with HBO and the Mayweather side in New York but that the meeting was postponed or canceled for no apparent reason.
Congressman Pacman, who will be eligible for the presidency in his homeland three years from December when he turns age 35, is about to take off for a vacation with Jinkee and the kids. His sidekick, Brother Koncz, will be shadowing him so there is no danger of Arum not being able to reach out to his fighter.
I predicted, in Madam Auring fashion, a Pacquiao political victory albeit not the landslide it turned into.
I now predict that Mayweather-Pacquiao will get made in the next three weeks with a primary date of Nov. 13 and a fallback date of January or February.
If it gets made, it will be because both sides now know the public will accept nothing else.
Congressman Pacquiao, who keeps his ear to the ground, knows how to read his constituents in politics and boxing.
I wonder if Mayweather has a clue.
Let’s hope so.
The Fighting Congressman from Sarangani wants Mayweather, absolutely, positively and in a November to remember.
What say you, Floyd? I hope you won’t just keep filibustering, brother.
It takes two to tango and Pacquiao, canny fighter and astute politico, is ready to lead.
And not just in the halls of Congress.
