There?s going to be a big, star-studded party at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada this Saturday, March 19 (Sunday in Manila) when Filipinos from the Philippines and from all over the United States of America converge for the much-awaited fight between our very own Manny Pacquiao and Mexican Erik Morales.
Fellow columnist/broadcaster Ronnie Nathanielsz, who is covering the fight for television, called from Los Angeles yesterday to say that the Pacquiao fever in the US is unbelievable.
“You can?t imagine the huge crowd Manny draws to his workouts. Ang daming tao, they come from all states ? from as far as Texas to San Diego, just to see him. He?s a national hero to the Filipinos here. And because he is so accommodating ? signing autographs till his fingers hurt and posing endlessly for photos, the more he is endeared to his kababayans.
From Los Angeles, Ronnie said Team Pacquiao will be motoring to Las Vegas Monday. Led by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, the guest list for the big sporting event include Senator Lito Lapid, GAB chairman Eric Buhain, Governors Chavit Singson and Lito Ynares of Ilocos and Rizal, respectively, GenSan Mayor Pedro Achoron, former PBA commissioner Rudy Salud, movie actors Robin Padilla and Cesar Montano, among many others.
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According to boxing scholar Teddy Reynoso of Bulacan, Bulacan, although much has been written about the forthcoming Pacquiao-Morales fight, overlooked is the fact that long before climbing the ring for this bout, Manny has already established many firsts for Philippine boxing.
“By merely signing the contract which would guarantee him at least US $1.75 million, Pacquiao has become the first Filipino and very possibly, the first Asian fighter to figure in a multi-million, non-title bout anywhere in the world. Without a doubt, he is also the first Filipino and first Asian boxer to figure in a pay-per-view main event non-title fight in the United States, an honor only previously bestowed upon luminaries such as Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya,” Teddy said.
Largely on his own merit, he further points out Pacquiao also becomes the first Filipino and Asian boxer to be figuring in such a high-profiled non-title bout that has captured the attention, interest and imagination of most of the boxing world, spawning polls and surveys among fans and experts alike on their choice of who between Pacman and El Terrible will win that all-important fight.
Once he beats Morales, Teddy said Pacquiao will also make history as the first man to end an era in the featherweight and junior lightweight division largely dominated by Mexicans Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez.
“In my long years as a boxing aficionado, the only non-title fight for a Filipino that generated interest here and in the US was when our very own late great Gabriel “Flash” Elorde fought ? and decisively beat ? the youthful, upcoming Puerto Rican lightweight contender Frankie Narvaez at the Madison Square Garden sometime in the mid-60s. Until that fight, Narvaez was being groomed by Boriquenos as heir apparent to then world lightweight kingpin Carlos Ortiz, but the Elorde victory projected the Filipino as a title challenger for Ortiz,” Teddy recalled.
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HOOPVINE: It was also Teddy Reynoso who, last Saturday, chanced upon a big group of Mapua students all dressed in black, protesting against the projected change of the school?s name from Mapua to Malayan Institute of Technology. The students are appealing to fellow alumni Alvin Patrimonio, Leo Isaac, Atoy Co, Freddie Hubalde and Benny Cheng to support them in their cause. …The security guard did it! This was the verdict reached, according to PBA operations director Rickie Santos, after a thorough investigation conducted by the league on the burglary of the Alaska dugout at the Philsports Arena on opening day of the Fiesta Cup. According to media bureau?s Dave Coros, testimonies came from an actual eyewitness and the mother of the security guard who called the PhilSports to apologize for her son?s crime. She said he needed the money for a sick child. Cellphones and cash were stolen from several Alaska Aces? ..If you noticed a marked improvement in the Red Bull Barako?s speed, the credit goes to EA Addison, their new conditioning coach. “Generally, the team improved significantly, especially the conditioning of the players,” said Photokina exec Raffy Casyao. “The other new additions to our team are assistant coach Gee Abanilla and players Bryan Gahol, Gerome Ejercito and Warren Ybanez… This Antoinette Yao, a player of AMA Computers, QC, is not only good but lucky as well. Antoinette won a cool ONE MILLION PESOS in the NBA Madness Contest when she successfully converted a midcourt shot. Congratulations!
