WE JUST had a triple crown affair.
But oops no, it didn’t happen at the racetracks, fellas. That’s for the likes of our “Silver Story” and, yes, America’s “Affirmed.” If you want some more of horseracing stuff, ask Edwin Villanueva, our resident expert on the “sport of kings.”
The feat can also be called a Grand Slam.
But oops again no, it didn’t happen at the basketball court. That’s for the likes of Crispa, San Miguel Beer and Alaska in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
It’s a Triple Crown, yes.
It’s also a Grand Slam, yes.
But this time, it all happened in boxing. And, yes, all three victories happened in just half a day.
Music please, maestro?
Play, “We Say Mabuhay! We Say Mabuhay!”
Never mind that it fell on the birthday of the fallen dictator Ferdinand Marcos, September 11.
In these times of political turmoil coupled with economic turbulence, set aside our worries, our angst, and let the heart rejoice and forget life’s travesties and tragedies.
Each day has its own unique way of pleasing, displeasing, us mortals of this world.
And so, hep-hep-hooray to Rey Bautista, Brian Viloria and Manny Pacquiao! The Filipino boxers won their fights on Sunday, September 11 (Saturday in Los Angeles) and, in the process, made us proud once more as a Filipino performing on the world stage.
If I know my history, it marked the first time that three Filipino professional boxers won on the same card on the same day of the year. And all three were scored against three Latinos at that.
First, Bautista, 19, aptly monikered “Boom! Boom!” for his explosive fists, knocked out Felix Flores Murillo of Colombia in the third round of their bantamweight bout scheduled for eight.
Second, Viloria, 24, raised in Waipahu by Ilocano parents from Narvacan and Sta. Maria towns in Ilocos Sur province thus the moniker “Hawaiian Punch,” stopped defending champion Eric Ortiz of Mexico City with a second left in the first round to capture the WBC light flyweight crown.
And, finally, Pacquiao, the most famous of the three with his ring name “Pacman” screamingly embroidered on the waist of his trunks, put away Hector Velasquez of Tijuana, Mexico, in the sixth round to clinch the 130-pound WBC International title.
It can’t be any better than that. More than anything, it was a Day of National Pride and if President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is looking for a day to celebrate a holiday more fitting than her State of the Nation Address, this should be it.
“Cheers to the Filipino people!” screamed Secretary Ed Pamintuan, materializing at the door of a packed room watching the Pacquiao fight right after Pacquiao was declared winner by TKO. Ed’s arms were raised up high, fists closed, and the only ones lacking were tears in his eyes to accentuate the jubilation oozing from his heart.
He would embrace me later, and I could feel his heart pounding frenetically, palms moist, body shaking a bit from the electric thrill of it all.
There wasn’t a show of instant emotion such as that from someone so overwhelmed and hungering for national redemption amid all the seeming helplessness on the national psyche.
Among those in the private room that Dennis Uy, Ed’s dear buddy, had invited for exclusive viewing of the pay-per-view fight inside Angeles City’s posh Spencer’s restaurant were Ed Picson, Dennis Principe, Bruce McTavish, Chito Salud (he was with his wife and their handsome son), Louie Visorde, balikbayans Franklin and Cora Leonor, Joven and Elvie Florido, Ching Fernandez and Sol F. Juvida.
And oh, how sumptuous was the menu that Miniang Pamintuan had served — fried hito (catfish), burong hipon to be wrapped on mustard leaves, chicken adobo, grilled pork, pork sinigang sa bayabas with kangkong and gabi and, yes, the best sisig in the world. Hey, Miniang dear, take a bow, please?
If there was one day to remember one Great Filipino Day to live by, this was it. Even the President sensed its immensity and made a go of it and grabbed the opportunity to use it to rally the people to her cause — never mind if it was a dying cause as seen by the two widows: Tita Cory & Susan Roces.
Sports has always been known to soothe the frayed nerves of a nation, if not perennially used as a weapon for stagnating politicians to prop up their image.
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FASTBREAK. “Perfect! Am happy with the surgery!” That was a text message for me from Dr. Tony Calanoc of Asian Hospital. Dr. Calanoc it was who did a hip surgery yesterday on Wolen Superal, the reigning 11-12 world junior golf champion. More than the successful operation, let’s all give Dr. Calanoc a warmer applause for not receiving a single centavo for the surgery. God bless you, Doctor.
