THE head of the country’s amateur boxing association yesterday said the Philippines is blessed with countless boxers with the same amount of skills, grit and fire as world boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.
Still, Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines president Manny Lopez said a considerable amount of luck remains one of the factors that will determine a Filipino pugilist’s chances at becoming the next world champ.
“There’s only one Manny Pacquiao,” Lopez told reporters at the weekly Kapihan sa Sulo yesterday. “We go around the country and we see many boxers with the same skills and determination as Manny Pacquiao.
“Now, we ask ourselves, ‘why do we only have one Manny Pacquiao?’ I’d say luck has something to do with it,” Lopez said.
While Lopez stressed that Pacquiao’s recent disposal of Mexican Erik Morales was the result of practice and preparation, he said that the pride of General Santos City needed a stroke of luck to propel his international career against a Thai champion in Thailand.
“It was in Thailand when he fought Thai champion Chachai for his first world title,” Lopez said. “In the middle of the fight, all the judges had (the Thai) ahead. Then Manny managed to knock out his opponent with just one punch.”
Lopez said that another ingredient in coming up with another Filipino world boxing champion in the caliber of Pacquiao is an effective and well-meaning manager.
