Even as Manny Pacquiao spends his last days preparing for his fight against Brandon Rios, his thoughts are with his countrymen still reeling from the effects of deadly Typhoon Haiyan, known as Yolanda in the Philippines.
Pacquiao, the 34-year-old congressman from the southern province of Sarangani, climbs the ring at noon Sunday at the Cotai Arena of the Venetian Hotel in Macao against the younger Rios.
Pacquiao will be fighting for the first time since December 2012 when he suffered a knockout loss to his old nemesis, Juan Manuel Marquez, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He lay motionless on the floor for more than a minute after being hit by a big right.
In June 2012, Pacquiao, the only boxer to win world titles in eight different weight classes, suffered a highly controversial 12-round loss to undefeated American Timothy Bradley.
Pacquiao had never lost two fights in a row since he turned pro 18 years ago. Some say he is past his prime and should retire. But others believe he still has the speed and the power behind his punches.
Sparring partner: Manny Pacquio trains with Freddie Roach for Sunday?s fight. [Abac Cordero]
Against the 27-year-old Rios, the fighting congressman faces the daunting task of proving the world that he?s not over the hill yet and that he?s the same old Pacquiao.
He said the devastation caused by the recent typhoon back home, which left thousands dead and thousands more missing, homeless and traumatized, has given him extra motivation in his fight against Rios. Along with serving as a congressman, Pacquiao joined the Army reserve force in 2006 and was inducted into the Army?s elite Special Forces Regiment in July 2011.
If he loses the fight, Pacquiao might consider retirement.
Pacquiao promises to visit victims, will send relief aid
As he trained at the Venetian Hotel on Tuesday, Pacquiao said he is dedicating the fight to his countrymen. He said once the fight is over, he will fly home to visit the typhoon victims.
When the typhoon struck, Pacquiao was in General Santos City training for the fight. He said he felt helpless watching the news about his nation.
Prayer for countrymen: Manny Pacquiao bows his head in prayer after one of his training sessions. [Abac Cordero]
?I feel so bad seeing many people suffer,? he said as he sat on a chair just before he entered the ring for a two-hour training session under Freddie Roach.
?I want to go there but I can?t because of training. All I can do is pray. I also ordered my people to send relief goods,? said Pacquiao.
The boxer who came from humble beginnings and rose to become one of the richest athletes in the world is known as a humanitarian. He loves to help the poor and the needy.
Pacquiao said he monitored the news day in and day out until he left the Philippines for Macau on Monday.
?As a congressman I like to thank our government for all the support to the victims. I have a lot of friends there affected by the typhoon even in Tacloban,? said Pacquiao, who also thanked the countries who delivered aid to the victims.
There is a lot of work to be done once the search, rescue and retrieval operations are over. Thousands of homes were swept away in the provinces of Leyte and Samar and there was great, severe damage on agriculture.
In the spotlight: Journalists surround Manny Pacquiao as he trains for Brandon Rios. [Abac Cordero]
As a congressman, Pacquiao said the government knows what has to be done. Still, it is not an easy task because it may take years to bring normalcy back to the most affected areas.
?Focus now is how to feed them. And then give them back their normal lives,? Pacquiao said.
?Everybody must help. And not only the government and the officials but everybody,? he said.
Pacquiao increased training for fight
The Filipino boxing icon trained long and hard for this fight. He normally trains six to eight weeks, but for this one he spent close to 10 weeks training, skipping Los Angeles and spending most of the time in General Santos City.
Warrior smile: Manny Pacquiao grins as he enters the training ring. [Abac Cordero]
Pacquiao cannot afford to lose this fight. And he knows it. He said he is ready to climb into the ring against Rios, finish the fight and head home.
?After the fight I will go to Tacloban and stay there for a few days,? he said.
Pacquiao cares for his countrymen
In 2009, as he trained for a fight against Puerto Rico?s Miguel Cotto, a typhoon hit the Philippines, causing damage in Metro Manila. He was in Baguio City, the summer capital at the time and five hours from Manila.
Pacquiao insisted on returning to Manila on a Sunday break. He boarded his black Hummer and with a handful other vehicles and a couple of police escorts, drove to Manila. Once in Manila, he personally distributed a busload of relief goods.
He will do the same for the Haiyan victims.
Pacquiao said the thought of his countrymen suffering because of the typhoon gives him the extra push in training.
?It gives me more motivation to win the fight and to focus more,? he said.
Pacquiao knows that a victory against Rios, a former world champion in the lightweight division, will give his countrymen something to cheer about.
He said he will go for a knockout if the opportunity comes, but would take a victory in any form as long as it is impressive.
?I want to give happiness to the people,? he said.
Pacquiao has been the biggest source of pride and honor for the Philippines in the international scene over the last five years.
He wants to continue to do that.
Against Rios, Pacquiao will have the opportunity.
