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PACMAN IN AMERICA: AN EPILOGUE By Pete Escobar PhilBoxing.com Thu, 21 Jun 2007  Thank you to all who participated in writing this series, pound4pound1, Bobby Chan AKA BCngDC, Mirko, Jay Villar AKA Mod chups, and Bob Cruz AKA swingman. Special thanks as well to Dong Secuya and Philboxing.com for being a gracious host. Lastly, to the readers who took the time to read all six stories, we all hope you enjoyed reading them and we greatly appreciate your time. A boxer’s peak is one of the shortest in all of professional sports due to the violent nature of boxing. It is quite rare to see a Bernard Hopkins who may still be competitive against the elite of his division, decades later after winning his first title. And to the fickle and ever dwindling American boxing fan, here today, gone tomorrow is common place. Manny Pacquiao’s popularity in America was solidified through a game plan that had him “blaze a path through Mexico”, and this precedent has made us to expect more of the same and view this as the norm rather than the exception. Jorge Solis would have not been my first choice, but it kept Pacquiao active in the ring and his name in the boxing headlines for the right reasons. To sustain Manny’s fame and continued stature as a PPV headliner, Oscar De la Hoya/Richard Schaefer, and Bob Arum need to settle their differences and start thinking about what’s best for Manny Pacquiao. Anything less would be disappointing. Perhaps Pacquiao’s biggest impact is in how he has opened the door for future Filipino boxers. Superstars in the making Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and AJ “Bazooka” Banal were on the undercard of the De La Hoya vs. Mayweather mega fight after both were recruited and signed by Golden Boy Promotions while Goldie was in the Philippines in search of the next Pacquiao. Of course with their talent, Bautista and Banal would have naturally risen to the top without the help, but because of Pacquiao, the road became considerably shorter. As evidence of this, Rey Bautista will be challenging Daniel Ponce De Leon the reigning and defending WBO Super bantamweight champion on August 11th in Sacramento, California. In the co-feature, former world champion Gerry Penalosa will do battle with Jhonny Gonzalez for the WBO Bantamweight title. I expect the host site to be jam packed with Filipinos cheering on Boom Boom and Gerry as Manilaice7, Socalpnoy, and myself are in talks to watch the fight live in Sactown. As I read each one’s personal account on how Manny Pacquiao’s boxing exploits has affected our lives, I cannot help but recognize one underlying similarity, Filipino National Pride. As a Filipino-American, my country of origin doesn’t primarily define me, but it’s undeniably a large part of who I am. Sitting at that poker table for any of those Pacquiao fights, everyone could see through my pride as one of my own represented my country in grand fashion. Starting anew in a foreign land can be daunting. Almost everything is unknown. Strangely, my pride in my mother country grew as I matured in these United States. I have an insatiable craving for all things Filipino. I go out of my way to help a “kababayan” for I have been on the receiving end on numerous occasions. 
Pacman Pride: Filipino-Americans show their support to Pacquiao as a matter of national pride. Top photo: Pacquiao waving the Philippine flag in an LA presscon during the second installment of the Pacquiao-Morales trilogy. There was a time when you mention our country to a typical American and the most common response you’ll get is the one about Imelda and her insane collection of shoes. I still remember getting emotional as I watched Corazon Aquino get a standing ovation in Washington DC after giving a speech to the US congress. Many years later, it took a boxer yelling “I love you Philippines” to the television camera after each win to get that same emotion back. From a historical sense, Manny is no Cory, but as a source for Filipino pride and inspiration, he’s a giant. There is no denying that Manny in the ring unites all Filipinos no matter where our location. Outside the ring, let‘s just say, these are opportunities to learn from each other. I hope through our stories, we can all see our obvious similarities, We are proud to be Filipinos. I leave you with two quotes “There is no such thing as a winnable war” - Gordon Sumner “Let there be peace in Pacland” - Kasparov Click here to view a list of other articles written by Pete Escobar.  |
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