Philippines, 17 Sep 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Covering PacMan: A ride of a lifetime (PHOTOS)


PhilBoxing.com




LOS ANGELES -- Beginning with the Clippers versus Hornets game last January 8 at the Staples Center where Filipino Heritage Night, I've been chasing Manny Pacquiao like a disgruntled lover and determined stalker rolled into one.

And, oh boy, what a fun and exhausting ride it was.

After shadowing Pacquiao for an extended period of time, I now have an understanding of what it must be like to follow the Pope in his travels or the Rolling Stones on their tour. The common denominator is the mass gathering of people showing their unbridled affection.

When Pacquiao was at Staples Center, for instance, people yelled at him not just because he was throwing free t-shirts. They were vocalizing their adulation and many begged to be rewarded with autographs or selfies. He obliged but couldn't accommodate everybody.


Manny Pacquiao throws shirts during the Los Angeles Clippers Filipino Heritage night on Jan. 8 where the Clippers played the Charlotte Hornets.

A day later, at Media Day, the fighting Senator held court at the Wild Card gym. With PacMan back in the premises, Freddie Roach's sweat shop suddenly got more foot traffic than the local LTO office. Without Pacquiao for the past two years, Wild Card was a place where excitement went to die.

Reporters from around the world converged to see the Filipino legend, the sport's only eight-division champ, and he gave them plenty of material, showing off his ripped bod while working the mitts in a magnificent demonstration of speed and quickness at age 40.


Pacquiao being interviewed during his media day in Los Angeles Jan. 9.

More importantly, Pacquiao showed the depth of his wisdom in answering uneasy questions about his life and politics.

WHILE IN L.A. I did visit his house at Hancock Park, a mini palace not far from Paramount Pictures' studios. The massive domain sits on the tail end of the block leading to Beverly avenue and it was teeming with people --- friends, employees, hangers-on.

Pacquiao's army of chefs couldn't handle the crowd of hungry souls looking for a free meal so catered food was provided as well. I was supposed to be on diet, allegedly on the way to healthy living, but when I smelled the kare-kare and the beef steak, I ate like a famished Abu Sayyaf on the run from justice for a few adventurous days.


The author at the Pacquiao-Broner media room.

I took a break for a few days in Chicago before heading to the fight in Las Vegas, where the party got started.

Despite being away from U.S. soil in two years, the might of Pacquiao's economic power remains sky-high in Sin City. He filled the MGM Grand Garden Arena with 13,025 screaming fans and in his 12-round demolition of Adrien Broner, Pacquiao sold 400,000 pay-per-view units at $70 each.

During a lull in the coverage, I spent some bonding time with Daniel Guden of SunStar Super Balita who covers the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA for PhilBoxing. Dodong Guden and I were seen together too often at fight week that many of our mutual friends began to suspect we were dating. Of course, we're not.

Our boss -- DONG SECUYA -- who runs and owns PhilBoxing was also in Vegas for this one and being around him for those days was a goose bumps moments. Thanks Boss Dong for gracing the occasion with your illustrious presence.

While having breakfast on the day of the fight, I met with former Cebuano basketball start Rey Yncierto. He looked long in the tooth, like me, but Rey also looked like he can still hoop.



Lechon Kawali isn't supposed to be good early in the morning. Heck, it's never good any time unless you want a clogged artery, but I allowed myself a plate because Rey was paying and I was in the mood.

Let me say this, though. The food ---- buwad included --- was great, bit the company was the best.

After the one-sided fight, I went to LA to chronicle some more of Pacquiao's travels and it was a blast.

Thanks for the memories, Manny!!


The author (L) poses with Pacquiao's media relations officers Aquiles Zonio (C).

SPECIAL THANKS to Aquiles Zonio, Senator Pacquiao's media relations officer without whose blessings I wouldn't have been able to cover Pacquiao with such unfettered access. Mabuhay ka, Aqui!


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 15 SEPTEMBER 2025: Crawford Snatches Canelo's Undisputed Crown at 168 Lbs; Inoue Defeats Akhmadliev to Retain 4 Superbantam Belts; Crocker Outpoints Donovan
    By Eric Armit, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • TICKET NEWS: EUBANK JR-BENN II ON SALE FROM THIS WEDNESDAY
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • “Night of Champions” Returns to Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando on September 19
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Canelo-Crawford: The Consolidation of Boxing’s New Commercial Empire
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • A New Era for Boxing: Canelo vs. Crawford Shatters Global Viewership Records on Netflix
    By Dong Secuya, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Crawford Not the First Lightweight to Distinguish Himself at Super Middleweight
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Kurt Scoby and Josh Popper Headline Boxing Insider Card September 19 in Times Square
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Green and Gold 2025: Amateur Boxing’s International Gathering in Bolivia
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Pakistan's Sameer Khan Set to Battle for UBO Youth World Title in Brico Santig’s Sep 27 Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • SAMBO Pilipinas is Southern NSA of the Year 2025
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh To headline historic “Legacy Nights” Inaugural Pro Boxing event in El Salvador
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Smarts over power
    By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION RICKY HATTON
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • A New King, A New Challenger: Turki Alalshikh Proposes Crawford-Benavidez While Canelo Alvarez Faces Defeat with Humility
    By Dong Secuya, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Highly Questionable Title Eliminator
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Yoseline Perez Earns Silver Medal at Inaugural World Boxing Championships
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • 21-year-old Filipino wins at Germany rapid chess tournament
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Nagoya Nightmare: Naoya Inoue Notches One-Sided Decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Inoue’s Philippine Connection: Which Pinoy Super Bantamweight Could Challenge “The Monster?”
    By Carlos Costa, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Yoseline Perez Advances to the Finals at the World Boxing Championships Perez Set to Face Chinese Taipei’s Hsiao-Wen Huang for 54-Kilogram World Title
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Canelo Gets Outboxed, Loses Undisputed Title to Crawford
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • A Masterpiece of Boxing: Terence Crawford Dethrones Canelo Alvarez in Historic Showdown
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • LEWIS CROCKER IS CROWNED THE NEW IBF WORLD WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION
    , Sun, 14 Sep 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.