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The Calm Before The Storm
By Greg R. Penilla, M.D. PhilBoxing.com Fri, 05 Dec 2008

Relax! Of all people, the only one who seems to be so unruffled and serene is the person who will be in the center of an explosive fight come Saturday night. Oscar DeLa Hoya is nervous; you can see it in his eyes. His handlers are tense. Pacquiao?s friends and fans are anxious. Schaefer and Arum are worried. Ninety million Filipinos are on edge. The boxing world is apprehensive. The man who came up with the idea, Mr. Larry Merchant, the heart and soul of HBO Boxing, is uneasy.
Interestingly, Manny Pacquiao is calm, collected and cool as a cucumber. It has been reported that he was admonishing the people around him to just take it easy and relax.
It is very obvious that he is so sure of himself and oozing with confidence. His body language says it all. He appears to have the swagger, the stance, the attitude and the demeanor of a man who is more than ready to rumble. He is a volcano with all the pent-up energy about to explode and become Oscar DeLa Hoya?s nightmare.
One can feel the sense of anticipation. There is electricity in the air. The buzz is on high gear. The celebrities are in town.
Watch out, it is the calm before the storm. Hurricane Manny is about to wreck havoc on the Golden Boy.
Top photo: Four division world champion Manny Pacquiao (R) speaks to the media as his opponent for Saturday's 'Dream Match', six division world champion Oscar de la Hoya (L) listens during today's press conference at Hollywood Theatre, MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Photo Credit: Dong Secuya / Philboxing.com.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Greg R. Penilla, M.D..
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