FILIPINO fans all knew that Manny Pacquiao had a big fighting heart?now they know that he has a generous and caring one, too.
At a press briefing on Thursday at the Discovery Suites in Pasig City, Pacquiao announced that he would donate P200,000 of his P17-million purse to the victims of the two typhoons that struck Quezon Province last week.
?It?s really from my heart. It might be just a little amount but it comes from my heart,? he said at the conference to drum up interest for his scheduled 12-round nontitle fight against Thai pretender Fahsan 3K Battery on Sunday at the Fort Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
The 30-year-old Thai boxer, who has built a reputation of beating Filipino boxers in the past, said he would prevail against his heavily favored rival, vowing to knock Pacquiao out without saying exactly what round he would do it.
?That?s what I came here for. To win. I?ll knock him out,? said Fahsan, speaking through his manager, Jimmy Chachotochuang.
Pacquiao refused to be drawn in the word war with the Thai and declined to say what round he would stop Fahsan when they collide in the ?Yanig sa Taguig? card backed by Solar Sports, Smart and Discovery Suites.
?Let?s just wait until the fight. I can?t promise any knockout but I?ll do everything I can. This time it would be much harder work,? he said.
Paquiao and Fahsan are expected to easily make the 126-pound weight limit in the official weigh-in set at 10:30 a.m. at The Fort Friday.
American promoter Murad Muhammad is also expected to announce the referee and three judges in the fight.
Veteran referee Bruce McTavish, a New Zealand native who has been living Angeles City for over 30 years, likewise refused to confirm if he would be the third man in the ring, saying Games and Amusements Board chair Eduardo Villanueva would announce it at the weigh-in.
?The GAB chairman will tell you tomorrow,? McTavish said.
