LAS VEGAS ? In a credit card commercial currently airing on television in the U.S., singer Beyonce tells comedienne Ellen DeGeneres to ?have your people call my people.?
But in the Philippines, all the people are Manny Pacquiao?s people.
The cherub-faced super featherweight not only is the world?s top boxer but also its most popular, in large part because he simply is one of them.
When Typhoon Fengshen touched down in the small island country earlier this month, killing hundreds and stranding thousands more, Pacquiao immediately offered financial support.
At this home in General Santos City, hundreds of people wait outside his walls, hoping for a charitable gift.
He?s by far the most popular athlete in the Philippines, but his promoter, Bob Arum, said the fierce devotion his countrymen have for them is because Pacquiao is something of an anti-celebrity.
?When Oscar became a champion, he became Oscar De La Hoya, celebrity, and he kind of carried himself as bigger than the rest of the population, which you would expect of most celebrities,? Arum said. ?But Manny remains in the eyes of the public in the Philippines one of them. He dresses like them. He behaves like them. He interacts with them. He?s achieved great celebrity status but he doesn?t view himself as a celebrity, and that just increases the (passion) they have for him so much more.?
One of the biggest concerns of those in areas affected by the typhoon is whether power will be restored in time for them to be able to watch Pacquiao bid for the WBC lightweight title when he challenges champion David Diaz on Saturday at Mandalay Bay.
No celebrity has the stature in the U.S. that Pacquiao does in the Philippines. And though most fans in the U.S. are unaware of the fanatical devotion his countrymen have for him or the reason for it, he remains extremely popular here, too.
And that?s largely because of the way he competes.
He looks more like a Wimbledon ball boy than a three-division world champion and the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world, but he has run through a gauntlet of the world?s finest lighter weight fighters over the last several years.
He?s one of those rare guys who would fight anyone anywhere at any time.
In seven fights against future Hall of Famers Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao is 5-1-1 with three knockouts. A 2004 draw with Marquez, a 2005 loss to Morales, and the first of two 2006 victories over Morales all could have earned Fight of the Year honors.
And his split decision victory over Marquez earlier this year is a leading contender for the 2008 Fight of the Year.
Diaz would be rooting nearly as vehemently for Pacquiao as he does for his beloved Chicago Cubs were he not facing Pacquiao.
?Of course I?m a fan of his,? the self-effacing Diaz said. ?How could you not be? Look at what he does and the show he puts on. I love to watch him fight.?
His love for his job is infectious. He carries a grin with him into the ring and fights with the fervor of one battling for something exceptionally important. Facing him at times seems like fighting an octopus, with gloves coming rapidly and from every direction.
?You have to be in shape when you fight him, because you know he?s going to have a very high output,? Morales said of Pacquiao earlier this year. ?He throws a lot of punches ? a lot of very hard punches ? and he?s not the kind of guy who takes a break (during the fight).?
He battles when he?s ahead, and he battles when he?s behind. Miguel Diaz, the highly regarded trainer/cut man, was working the corner of Oscar Larios on July 2, 2006, when Larios, a huge underdog, landed a wild shot to the head that badly hurt Pacquiao during their bout in Quezon City, Philippines.
Larios threw and threw and threw in an attempt to finish Pacquiao and score what undoubtedly would have been the biggest upset of that year. But Pacquiao wisely was able to move his head and shoulders to avoid a lot of the punches and then began firing back rapidly.
That forced Larios onto the retreat and ended his last, best chance of scoring a shocking win.
?He fights the whole time,? Miguel Diaz said. ?The whole time.?
He takes a nontraditional route to preparing himself for battle. On the week of the fight, most fighters competing at the top level of the sport become hermits and live in virtual isolation, away from all but the most essential members of their teams.
But Pacquiao?s life rarely diverts from the norm. He has been known to have dozens of people staying in his suite, many of whom he doesn?t know.
And though Saturday?s bout with Diaz is, in many ways, the most important of his career, as it provides him the opportunity to become the first Filipino to win a lightweight belt or to win a championship in four weight classes, he hasn?t changed.
?I?m willing to bet if you walked up to his suite, there?d be at least 30 people sleeping on the floor now,? Arum said. ?It?s just how he lives.?
That hasn?t changed, and come fight time, his style won?t change. David Diaz knows what he?ll have to deal with on Saturday.
?A fast, strong guy looking to knock my head off,? he said, smiling.
Pacquiao smiled, too, when talking about the fight, though it seems he smiles when talking about the weather, what to have for lunch or his favorite movie.
?I just want to give a good fight,? he said. ?I just want to make the people happy.?
That is about as much of a given as a Los Angeles traffic jam.
?With Manny,? trainer Freddie Roach said, ?you pretty much know what you?re getting. He?ll give you everything he has from beginning to end. With him, there are never any surprises.?
And in this case, that?s a good thing.
It?s a very good thing.
