This is a column about someone you?ve probably never heard of.
He?s the world?s best boxer, but because he hails from the Philippines and is a little guy, he is barely known beyond the realm of his chosen sport.
And that?s a pity because Manny Pacquiao is a terrific fighter. He first came to prominence after receiving a belated phone call to fight our own Lehlohonolo Ledwaba for the world championship in Las Vegas in 2001. ?Easy fight,? reckoned Ledwaba?s backers, who saw that Pacquiao?s two defeats had come by knockout ? and their man traded under the name ?Hands of Stone?.
The Filipino carved up Ledwaba . The champion?s nose was bloodied in the first round, he was dropped in the second with a crippling left hook and finally knocked out in the sixth.
It was devastating for Ledwaba. What he wasn?t to know was that he was beaten by a man who would go on to be crowned the world?s pound-for- pound No1 . Next weekend Pacquiao fights the golden boy of the previous generation, Oscar De La Hoya, in a bout whose ticket sales guarantee the second- largest gate revenue in boxing history.
De La Hoya likes to talk about his humble background, but Pacquiao?s makes his look rosy.
As a young boy selling pandesal (Filipino bread) on the streets to help support his family, he had dreams of entering the priesthood. But he was a natural fighter; fighting on the streets is what he did best.
Aged 15, he fled aboard a ship bound for Manila after his father ate his pet dog. ?That?s just how poor it is in (his hometown) General Santos,? quipped his trainer Freddie Roach on an ESPN documentary recently. ?If you?re a slow dog, be careful.? Pacquiao was happy. In Manila, he could afford to eat rice three times a day. In his home town, he could eat only once a day.
And so began the Pacquiao odyssey. The tiny southpaw started out at light- flyweight (48kg) and learned his trade fighting across the East. His mum would travel to the local appliance store with Manny?s brother to watch him fight. Pacquiao?s first venture beyond Asia brought him to Las Vegas for the Ledwaba bout . In a sense, he?s never looked back, becoming a prime-time staple in Los Angeles, San Antonio and Las Vegas. In his 17 fights since first winning the championship, he?s captured another three world titles across as many divisions. His only defeat in the past seven years (to Erik Morales) was twice avenged and he?s also thrashed outstanding fighters such as Jorge Julio, Marco Antonio Barrera and David Diaz. Predictably, he?s now known as the ?Mexicutioner?.
It is the ultimate poor-boy-done- good story, especially as Pacquiao has since dabbled in politics and movies and become a much-loved figure at home. Boxing has brought him fame ? he remarks wryly how his number of relatives has swollen to 2000 from 30 ? and he numbers among the Philippines most wealthy residents. For all this, he is trailing in the betting for next weekend. De La Hoya is a naturally much bigger man who will feel right at home fighting at welterweight (67kg). In boxing, the inches and kilograms count more than in any other sport. ?It will be like an adult bullying a young boy,? boasted one De La Hoya staffer.
No matter. Pacquiao is the sort of fighter who harks back to the 1900s, when men would take on all-comers and all sizes. He?s a ferocious talent who gives everything, as he did in his recent fight against Diaz, who left the ring a bloody mess.
It?s true that De La Hoya is a remarkable fighter who will be in the Hall of Fame the minute he becomes eligible. But he?s also an ageing warrior who?s on his last legs. He?s built himself an impressive business empire and even promotes many of the world?s best boxers.
He?s fought them all, but he?s never fought anyone like Pacquiao, a non- stop puncher whose speed and cunning should prove telling.
Pacquiao will never be a superstar. He doesn?t mouth one-liners and he doesn?t share De La Hoya?s good looks. He doesn?t beat up people and he doesn?t do trash talk.
But what he does do is fight in the classic sense.
Go on, see for yourself.
