Manila: The world will stop for several hours for many Filipinos today as the “People’s Champ” Manny Pacquiao takes on Mexican-American Oscar de la Hoya, in a fight headlined as “Dream Match”.
As in the past, matches billing the 29-year-old boxer from Southern Philippines against other opponents, has seen traffic vanish from the road.
The military, which had drafted Pacquiao as a sergeant in the army, is expected to declare a unilateral ceasefire, if only for a few hours, so that soldiers can watch the fight on television.
For many Filipinos, the fight is not just a test of skill and endurance between two seasoned boxers but a match between an apparent underdog and a 35-year-old former Olympic fighter.
Pacquiao is shorter by four inches against his opponent and boxing is a sport where height is an advantage.
