SITUATED in the main lobby of the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is a club frequented by the hotel?s patrons. On one particular December evening, the club was filled with people dancing to the throbbing music that cut through the laser-light surroundings. They were dancing shoulder-to-shoulder; it was that crowded.
All of a sudden, a familiar face entered the club and immediately, an electric excitement crackled in the air. The crowd parted and the man made his way effortlessly through the crowd, whose collective attention followed him like a frisky puppy.
Even in a room full of foreigners, Manny Pacquiao commands awe and respect, a recognition rarely given to Filipinos abroad.
It was late Dec. 6, 2008, and Pacquiao had just come from the biggest fight of his career?an eighth round demolition of superstar and legend Oscar De La Hoya. No wonder people treated him like royalty as he shook hands and waved at the applauding club-goers.
Half a world away, millions more were waiting to welcome him, albeit with a little bit more fervor?one that requires a security detail.
After all, the reigning lightweight champion of the world did not merely dominate the Golden Boy?he overwhelmed him to the point that De La Hoya trainer Nacho Beristain had no choice but to stop the fight lest ?(Oscar) leave his greatness in the ring.?
But what about Pacquiao?s greatness? Just where does it come from?
Pacquiao chose to tackle the question from a technical point of view, cramming eight rounds of a smashing performance into a couple of sentences. ?I was too fast for him,? he said. ?Speed was the key in this fight.”
And what of the common touch and mass appeal? Can one trace that to the guy?s humble beginnings, the rags to riches story that ordinary folk aspire to? After all, this boxing great once sold cigarettes on the streets and worked as a baker?s assistant. This was the guy who stowed away on a ship from Gen. Santos City in Mindanao to Manila to try his luck at professional prizefighting.
This is now the same person whose financial resources can easily sustain his hometown. In his fight against De La Hoya alone, Pacquiao reportedly earned close to $15 million, about P720 million.
Perhaps it?s all that charity work, the open hand that has him sharing his loot.
Pacquiao has been known to dole out anything from food to money to his less fortunate kababayans in GenSan. In Los Angeles on Thanksgiving Day, he gave out turkey to the less fortunate. During his Dream Match against De La Hoya, Pacquiao spent P35 million just to seat friends?and their family and friends?during fight night.
?It?s part of my superstitious belief that I should share my blessings every time I have a fight,? Pacquiao said in Filipino.
Such generosity and free spending has alarmed his promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach, who fear that the champ might end up with an empty bank account.
But Pacquiao doesn?t mind.
?With great power comes great responsibility,? he said, quoting a line from the ?Spider-Man? movie. ?I believe that God has given me a lot of blessings and it is my responsibility to share them.?
All those factors considered, there?s no denying that Pacquiao?s popularity lies mainly in the self-respect that he has given every Filipino.
Consider this: The jampacked MGM Grand Garden Arena was littered with celebrities from both sports and entertainment during fight night.
Among the athletic greats past and present who were part of the audience were NBA greats Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson and boxing superstars Juan Diaz, Israel Vazquez, brothers Juan Manuel and Rafael Vasquez, Winky Wright, Monty Barret, ?Iron Mike? Tyson, Thomas ?The Hitman? Hearns, Vernon Forrest, Shane Mosely, Bernard Hopkins, Antonio Margarito and Ricky ?The Hitman? Hatton.
From the entertainment world came singer Marc Anthony and wife, singer-actress Jennifer Lopez, two-time Oscar winner Russell Crowe, ?Desperate Housewife? co-stars Jesse Metcalf and Eva Longoria, Mario Lopez, comedian George Lopez and actor Mark Wahlberg. Wahlberg had previously dropped by the Wild Card gym in LA to watch Pacquiao train.
In his fight against David Diaz for the lightweight crown in June last year, Pacquiao?s guests included the Boston Celtics, with ringleader Kevin Garnett professing, ?you?re my idol.?
These are big names, but all of them yielded the spotlight to the 5-foot-6 bundle of speed and punching power.
So what makes Pacquiao special?
Well, he makes OTHER Filipinos feel special.
