No one is saying that beating Joshua Clottey is a fait accompli. No one expects the rugged Ghanaian to embarrass himself March 13 in Arlington, Texas.
But it would an epic shocker if Clottey beat Pacman so let’s discuss the two more threatening opponents the Pinoy Idol must contend with.
I know I waver on this but I still see the massive mountains of money causing the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout to get put together if not by year’s end then in the first quarter of 2011. The random drug testing issue is not unsolvable.
The other looming large Pacman foe is Saragani politician Roy Chiongbian. He and Megammanny will duke it out for a Congressional seat from Jinkee Pacquiao’s home province with an election on May 10.
I wonder if all the Mayweathers will properly address a victorious at the ballot box Pacquiao as “Congressman?”
But the nagging question is can Manny win at the polls when he got stopped (40,000 vote differential) in South Cotobato by Dazzling Darlene Antonio-Custodio, like Chiongbian another scion of a powerful Pinoy political dynasty?
Pinoy scribe Granville Ampong (Philboxing.com) filed a hopeful report, not about the Clottey bout but about Pacman’s second try for elective office.
Here’s a tasty sliver as Ampong took the electoral temperature in Sarangani:
Pacman, lovely wife Jinkee, show off his duly filed Congressional election forms in her home province of Sarangani (AP Photo)
“However, honesty of Pacquiao’s leaders will have to be tested whether they are really for Pacquiao and for the people or just for their deep pockets in anticipation of the huge campaign fund for this 2010 national elections.
“Beware of those “fake defectors” and self-serving sycophants,” says Ricky Torres who hails from the second district of South Cotabato where Pacquiao lost his congressional bid in 2007 by a margin of about 40,000 votes to Darlene Custodio.
“Torres said, “Pacquiao does not have the best political machinery, but he has the hearts of the people of Sarangani at this time.”
Philboxing, Marhalikan Times scribe Granville Ampong (Facebook)
“Torres just had his two months vacation with his family in South Cotabato and also spent a month in Sarangani where he claims to have a small farm of pigs and cows. He said Pacquiao has a chance to win his congressional bid in Sarangani, at least according to his friends and relatives who are residents in the said district.
“He further said Pacquiao is hot prospect to become a good congressman and the leaders there are better and faithful that what Pacquiao had in the first district of South Cotabato. “They are more God-fearing and simple in living,” he opines. “Pacquiao should keep his candidacy and I know he will win by split decision this time.”
“This writer just hopes that when the political dusts settle in the late night of May 10, 2010, Pacquiao will come out in the tally victoriously.”
Reading between the lines it sounds like down and dirty Chicago or Boston politics.
In boxing, we call it pay per view.
In politics, it’s also PPV, pay per vote.
Methinks James Michael Curley and the original Mayor Richard Daley might heartily approve of Pacman’s pocket to electorate campaigning.
How do you say Tammany Hall in Tagalog, my friends?
Is Pacquiao about to buy himself a seat at the Congressional table?
He can certainly afford the tariff.
The Chiongbian clan owns a huge shipping line among other things.
May I suggest this motto for Manny, “Time For Roy Chiongbian to ship out.”
All Pacquiao political hands on deck, please, so there is no repeat of the fiasco in GenSan. You don’t want to see Pacman turning into the Filipino answer to Harold Stassen, the perennial American presidential candidate.
Run, Manny, run.
