GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The mother of Manny Pacquiao wept tears of joy Sunday after seeing him knockout Mexican Erik Morales in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dionesia Pacquiao took several moments to catch her breath after watching the fight on television.
“I’m very happy to see my son regain his reputation against the Mexican boxer,” Mrs. Pacquiao told newsmen who watched with her at her house in Barangay Labangal.
The champ’s mother was confined to a local hospital after Pacquiao lost to Morales 10 months ago.
Among those who joined in the victory celebration were Pacquiao’s close boxing mates including the former world-boxing champion Rolando Navarete.
“I knew Manny will win,” Navarete said as he viewed the fight on a wide television screen set up by the city government at the Oval Plaza.
The campus of Notre Dame of Dadiangas College here rang with cheers from students who watched the fight.
Tricycle operators abandoned their routes and small traders closed shop just to watch the fight.
Ronaldo Reyes of Barangay Lagao said he and a group of residents collected their winnings from a Chinese businessman who bet on the Mexican Erik Morales.
“I’d bet even my last money on Manny,” Reyes said.
The city resembled a ghost town as early as 10 a.m. after residents stayed at home for the fight.
“We really closed our store because we want also our workers to have an opportunity to see the fight with their families,” Rey Sanorya, who owns a 24-hour convenience store, told The Manila Times.
City officials are preparing for a hero’s welcome for Pacquiao.
