AFTER Manny Pacquiao’s victory in Vegas, he is now more popular than all of our local movie stars combined. Would it be wise for the “People’s Champ” to venture into show biz? He hosted “Kamao” with Robin Padilla and Vina Morales. He has recorded his own CD. He’s a sought-after product endorser. Talks have it that his life story will soon be made into a movie. That’s the way it goes with Pinoys. Politicians become actors, beauty queens become bold stars … everything is “show-bized”! Or, to paraphrase a rubbing alcohol ad, Pacquiao is “’Di lang pang-isports, pang-show biz pa!”
There’s nothing wrong with Manny joining show biz. He has a captive audience. Pacquiao will surely PACk ’em in. But wouldn’t it be better for him to stick to what he does best? He ought to save his precious energy for his next fight. One dismal flop as an actor could diminish his prestige as a boxing legend. Does he want to be like other Pinoy boxers who just faded into oblivion after their short-lived show biz career? Besides, boxing and show biz are two different things. Will he be able to stomach below-the-belt intrigues? At least, in the ring, he knows his opponent.
Of course, in show biz, he can earn big bucks without laying his life on the line. Otherwise, it’s a bad idea. He is assured of film assignments and TV guestings as long as the euphoria over his victory hovers in the air. But he is not sure of getting roles that mark a real actor. A boxing icon should not end up relegated to slapstick comedy. Look what happened to Olympic silver medalist Onyok Velasco.
Fortune? Manny has this in abundance already. Fame? Show biz will not make him any more famous than he is now. He’d better not let show biz turn his historic stature into hysterics and histrionics. The Pacquiao mystique is best left intact in the same way that he kept his new boxing tactics a mystery. Isn’t that how he clobbered Eric Morales? That’s exactly how he will keep winning us over and over again. He should also remind himself that, in a different sense, scarcity is also power.
World’s No. 1
Catch the world’s No. 1 DJ, Paul Van Dyk in “The Politics of Dancing 2” (brought to you by Team BigFish) tomorrow, 9 p.m. at the World Trade Center. (E-mail [email protected])
