LAS VEGAS ? Manny Pacquiao, the honorable Congressman representing Sarangani province in the Philippines, said the other day that as many 60 members of the Filipino congress had made the 7,500-mile trek to Las Vegas to be ringside for his welterweight title fight on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena against Juan Manuel Marquez.
?We could do a roll call,? Pacquiao said, giggling.
I?m not sure what that proves, other than to suggest that the Filipino congressional delegation is as inept and incompetent as the U.S. Congress. Surely, the people?s business doesn?t include flying halfway around the world to watch a boxing match.
But it?s clear that Pacquiao?s brief time in Congress ? he was sworn in about 16 months ago ? has significantly changed him.
Pacquiao is now as commanding out of the ring is he is inside of it. He still spews clich?s when discussing his fights, contending ?I am more experienced now,? ?I just want to give a good fight and make the people happy,? and ?I think Marquez will fight me toe-to-toe.?
But he?s clearly more comfortable talking and promoting his fights than he?s ever been. When he got to the dais at Wednesday?s news conference, he followed suit by thanking just about anyone with a remote connection to Saturday?s fight. But then he proceeded to pitch a movie about him, ?Manny!? that is coming out next year. Then, he said, as he often does at these types of gatherings, that he would pray no one gets hurt.
?I?m always praying,? he said, as he was concluding his remarks from the dais. ?I?m not praying for myself, but I?m praying for all of the fighters who are going to fight on Saturday, especially my opponent, that nobody gets hurt.?
He then paused for a second and it dawned on him the incongruity of what he said. He?s selling a fight, where the object is to beat up and perhaps knock out the opponent. The more violent the fight promises to be, the greater the interest will be and the higher the pay-per-view revenues will be.
When the light went on in his brain about the contradiction, he made like the politician he is and began to backtrack and equivocate.
?Well,? he said, grinning, ?I mean hurt like badly hurt. Boxing is hitting each other, but what I mean is [I hope no one gets] badly hurt.?
The place erupted as Pacquiao beamed. He had the room in the palm of his hand.
