Government officials yesterday urged Negrenses to pray for Manny Pacquiao when the Filipino boxing icon takes on Mexican Eirk Morales at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada Saturday night (Sunday morning in the Philippines).
Gov. Joseph Mara?on said that the Negrenses should pray for a Pacquiao victory because his triumph would not only be for himself but for the Philippines.
“Everybody should not only hope for Pacquiao to win, but they should also pray, because a victory by Manny would once again bring honor to the country,” Mara?on said.
The super featherweight Pacquiao-Morales encounter, dubbed as “The Grand Finale”, will most probably be their third and last bout after they split the first two fights.
The southpaw Pacquiao (42-3-2, 32 KOs) brought Morales (48-4, 34 KOs) to the canvas for the first time in the Mexican’s career when he scored a 10th round technical knockout victory during their second bout in January.
Bacolod Vice Mayor Renecito Novero said the Bacole?os should be prayerful for the 27-year-old Pacquiao’s victory because he is an adopted son of the city.
Novero said that the Bacole?os should also join Mayor Evelio Leonardia in supporting Pacquiao, who hails from General Santos City, because his victory would also mean honor and glory for the Philippines, especially Bacolod.
Vice Gov. Isidro Zayco said that as a Negrense, he hopes that Pacquiao will make it to the top because a victory will be the pride of the Filipino people and of the Negrenses.
Leonardia who is now in Las Vegas as a member of Pacquiao’s group, said they expect more Filipinos to witness the Nov. 19 Pacquaio-Morales bout. He said all flights to Las Vegas are full and some had to take the land trip to witness the fight.
Many Bacole?os are also coming, he said.
Promoter Bob Arum said he is poised to sell all 17,000 seats at the Thomas and Mack Center.
Leonardia said that if one bets $240 on Pacquiao, he will only get $100 if he wins, but if one bets $100 for Morales, he will get $200. He said if Pacquiao wins, he will receive a prize money of $3 million or P150 million plus an additional $3 million from proceeds of live-viewing of the fight.
Morales won the first contest between the two, a unanimous points victory in March 2005. Pacquiao won the rematch in January this year, bringing Morales down in the 10th round of a hard-fought and enthralling contest.
Morales has suffered just four defeats in 52 fights, but all of them have been since 2002, and three have come in his last four bouts. While Pacqiuao’s only defeat since 1999 was the first fight with Morales. He lost twice before that, earlier in his career when struggling to make the flyweight limit of 112 pounds.
Leonardia who has been requested by Pacquiao to be the one to hold his champion’s belt at the fight, said that during breakfast with the boxer and his wife Jinkee yesterday, Pacquiao told him that many others want to hold the belt at this event. Leonardia had also done it during the Pacquiao-Larios fight in Manila.
Before leaving for Las Vegas, Leonardia had given instructions for the installation of wide screens at the Bacolod City Hall, Bacolod Arts, Youth and Sports Center, and the three major markets in the city – Burgos, Libertad and Central Market.*CIT/CGS
