'Wala kang katulad Manny': Chronicling the past 10 years of Boxing's best (part 10)

July 7, 10:53 PMIndianapolis Fight Sports ExaminerDennis "dSource" Guillermo

 

"Wala kang katulad Manny"

After his epic trilogy with Erik "El Terrible" Morales, Manny Pacquiao was sitting on cloud nine. Pacquiao came home to yet another heroes welcome, but this time he brought his conquered foe back with him.

After a series of victory parades all across the nation of the Philippines, and several media obligations, there was one other commitment he had to do that stood out from the rest. Pacquiao was to film a TV commercial with his most recent opponent Erik Morales. Morales arrived in Manila a few weeks after his last fight with Pacquiao together with his wife and companion Jorge Quezada and were welcomed with open arms by adoring Filipino fans.

Not only was it an opportunity for Filipinos to meet one of the best fighters of this era in the flesh, it was also a great sign of sportsmanship and ended whatever nonsense hype brought about by the Philippines vs. Mexico rivalry. The team-up displayed how even such a brutal sport like boxing can not only bring two great athletes together, but two nations as well. Philippines and Mexico may be rivals when it comes to the sport of boxing but it also showed how gracious and warm the people from both countries are and how they can show mutual respect towards the other.

Mexicans and Filipinos are not all that different really. Both are hardworking, fun-loving and good-hearted people. They are passionate about things they believe in which only speaks volumes of how genuine they are. Outsiders label Mexicans and Filipino boxing fans as overly fanatic sometimes but what they don’t understand is how both nations embrace and love their boxers. Loyalty means a lot to both countries. That’s why you see these beloved Mexican fighters like Chavez, Barrera and Morales leave everything in the ring the way Pacquiao does and Gerry Penalosa before him, and Nonito Donaire Jr. is endeavoring to do so. They do not only say they fight for their country, they actually will risk their all just to bring glory and pay tribute to their flag and their fans.

Perhaps that is why somebody like Oscar De la Hoya has found it difficult to win over Mexican fans. I spoke to a Mexican friend of mine who is about twice my age and has followed boxing longer than I’ve been alive and asked him why Mexicans haven’t embraced The Golden Boy even when he was the biggest draw in the sport. He replied saying “De la Hoya is only Mexican when he wants to be Mexican, so we don’t think of him as Mexican.” Perhaps he may have been harsh but I’ve heard that line many times before. I understand where they are coming from. Winning is not all that matters, its how you win and what you stand for. That is why I think Pacquiao is so beloved. He is not only a great boxer, he has always carried himself with class and never forgotten where he came from. And in the ring, as he said after one of the toughest fights of his life against Juan Manuel Marquez in their rematch, “Knock me out and you win.” Pacquiao will never quit.

When De la Hoya complimented Pacquiao after their fight and told Pacquiao “now you’re my idol” only to come back after a few weeks of silence and say Pacquiao did not hurt him on top of all the reasons he used to belittle Pacquiao’s achievement, it kind of only made sense that the same guy who prior to their fight was promising to put a stop to Pacquiao’s victories over Mexican legends, was the same guy who had the fight stopped and quit on his stool. He did put a stop on Pacquiao’s streak over Mexican legends as he promised, because if my friend’s comments bode true for Mexico, the night Pacquiao beat De la Hoya ended Pacquiao’s string of victories over Mexican legends because that night he made De la Hoya quit, he defeated an American legend who came from Mexican descent, not a Mexican legend.

Boxing may be a brutal and punishing sport, but Pacquiao and Morales showed how it can unify and introduce two nations further towards each other.

Filipino boxing fans have embraced Morales because he fought in the ring until he could give no more. He did not quit. He gave Pacquiao everything he had, and when he knew he was beaten, he acknowledged Pacquiao and gave him his due respect. And as they said after all the smoke cleared from their explosive ring war,

“We were just doing our jobs inside the ring. Outside the ring, we like each other and are good friends.”

After the Morales' visit, Pacquiao would turn his attention to politics- a move a lot of his fans vocally disapproved of. They did not want their hero to be tainted by the dirty game of politics. What makes Pacquiao special is also what makes him different. In times where people would usually back up or turn the other way, Pacquiao is one among the few who would rather take on a challenge headstrong. Maybe that is why he’s been so successful. He follows his heart and stops at nothing to accomplish a goal he has set his mind on. In an interview at the time when Pacquiao was asked about his political ambitions and why he would insist in diving into the messy political clutter of his country, Pacquiao replied,

 GO TO PREVIOUS PARTS OF THIS STORY