Manny Pacquiao - the people's champion
I am not a boxing fan. Boxing is just too bloody. But channel surfing last Friday, my interest was piqued when I saw the title of the HBO miniseries: De La Joya Pacquaio 24/7. Pacquaio is hailed as the people's champion in the Philippines and I knew very little about him.
De La Hoya Pacquaio 24/7. Episode 1
After watching all 4 episodes, I gained a lot more respect for the sport and a lot of admiration for the two contenders. Oscar de la Hoya, who has held 6 world championship titles since winning the Olympic gold medal in 1992 is currently the biggest non-heavyweight boxer in the world today. At age 35, he is determined to show that he still has what it takes to be a winner. Twenty-nine year old Manny Pacquiao, hailed as the best pound for pound boxer in the world has held 4 world titles in a different weight classes. But de la Hoya's advantage in height (4inches) and arm reach (6 inches) and Pacquiao's lack of experience in this weight class, despite his previous impressive victories, led experts to call it a mismatch. The training they endured for one night of fighting is perhaps one of the most strenuous for any sport.
But as millions idolize Manny for his prowess as a boxer, I admire him more for the man that he is. A man who does not forget where he came from, who is eager to share his fortune with the less fortunate. Forced to leave school when he was 12, he is now sponsoring 200 children from kindergarten to high school. His foundation operates a medical clinic for the underprivileged. Among the first to render aid during times of disaster (like Typhoon Frank), he seems just too eager to give his riches away. His joy when he distributed turkeys to Filipinotown residents in the midst of his training was apparent. People close to him even wonder if he isn't giving away too much. But most of all, I admire his faith in God and in this secular world, his pride in displaying it. On his posting the day before what he called the "greatest challenge of his boxing career", he offered the game to God and to all the people who support him, Filipinos and others.
At the end of that game, Pacman, the 2:1 underdog proved to be too skillful for the Golden Boy. Before the 9th round begun, Pacquaio was declared the winner by TKO. Gracious in victory and defeat, each one declared the other his idol.
As the people's champion prepares for his return to adoring crowds in the Philippines, let's ponder on what he had once said: "What I want is to teach them how to pray, to believe in God, to be with God," he said. "I'm not wanting them to look at me as a champion."
