To the world, the upcoming fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao is the culmination of many years of frustration and false hope. It is a showcase of boxing’s pinnacle and is set to be the biggest fight in history.
For Filipino fans, however, the fight is symbolic of so much more.
To us Filipinos, Manny Pacquiao is Don Bradman, John Eales and Darren Lockyer rolled into one dynamite package.
It’s rare for one person to be a solitary symbol of unity and pride for an entire nation. In a country fraught with crime, corruption and poverty, Pacquiao’s victories have uplifted the spirits of rich and poor alike. It made us proud to be his countryman.
I recall hearing about his upcoming fight against Marco Antonio Barrera back in 2003. Pacquiao was good, I thought, but he stood no chance against the Mexican icon. As would be the theme throughout his career, Pacquiao proved the doubters wrong.
While I’ve cheered for all his victories, it’s the ones I’ve watched from the Philippines that remain the most endearing.
I screamed ecstatically in a packed cinema when he became the first man to stop the iron-chinned Erik Morales. I was a year 12 student, a day shy of my final exams, when he obliterated Ricky Hatton in two rounds.
For us Filipinos, Pacquiao’s victories have helped us to overcome our own challenges.
The upcoming fight against Mayweather is the biggest challenge that both fighters have faced throughout their careers. Beyond world titles, this contest is for legacies and eternal bragging rights.
Am I too biased to make an objective prediction? Perhaps, but it would be unfair if I didn’t say that Mayweather is as close to a perfect tactician as we’ve seen in this generation. His slick defence and masterful counter-punching has placed him as the odds-on favourite for good reason.
Will Pacquiao’s speed, power and southpaw trickery be enough to hand Mayweather his first professional loss? That remains to be seen. He will need to hurt Mayweather early before the latter settles into his rhythm and game plan. Shane Mosley and Marcos Maidana showed that Mayweather can be hurt early in a fight.
One thing is for certain, though – regardless of the outcome, the poor boy from General Santos City has done his countrymen proud. And the young boy inside of me will be screaming once again on May 3.
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