Month: November 2013

(Photo: Vincent Yu/AP)

Firstly, if you want the best seats in the arena, write for sports. We sat 11 rows from the stage. Had we purchased those tickets, they’d be over $2,000 each. What’s amazing about being inside Ground Zero (the Media/VIP Section) is that there’s free food served: Haagen-Dazs ice cream, Garrett popcorn, sandwiches, Heinekin beer — eat and drink all you can.

TWO, Bob Arum and The Venetian Macao know how to take care of the press. While here covering the event, you get access inside the Media Room. It’s the size of Waterfront’s ballroom with free wi-fi and (again) sandwiches and ice cream. Even more, at the nearby Media Dining Room, it’s another giant ballroom where, for dinner, lunch and breakfast, we partook of salmon, steak, siomai, carved sweet ham, mussels, giant mushrooms…

We queried Dong Secuya, the internet pioneer of Cebu (he built Cebu’s first website in 1995 and runs one of the world’s top boxing sites, Philboxing.com.) We asked Dong if the reception was similar to Las Vegas; he gave a definitive “No.” There, they serve “pica-pica” and drinks. In Macau, it’s eat and drink the best Asian food until you drop.

THREE, Zou Shiming is a giant here. Diminutive at only 112-lbs., he’s the most revered Chinese boxer, a winner of two Olympic gold medals. Inside The Venetian, there’s an entire hall that showcases everything-Zou: photos, paintings, stories. He’s China’s Pacquiao.

FOUR: Wakee Salud is still in Manny’s inner circle. We saw each other here multiple times. “The security is not as tight as in Las Vegas,” Wakee told me two hours before Manny fought. Wakee was headed towards Manny’s locker room and, sure enough, when they emerged from the dugout, Wakee walked behind Chavit Singson.

FIVE, lots from Cebu here: Cebu City mayors (current) Mike Rama and (former) Tommy Osmena. Dr. Tony San Juan. Willy T. Go. Dennis Que. Rep. Samsam Gullas. Naga mayor Val Chiong. Rep. Raul del Mar. Choy Toralba. Atan Guardo, Alan Delantar, Councilor Richie Osmena. Chester Cokaliong with his friends — and many, many more from Cebu. Among the press, there’s Atty. Jingo Quijano, CDN’s sports editor Rick Gabuya, The Freeman’s sports editor Manny Villaruel and my dad Bunny. I counted two boxing judges (Edward Ligas and Salven Lagumbay) and referee (Atty. Danrex Tapdasan) from Cebu.

SIX: To the younger ones who watched fight, you must have noticed Manny’s entrance song. It wasn’t his personal hit or one from a Pinoy artist but Katy Perry’s song “Roar.” Part of the lyrics go: “You held me down, but I got up; Already brushing off the dust; You hear my voice, you hear that sound; Like thunder gonna shake the ground; You held me down, but I got up; Get ready cause I’ve had enough; I see it all, I see it now… I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire; Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar…”

SEVEN: This was “Lutong Macau.” No, it doesn’t mean that this fight was fixed or rigged. It means that “gi luto ug gi-kaon si Rios.” In our talks here, here’s the consensus: 1) Rios was ideal for Manny at this point because he was easy. He’s slow, lacks power, doesn’t have top-level pedigree. 2) Manny needed this (“stepping stone”) win. Badly. 3) MP was cautious. It’s obvious the memory of that Marquez KO still lingers. Last Sunday while he was clearly leading, why take unnecessary risks? 4) There will be more MP fights in Macau. Why? Because of the overflowing Pinoy crowd. On one elevator ride, a companion of Manny from GenSan confided that Manny flew in 500 people from Gensan!

EIGHT: You and I saw what we’ve long known: Manny no longer wears the rosary and he doesn’t make the sign of the cross. I’m a devout Catholic and I don’t want to meddle into a debate on this sensitive topic other than to say that, no doubt and confirmed by everybody, he’s a reformed and honest-to-goodness Christian. As I listened for myself in the exclusive press conference, he repeatedly thanked God above all. “This is not about me,” he said. “I’m just a boxer. This is my job. All glory to God.” Amen.

(AFP)

MACAU — Seated on Row 11 or about 50 feet away, our eyes witnessed what the entire world witnessed: Manny Pacquiao’s mission was not to win by knockout but simply to win. After two losses with the last one coming via a nightmarish KO, he didn’t have to kill Brandon Rios; he simply had to kill him softly.

“I backed-off a little bit,” Manny admitted, referring to that 12th round when he could have attacked for a Ricky Hatton-like demolition job. But, no; he was cautious. “I don’t want to be careless. I had to be careful.” These were his exact words when we listened to him in person during the post-fight interview at The Venetian Ballroom. “Boxing,” he added, “is not about killing each other.”

God-fearing. Reformed. Away from his old and evil ways. Compassionate and now a truthful family man and renewed Christian, Manny is the same devastating Mike Tyson-type aggressor but no longer the heartless and savage animal who bloodied Cotto and brutalized Margarito.

COTAI ARENA. Yesterday, we arrived inside the Cotai Arena at 8 a.m. to listen to the ring announcer mention the name “Harmonito de la Torre.” Hailing from Gen. Santos City, we spent time with our fellow Pinoy last Sunday. During our buffet lunch together (less than 24 hours prior to his fight), Harmonito was so confident that he gobbled-up a plateful of food, including chocolate cate. No worries; yesterday, he feasted on opponent Jason Butar-Butar in impressive fashion.

From 8 a.m. until nearly 2 p.m., we took our positions inside the Cotai Arena. There were a total of nine undercard bouts; apart from De La Torre, the super welterweight victory also went to another Pinoy, Dan Nazareno.

One more impressive fighter was Rex Tso. He’s the top boxer of Hong Kong and he’s managed/trained by Aljoe Jaro (who hails from, as his family name explains, Jaro in Iloilo). Aljoe’s assistant is also Bisaya, the former boxer Dong Mahinay.

What’s the experience like being part of the biggest boxing event of Asia? It’s loud. It’s Las Vegas implanted in Macau. It’s theatrical. It’s entertainment.

Prior to Manny and Bam-Bam climbing the ring, lots of action (possibly not broadcasted on TV) was shown, including the Cotai dancers, about a dozen of them clad in sexy red and blue two-piece outfits (and wearing boxing gloves), dancing The Harlem Shake.

Erap danced, too. Ha-ha. Not, not on stage. But, from where we sat, I saw him enter the VIP entrance where he was escorted to the front pew. David Beckham, as you saw on TV, watched the bout. While Paris Hilton and Apl.de.Ap collected plenty of applause when Michael Buffer mentioned their names, it was Beckham who drew an almost Pacquiao-like praise. This is how much China loves football. (Here in The Venetian, there’s a giant store of Beckham’s former team, Manchester United.)

Bunny Pages and Jingo Quijano

CROWD. The spectators inside the coliseum — plenty of Filipinos and many hailing from Hong Kong and mainland China — were 90+ percent pro-Manny. Each time the giant LED screens flashed Rios’ face, the crowd booed. When Manny was shown — often flashing his charismatic smile — we shouted the opposite: MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MANY-NY!

This chant was repeated in each round. When the Filipino congressman would pummel the American boxer, we’d echo his first name. I’ve watched a few grand sporting moments — the Beijing Olympics and US Open tennis, to name two — but nothing compares to the electrifying atmosphere that we experienced yesterday noon. It’s because Manny, like us, is Pinoy. It’s because we’re in this continent/venue surrounded by fellow Asians. It’s because he could be a “tsamba” (Marquez-like) punch away from retiring. It’s hard to print on paper but the energy and hearts of the Filipino majority (among the 13,200 in attendance) seemed to empower Manny and overpower Brandon.

Overpowered? Absolutely. Rios was a mismatch. The only time he scored punches was when they clinched and he repeatedly (and in an almost-cheating way) punched away. Other than that, he wasn’t Bam Bam — he was a (Punching) Bag Bag.

MACAU — Michael Buffer kept on repeating the words: “This is the biggest boxing event EVER here on the Asian continent!”

Starring the greatest martial artist since Bruce Lee — Manny Pacquiao — here in Asia’s Las Vegas, it can’t get any bigger than this. Roy Jones, Jr. Bob Arum. Larry Merchant. The entire HBO Boxing entourage. The world’s boxing media. They’re all here. Live. To cover what promises to be a blockbuster of a Sunday.

Yesterday morning at 7:30, the preeminent Emcee of Boxing (Buffer) welcomed the Cotai Arena crowd in The Venetian as lights circled the darkened stadium. Getting a first look inside the coliseum, the Cotai Arena is first-class; each seat is cushioned and this 15,000-seater complex, though huge, is not as large as, say, the Araneta Coliseum.

The Official Weigh-in happened fast. One boxer after another was called. Trainers jumped onstage. Bob Arum walked calmly. My father, Bunny, and I were seated at the left wing, about 50 feet away. We were stationed two rows in front of Bobby Pacquiao and right beside the opening where the boxers would emerge. Covered by a tall black curtain, we could see a glimpse of The Square: the boxing ring that will take centerstage today.

Before Pacman stepped out to public view, we saw him emerging from the dugout. Buboy & Bodyguards swamped MP. On stage was fellow Cebuano Salven Lagumbay, wearing a black suit with the WBO logo. Salven would jointly hold a shirt with Manny for the TV to broadcast, promoting their project to help victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

I’m not sure if you heard it on TV but Brandon Rios was jeered. The Filipino contingent here is in full strength. BOOO! BOOO! This chant against Rios reverberated throughout the stadium. As Macau is just nearby, this was a thunderous precedent of what was to come today: thousands of Pinoys are here, all throats ready for the scream.

A funny chant? CHAVIT! CHAVIT! As if to mock Manny’s buddy who never fails to step right behind/beside him to get the best TV footage, Chavit Singson transforms into Manny’s magnet when onstage. The crowd echoed his name and we all laughed. Politico gyud.

PARA SA TACLOBAN! one man screamed. Amidst the loud booming music (which included one inspiring and goosebumps-inducing Pinoy song), a Filipino shouted to catch Pacman’s attention. He didn’t hear the chant but he looked our way when the Philippine flag was waved.

A few meters beside us was the temporary stage built for the HBO newscasters. These men we see on TV (Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman, Merchant) were doing commentary. One guest they invited was familiar: Dyan Castillejo. On worldwide TV, she talked about her fellow Pinoy. An amusing story: while preparing for Dyan to be interviewed, she was briefed by the HBO staff — including giving her specific advice on how to properly hold the microphone (she was holding it too high); my dad and I smiled because our veteran newscaster was still being given tips — but, of course, this was HBO.

No firewords erupted yesterday. No punches. No pre-fight The Clash (Roach and Ariza). It was all formal and quick. Too fast that, by 7:50, Manny and Brandon were finished. They lingered for a few more interviews before exiting by 8. In 30 minutes, zoom, the much-hyped affair was done.

NOTES. Quinito Henson, in our talk after, said that “parang piga si” Rios. He meant to say that he looked too dehydrated. Quinito said that Rios gulped two Gatorades right after stepping the scales. This is bad. Rios might reach 160 when he enters the ring today. As for Manny’s 145 lbs. weight yesterday, it was ideal. He didn’t have to starve.

“Grabe ang ka-on ni Manny last night,” said Rep. Samsam Gullas, whom we also saw. Together with three of his mayors, Samsam visited Manny’s suite in The Venetian the other night at 8:30.

FIGHT. Interviewing dozens of experts here, if Rios continues his usual stance of going forward, playing offense, and not offering much defense, this clash will be highly-exciting — and very quick, possibly ending before Rd. 7.

It wasn’t a stunt. It wasn’t staged. This was not something scripted or planned. It wasn’t part of Bob Arum’s official schedule for The Clash in Cotai.

At 11 a.m. yesterday, when Freddie Roach entered The Venetian gym ready for his team’s workout, he was told to get out. Furious at such a rebuke, Roach fired the opening salvo. He called Robert Garcia, the trainer of Bam Bam Rios, “You piece of s***!” Shocked at the tirade, Garcia returned verbal fire. Watching from behind, Alex Ariza joined the scuffle. He screamed at Roach, “Get the f*** out of here!”

“Throw me out! Throw me out! Make me leave! Make me leave!” the Wild Card gym owner replied. That’s when Ariza, who was Pacquiao’s conditioning guru for five years until he was fired and he transferred to the enemy’s camp, did the crazy move: He mocked Roach’s Parkinsons illness by stuttering. Insulted, Roach moved forward. Ariza threw a flying kick that slammed Roach’s chest. F-words were thrown. In the extra heat of the moment, Roach fired another barrage of words, this time, racist: “You Mexican motherf***er!”

Back then…

The whole episode lasted only 69 seconds but it was horrible. Parkinsons Disease mockery. Racism. Shoving. A high-flying kick. And the most F-words you’ll hear in a single minute. I’m not sure if I’ve witnessed such animosity in any of Pacquiao’s previous fights. This started when Rios and Garcia posted a video mocking Roach with his disease. While Rios later deleted the video and apologized, the wound inside Roach’s heart never healed. This “pre-fight” was exacerbated by Alex Ariza’s departure. MP’s strength coach since 2008, Ariza boosted the Pinoy’s muscles as he moved up in weight classes, en route demolishing Hatton, De La Hoya, Cotto and Margarito. For five years, Ariza was beside Manny. Until he was fired last August. Quickly, he transfered to the Rios camp — thus intensifying the Roach-Ariza dispute.

Then yesterday happened. It was an altercation (an “Undercard” fight) waiting to happen — exactly 97 hours before Manny and Brandon step inside The Venetian for the Main Event.

Oddly, while the supporting actors have been brawling, the main Hollywood stars are friendly. I watched the HBO Face Off by Max Kellerman (it’s a 13-minute YouTube video you must see) and it’s interesting: These two guys like each other. Seated just three feet from each other’s noses, they smiled, laughed and complimented the other. Rios is forever saying the f*** word — that’s his normal talk; but there was no hatred or outrage towards Manny. None. A big part of this has got to do with the Sarangani congressman. Rep. Pacquiao is just a super nice guy. He is. Though his profession bloodies cheeks and slams ribs and deforms faces — deep inside, Manny is a good person who wants to do no harm. Rios knows this. That’s why he reciprocates by mirroring Manny’s good nature. In the HBO one-on-one, Manny’s goodness is further exemplified because he mentioned “God” so many times. Manny has changed. It is as clear as the full moon of the past couple of nights. He has become good because of his newfound faith. This is good. But whether this has softened The Boxer — whose job is to maim and destroy, contrary to God’s commands — will be a question mark.

As good as Manny is as a human being, the same nice-guy sentiment can’t be applied to Roach-Garcia-Ariza. Their incident has further whetted the public’s appetite. It’s like an appetizer. It prepares the diners (us) for the main meal. Not staged nor produced by HBO 24/7, it raises the heat (“inot ulo” kung Bisaya pa) level, all in fiery anticipation of this Sunday.

QUOTE. From Robert Garcia: “Twice during the two episodes of ‘24/7’ I’ve heard Freddie Roach say he will ask Manny Pacquiao to retire if he loses to Brandon Rios. Well, Freddie had better buy that gold watch for Manny because the retirement party begins on Saturday night. I guarantee you this will be the last time you ever see Manny Pacquiao on an HBO Pay-Per-View.”

This Sunday will be the third time I’ll watch Emmanuel D. Pacquiao live.

The first was nine years ago. It was an open air bout at The Fort in Taguig. Diana Zubiri and Juliana Palermo paraded on stage as ring card girls. On that December 2004 evening, Pacman unleashed a ferocious left hook that smashed Fahsan Por Thawatchai’s ribs so hard that the Thai flew on Manila airspace. Fearless, hard-charging, incredibly confident and en route to superstardom — that was Pacquiao then at 26.

The second time I saw him was upclose — literally, as I sat 10 rows away from the stage, beside Ralph Recto and Ai-Ai de las Alas. That was inside the Araneta Coliseum. Against Oscar Larios in 2006, our Pambansang Kamao was stellar but less impressive. He didn’t hammer the Mexican as hard. Nor did he put him to bed in Quezon City. The fight lasted 12 full rounds and, in the early part, Larios even staggered the usually-unshakable Gen. Santos City native, scaring us all.

Those two contests were fought on home soil. Since then, Pacquiao has fought exclusively in the Land of Barack Obama. Of his last 12 bouts, 10 of them have been in the “Sin City” where gambling collects money 24/7. Las Vegas has been Pacquiao’s home; a place of refuge where he puts opponents to sleep.

This weekend, for the first time, Manny will do battle in China. At 1.36 billion, it’s the world’s most populated nation, dwarfing its nemesis, the United States of America, by a billion residents. China is huge. In land area. In population. In economics.

Add boxing to the list. This weekend, China will be huge — in this sport of Muhammad Ali. It’s like China’s “We’ve finally arrived!” party.

MONTE CARLO OF THE ORIENT. We know Macau to be a gambling den. It’s lured high-rollers since the 1850s. But it’s only been since 2002 when the monopoly was shattered and Macau opened its doors to the entry of U.S.-based giants like Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands.

Speaking of entertainment, while plenty of gigs have been hosted by Macau — concerts (Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga), tennis matches (Agassi vs. Sampras), NBA exhibition games (prior to the 2008 Beijing Games, my brother Charlie watched the U.S. Dream Team there) — it won’t be until this weekend that a blockbuster boxing fight will transpire.

I’m sure Brandon Rios is excited. He should be. Arriving Wednesday last week in Macau, the Texas-born resident of California made sure to be jet lag-free by this weekend. He’s early. (The extra hours in Macau will give him more sightseeing time as he won’t have that luxury this Sunday if he gets pulverized.)

As for our same-blooded Pinoy, he arrived late yesterday afternoon in Macau; by private plane, of course. (Guaranteed $18 million, what’s the tiny cost of a 2.5 hour flight?)

MEDIA SCHEDULE. Sharing with you the Media Itinerary sent to us via email, tonight at The Venetian will be the official Grand Arrivals of Rios and Pacquiao. This will mark their official grand entrances; Rios entering 9 tonight while Pacquiao follows 30 minutes later.

Tomorrow, the festivities heat up. At 12 noon, it gets interesting. It’s labeled the “Zou Shi Ming Comic Exhibition Opening Ceremony.”

Who’s Zou Shi Ming? He’s China’s most successful amateur boxer ever, having won three world titles and two Olympic gold medals in the ‘08 and ‘12 Games. He’s scheduled to fight in the undercard this Sunday together with four other Chinese boxers. (Glad to report that Cebu’s very own boxing judge Salven Lagumbay will be judging the Zou Shi Ming – Juan Tozcano undercard.)

Also tomorrow is the Public Undercard Workout from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Then, scheduled at 9:30 p.m., it’s the Main Event Press Conference featuring Bob Arum and his two gladiators…

Only five mornings remain. The clock ticks and the slot machines ring in Asia’s Las Vegas. Like you, I can’t wait.

(Photo by Edward Wong)