Category: Manny Pacquiao

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)

(Photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank)

I’m excited. Three Sunday mornings from today, I hope to be inside CotaiArena of The Venetian Macao wearing two sets of hats: One is of a neutral, unbiased, scribble-what-I-see journalist covering Asia’s biggest boxing Sunday; the other is of a Filipino, just like you and our 90 million other kababayans, heart-pounding and forever prayerful that our fellow Pinoy will emerge with both arms pointed to the sky, thankful to God for a victory that’s taken 24 months long.

Yes, it’s been too long — two long years — since Manny Pacquiao savored victory. That was against Juan Manuel Marquez. Since that Nov. 12, 2011 moment, he’s lost and lost. Against Timothy Bradley. And, in their 4th installment, against J.M. Marquez.

When Pacquiao climbs the ring this Nov. 24 against Brandon Rios, it will be nearly one full year since he last fought — and that last memory, of him lying as if lifeless on the floor, was nightmarish.

I hate saying this but this might be Manny’s last fight. Boxing is as unpredictable as an aftershock. Unlike Macau’s casino owners — who, at the end of each month, are always guaranteed millions — boxing offers no guarantees. There’s extra pressure for Manny in this fight. It’s a must-win. Even Freddie Roach said so himself: a third straight defeat will put an end to the eight-division-titlist’s career.

MP. Will this stand for… Macau Pildi? We hope not. We pray that MP will collect his 55th win.

Together with my compatriot on this page — Atty. Froilan “Jingo” Quijano — I’ll be in Macau to witness live the battle.

What’s unique about this world championshp fight is that it’s not in the U.S. It’s always been in Las Vegas. The mega-casinos are there. Bettors proliferate and money exchanges hands as quick as Manny’s hands.

Macau is the Las Vegas of the Far East. The only venue allowed by China to exist as a gambling haven, Macau is actally much, much richer than Vegas; it generates five times the gambling revenue. Last year, Macau’s gaming receipts exceeded $38 billion. Shockingly-huge but maybe not that shocking: Let’s not forget that China has a population of 1.35 billion.

There are 40 casinos at work 24/7 in Macau. For a tiny Chinese peninsula that has an area of only 30 sq. kms., that’s plenty of slot machines. And you want to know how much the Chinese spend when they visit Macau? On average, those who trek to Las Vegas spend $156 per person on gambling; in Macau… it’s $1,354.

The biggest question in gambling is this: Come Nov. 24, what type of Manny Pacquiao will we see? He hasn’t fought in a year. He’s lost back-to-back. Will he be less aggressive? More cautious? Will the Mike Tyson-like, always-combative Pacman be timid? Has he lost his super-powers?

Manny is turning 35 years old on Dec. 17. Professionally, he’s fought 61 times. Speaking of (old) age, if there’s one person Manny should emulate it’s Money. The undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is the undisputed fittest athlete on earth. Remember his bout against Saul Alvarez, when he toyed with the Mexican and improved his number to 45-0? Mayweather is older — he’ll turn 37 this February — but he’s still bouncing like a teenager.

Rios is seven years Pacquiao’s junior. I hope this age difference becomes a plus for the Pinoy — the added years of experience — and not be a liability because of the “bug-bug” (too beat-up of a fighter) syndrome.

As to Manny’s preparation, Freddie Roach is still the “coach” but what’s new is the absence of Alex Ariza, who handled his conditioning for many, many fights. Also, the main difference, they won’t be headed to Los Angeles. While Manny’s previous camps included must-training sessions at the Wild Card Gym, this time, it’s just in Gen. Santos City. This is new. It’s a plus because he’ll see Jinkee nightly but it might be a minus because, well, it’s not the familiar setting of Wild Card Gym.

For now, it’s 21 days and counting… Excited about Macau? You bet.

Good-bye. The simple truth is, if Manny Pacquiao gets defeated a third straight time (in his upcoming bout in Macau), that’s it. He stops. He retires forever from boxing.

Two weeks ago, our group of sportswriters met for lunch. Among the many stories that we exchanged was talk of Sarangani’s congressman.

“Rios (Manny’s opponent) is young and he’s very, very hungry,” said one colleague. “Compared to Manny who’s getting older and getting farther and farther away from boxing.”

My friend’s conclusion? “I think Manny will lose.”

Ouch. All things — the good, included — come to an end.

I recall our family’s insightful conversation one evening with Wally Liu, the owner of Primary Structures and one of our island’s most respected businessmen. Wally was telling us stories of business. Any business, he said, will always have a start and an end. Businesses, no matter how strong and mighty, will have it’s ending.

If Wally speaks of business, that applies even more to sports — where the body gets punched, the skin gets wrinkled.

Pacquiao is 34 years old. He’s not thirty four years young. Brandon Rios is young at 27.

Look at what happened to Anderson Silva. “The Boast” is 38 years old. And did you notice the “Anderson Knows” shirt that he boastfully wore upon entry to the octagon? I hope Manny knows that those “Nike knows” shirts are dimalas.

Manny used to be the “Pound-for-Pound No.1 in the world.” Today, he’s the “Pound-for-Pound No.1 in GenSan.”

Pacman better shape-up. Literally and figuratively. His last climb on the ring was in December 8, 2012. And we know his last memory of that bout. Or shall I say, given his temporary loss of consciousness upon the face-first fall, he’ll have remembered it from watching the DVD.

It will be more than 11.5 months (exactly 350 days) in between that Juan Manuel Marquez knockout and the Brandos Rios bout. That’s a long, long, long, long time. I scoured through Pacman’s previous encounters and he’s never had a gap this long. Ever. (Consider that, in his first year in boxing, he fought 10 fights in 1995.)

And it’s not like he’s been training this entire 2013. He’s busy. Manny is forever busy. Busy with all things except boxing. Busy as a father to Jimuel, Michael, Princess and Queenie; busy as a (now) faithful husband to Maria Geraldine Jamora; busy as Mindanao’s most famous solon; busy shooting basketball free-throws; busy as a God-loving and Bible-reading Christian.

Of the latter, this is, obviously, very, very good. Manny, as all reports have indicated, has renounced his sinful ways and become an honest, good boy. This is good. And bad. Because as good as this is when it involves his entire life and his relationships with Jinkee and his family, this hasn’t been all-too-good with boxing.

I’m no boxer but the mentality is to kill. It’s a savage, cruel, I-will-make-you-bleed sport.

I repeat: Manny’s becoming “good” is good. But has it softened his killer instinct? Has it mellowed his aggressiveness? Has he realized the whole meaning of life — that it’s not all about beating-up people?

I don’t know the answer. But it’s very possible that all these factors — Manny’s age, his long-standing myriad of activities that only Superman can follow, his newfound heart and surrender to God — that all these may have transformed him into a good guy/lousy boxer.

With his coming Nov. 24 bout: I hope Manny wins. Who Filipino doesn’t? I hope he wins and retires.Knowing him and Mayweather, they might be texting each other for a mega-bout in 2014.

But I hope he retires. He has nothing to prove. He is already the greatest Filipino athlete ever — and one of the greatest Pinoys in history. Fifty years from now, when Jose Rizal and Ninoy Aquino and Carlos P. Romulo will be discussed in the history books of our great-grandchildren, “Manny Pacquiao” will be one of those names. From kargador to the most famous Filipino ever, what a life. It’s time to stop the joyride. Time to gamble and win — then stop — in Macao.

Multiplied by the exchange rate (rounded off) of P40 = $1, the amount of $40 million translates to P1,600,000,000. Yes. No typo-error there. That’s “16” plus eight zeros.

If you encashed that amount in 20 peso bills, it would fill a 20-foot container van. That amount can buy one person (I computed this) 688 Ford Fiesta 1.6L Trend 6PS vehicles plus 37,000 iPad Minis plus a whopping 7.2 million meals of ChickenJoy!

Floyd Mayweather, Jr., who’s fighting Robert Guerrero this morning, said these words in a recent ESPN interview:

“I say this: I called Manny Pacquiao, myself, on the phone, and offered him $40 million. This was before the Marquez fight. Offered him $40 million. I told him I would wire (him) $20 million within 48 hours. He told me, I want 50-50, and got off the phone. I’m not scared of no fighter, and I feel that, where was this guy when I was dominating the sport of boxing in ’98, in ’99, in ’96. This guy was never heard of. This guy just popped out of nowhere, walking through the biggest and the strongest fighters? And this guy come from 105? Are you serious? Once again, I never said he took anything. All I said is I want to be on an even playing field.”

Mayweather is a loudmouth. He blabbers. He talks as fast as his rapid-fire punches. Should we believe the man nicknamed “Money” when he talks about money?

In this case, yes. When analysts estimated that a Pacman-Mayweather fight could have fetched each man $50 million, then his $40 million offer is possibly true.

Did Pacquiao make the mistake of not accepting Mayweather’s offer?     Definitely.

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing,” David Beckham once said. True. Because… What if Pacquiao accepted the P1.6 billion offer then went on to humiliate the previously-undefeated American? Then he retires. Perfect.

Instead, MP rejects Money’s money offer, fights Marquez a fourth time, falls to the canvas and doesn’t wake up for minutes; he then takes a super-extended-leave of absence from December until today.

Now, that’s all past. Pacman wants to completely erase the memory of that Marquez daytime-nightmare. “Let go of yesterday,” Joel Osteen preaches.

Still, the questions remain: Will Pacman fully recover? Can he regain his old self, when he was at his peak during the fights with De La Hoya, Hatton, Cotto? He’s now 34 years old—surely, he’s on the physical decline, right? (Consider this: Boom-Boom Bautista, who reportedly quit boxing, is only 26; yet, let’s also consider that Mayweather is 36 and Marquez will turn 40 this August; plus, Bob Arum is 81!).

MARQUEZ. More on Juan Manuel: it’s obvious that the Mexican has the upperhand in the negotiations. Offered $13 million to fight Manny, he spurns the temptation.

For vindication purposes, Manny needs Juan Manuel. Will this MP-JMM Part 5 happen next year, after they win their respective bouts this 2013?

Maybe. Maybe not. But for now, Marquez is playing hard-to-get. He believes he won their first three fights. He also wants to preserve the memory of December 8, 2012. He doesn’t want to give Pacquiao the satisfaction of revenge. He wants our last remembrance to be of him climbing the corner ring with arms pointed in victory while his Filipino rival was slumbed asleep on the Las Vegas floor.

PACMAN. As for the Congressman from Sarangani, it looks like the date is set. “He’s (Pacquiao) fighting Nov. 23rd, that’s the date in the United States; Nov. 24th, that’s the date in Macau. He’s gonna fight in Macau, at the Venetian Cotai Arena,” Bob Arum said. Who’s the enemy? “It’s Rios or Alvarado,” Arum added.

MONEY. With today’s fight against The Ghost, expect the same: a 44-0 scorecard for Floyd. It’s his first time to step on the stage after a two-month-long prison sentence. Facing an opponent who was a perennial 126-pounder and fighting only his third fight in the 147-lbs. division, Floyd is expected to easily win. And he will.

FINALLY. Said Bil Keane: “Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.”

Of the many advisers of Emmanuel Pacquiao — from pastors to Chavit S. to his fellow congressmen to Mr. Arum — one of his closest buddies is Cebu-based businessman Rex “Wakee” Salud.

Wakee and Manny have been inseparable since 2005, right after MP’s loss to Erik Morales, when the boxing promoter invited the boxing fighter to Lapu-Lapu City.

After a wild ride of wild nights at the Casino gambling, of cock-fighting, of drinking, of many more exploits too salacious to print here — their friendship lasted seven years, 15 consecutive victories and, sadly, in the last two fights, back-to-back losses. In all these years and Las Vegas encounters, who friend watched from his corner every single time? RWS.

Wakee and I spoke yesterday. He had just arrived from the States, landing two days ago in Manila, a day ahead of Pacman. Where exactly did you sit and what did your eyes see in that 6th round ending? I queried.

“I sat behind Jinkee,” said Wakee. “I sat sa kilid (at the side). When it was nearing the final bell of that 6th round, I didn’t have a clear sight. The referee was covering Manny. I knew that Manny was going for the kill. He wanted to finish Marquez in that round. Then, all of a sudden, si Manny man ang natumba (it was Manny who fell).”

Everybody was shocked. If we, TV-goers, were stunned – can you imagine the hysteria and breakdown inside the MGM Grand, especially of Wakee, who sat just meters away from the fallen hero? The quick reaction, of course, was to storm the stage. “We wanted to go inside the ring but were not allowed,” he said.

“Sugat gyud (It was straight and head-on),” Wakee said. “It was a blind punch” that caught the overconfident and impatient Manny.

After the fight, as the hysteria had settled, Wakee wanted to accompany Manny to the hospital. But when he stepped inside the dressing room, they had left for the hospital tests. “So far, the check up was good,” he said. “But it’s best to have a more extensive check here. Just to be sure.”

SHOCK. Jinkee cried. The whole family cried. Everybody in Pacquiao’s Las Vegas entourage was in disbelief. “But when I went inside the suite room of Manny around 1 or 2 A.M., OK na sila. Nag-comedya na gani. (They were OK and were telling jokes.)”

This is boxing, said Wakee. Anything can happen. And Manny has accepted defeat.

I asked Wakee if he felt a premonition, a bad feeling, a sense that something harrowing was about to happen on December 8, 2012. “Wala gyud (None at all),” he said. The MP camp was very confident. (Overly-confident?) “We were relaxed and sige-comedya. In the locker room, I was with Steven Seagal. Later, I got the chance to meet the presidential candidate Mitt Romney.”

But, commenting on Pacman’s preparations, Wakee said that while the training in the States went “very well,” he said the preparations in the Philippines was not. Too many distractions again, he said.

ADVICE. Suggestions for his best friend? First, Wakee believes that Manny should fight again. He shouldn’t retire. Not yet. But – and here’s an important request — he’s pleading that, next year, when Manny fights, that he focus entirely on boxing.

First, he should have a thorough rest. And, when training arrives, to focus only on boxing. “His mind is into politics, is into religion, he’s accommodating too many friends — he has to focus,” said Wakee.

And, finally, the most important recommendation from RWS – one that, given the Typhoon Pablo-like disaster that befell Pacman, makes a lot of good sense:

“For me, it’s not wise to fight Marquez right away,” said Wakee. “Ayaw ibigla. Don’t rush. Fight another opponent first. Have one tune-up fight. Then, observe. This will give Manny confidence before facing Marquez in No. 5.”

Manny Pacquiao will turn 34 years old in 11 days. In boxing age, he’s a “Senior Citizen.” This Dec. 8 will be Manny’s 61st boxing fight. That’s what the official record states. But when you count all those side-street, pustahan-type small bouts, he must have boxed 1,001 times.

Training? Twice, I watched him inside Wakee Salud’s gym in Labangon. He skip-roped. He rocked his back up and down doing sit-ups. In sparring, he deliberately raised his arms so that the sparring partner can pound — and strengthen — his abdomen.

If Pacquiao were a car, he’d be a Porsche 911. Speedy. Muscular. Low-flying. Packing an engine whose oomph can top 450 horsepower. But, as furious and fast as this Porsche is, it’s not the 2012 “911 Turbo” series; it’s the vintage 2001 model. It’s not brand-new. And, like Pacman, though it’s still power-packed and fast, it’s getting old.

Manny is getting old. We saw it against Mosley, Marquez, Bradley. He’s sluggish — nowhere near the peak days when he bloodied De La Hoya, Hatton, Cotto.

“Pacquaio should retire after this fight,” said Monico Puentevella, the former Phil. Olympic Committee Chairman (he lost last week in the POC elections to Tom Carrasco).

“I believe Manny will win this Sunday. But, after that, what’s next? He should only fight one more time if it’s Mayweather. But if not, then he should retire.”

Monico, who is running for mayor of “The City of Smiles,” is one of Manny’s closest friends. Almost every fight of Pacquiao the past six years, Puentevella has flown to the U.S. to watch. The only time he missed the live watch? “Against Bradley last June, I wasn’t there,” he said. And we know what happened, right? Manny lost.

This Sunday? “I can’t make it again,” said Monico. Oh no, I told him yesterday. What if Manny loses again — you’ll be the jinx? He laughed. “I’m calling Manny later today (that’s yesterday),” he said. Pasyensya na (So sorry), he’ll tell him. He had to stay home in Bacolod and be here during Typhoon Pablo.

Monico made a prediction. With Manny nearing 34 and Marquez turning 40 next year, there won’t be any knock-outs this weekend. No KOs. I agree. Plus, weren’t Pacquiao’s last five fights all 12-rounders?

“If Manny wins against Marquez, the problem is the same one we’ve had: what if Mayweather won’t fight him? Who’s next?” The answer: Nobody.

“That’s why, after this fight, I’ll sit down with Manny and advise him to quit. Quit to preserve your dignity, record and supremacy. Quit while you’re ahead. There’s no more use fighting.”

Monico recalled the harrowing experience of Z Gorres. “One punch is all it takes to put a boxer in that wheelchair for life,” Monico said. “Damo ka naman kwarta (You have plenty of money). You’ll only hurt yourself.”

This means that — granted the Sarangani congressman will listen to the former Bacolod representative — that this Sunday may be the final “Las Vegas” curtain moment of MP.

I know we don’t think about it. Manny’s fought world title bouts twice or thrice every single year since he burst into the boxing world in 2003 (against Barrera) — that we don’t contemplate his retirement. But it’s coming. Soon.

“The only complication is if Manny loses to Marquez,” said Monico. “And you know who would be so happy? Bob Arum. He wants that Game 5. We know Arum doesn’t have anybody else to fight Manny, so he’d prefer a loss now and a Game 5 next year. But everybody’s tired of Pacquiao-Marquez.”

Monico knows and loves boxing. “My goal is to build the best boxing gym in the Philippines,” he told me. “If elected mayor, I’ll rebuild the old basketball gym at the Bay Center, fronting the Plaza, and will convert it into a world-class facility. We’ll hire a Cuban coach and to bring boxers from nearby Cadiz, Bago, Manapla and Himamaylan. Then we’ll revive what Bidoy Aldeguer and I used to do… bring boxers to Cebu and bring yours over to Bacolod.”

Monico’s analysis on Manny? It makes sense. Win on Sunday then convince Mayweather. If he won’t dance, forget it. You’ve got the billions to buy a brand-new Porsche 911.