Last week, I intimated in this weblog that there was a stasis smothering the training venue used in Hollywood, Los Angeles, by Manny Pacquiao. The Filipino seven-weight world champion continues to mystify with his ring skills, but arguably draw even more fans to his ‘work’ through his investiture into the murky world of politics in The Philippines.
The build-up to his latest contest – in a ring in Dallas on Nov 13 – is now laced intriguingly. Has Pacquiao crossed over mentally into the political sphere ? Is he revelling too greatly in US media stardom ? Is his physical prowess waning ?
In LA last week, it was intriguing to witness how an industry, rather an entourage, follows Pacquiao’s every step. Were I to be following a British sportsperson living through a similar vein, of such stature, no doubt I’d be tripping over a papparazzo lurking in every hallway. Instead, it is a steady stream of writers and journalists – and some would say hangers-on – following and annotating the 31-year-old’s remarkable life.
As boxing correspondent for TMG, I’m could be accused of bias, yet Pacquiao’s story is one which in my view is under-sold, under-told in western media circles. For example, it seems incredible that last year, or even in previous years, that the Laureus World Sports Academy, made up of three decades of sporting stars, failed to recognise Pacquiao’s acheivements.
This is a man who rose from the shanty towns to global fame as a pugilist, who now wishes to use his role as a Congressman to change poverty amongst the people he grew up around. The best sports story on earth.
My vote, as a member of the several-hundred strong journalists’ panel worldwide, was for the Filipino fighting whirlwind. But the awards appear to go to tennis players, golfers, footballers and Olympians. You can keep Tiger Woods, Andrew Murray, Lewis Hamilton and the like. They pale in comparison to Pacquiao.
No disrespect intended towards their acheivements. But what will they do when the shoulder or knee, or their brilliance in hand-eye condition have gone, or even withered slightly ? They won’t be changing lives in Scotland, Stevenage or across the US…
A nice cushy commentary role, and a few PR appearances for major companies. Conversely, Pacquiao wants to put his life at risk for change. He has added Congressman (the only one) for Sarangani Province to his burgeoning boxing portfolio. In eleven days’ time, he meets Antonio Margarito, at light-middleweight, having come up eight weight divisions from flyweight. Thick neck, big head, powerful shoulders have helped the climb up those divisions. Deep belief, and the burden of a people continue to carry him.
Bob Arum, erstwhile promoter to Muhammad Ali, has the increasing sense that Pacquiao will go on and capture the hearts and minds of his people. Arum is convinced Pacquiao will become President, though that is some years from now. For one must have reached 37 to be elected President of that country.
Last week, I spent a fine evening in the company of Gary Andrew Poole, a US journalist who has ghosted around Manny Pacquiao for his last few mega-fights. We shared a fine meal at Animal, in West Hollywood, and he told me his fascination for the little big man. It is, indeed, a mutual fascination. The result is a fine biography ‘Pacman’, published this week by Da Capo Press.
Poole, based in LA, has visited Pacquiao’s humble beginnings and charts his rise from poverty to politics. He found Pacquiao’s relationship with his compatriots compelling. “I went to see him in parliament, I went to speak to people who have known him from the beginning. It was staggering wherever we went [Poole joined the election campaign earlier in the year]. Thousands of people followed his every move, kids were hanging from trees in every town square. Politicians can be incredibly boring. He certainly isn’t. I don’t speak his language, but when he got up there, it was like a rally every time he spoke. I had a translator. He told the people - ‘I’m one of you, I grew up like you, and I want to make a change…’ – Everyone there was transfixed like he was a rock and roll star, and a Martin Luther King figure. They really do look up to him. They even want to touch him, just touch his shirt, like it is touching God, and he is incredibly compelling. He doesn’t quite translate in the English language in the same way, yet he does come up with profound things. I have sat with him numerous times in the Wild Card Gym, and he is a master of not saying too much.”
Poole added: “But he definitely has something about him, this charisma, a high destiny perhaps, a higher belief … people respect him, they connect with him. Puerto Ricans love him, he might be called The Mexicutioner, but people in the hispanic communities also connect with him. They love him, because there’s something about him which speaks to everyone living in poverty.”
“He’s a genuine guy. I think the sports world is…well everyone is full of sh**, but this guy isn’t full of sh**. Part of his appeal, his global celebrity, is that he’s a real guy, and he doesn’t take advantage of his fame. It will be interesting to see if it gives him long-term appeal.”
Poole has written a cover story for American Airlines this month, November, on Pacquiao, adapted from his book, Pacman. It tells the rags to riches story of this remarkable boxer who has begun a journey which will see him transcend the sport.
Last week, while there, I also ventured into the explosive world of MMA Fanhouse’s Elie Seckbach, the liveliest of videographers for AOL. We had a little fun in Nat’s Thai Food Restaurant
, in the quad at the Wild Card Gym, on Vine St (Chino Trinidad, the best sports presenter/interviewer on tv in The Philippines, picked up the tab after interviewing all of us there, including Pacquiao’s ubiquitous writing ghost, Mike Marley).As you may hear in the interview, I have genuine reservations about this contest for Manny Pacquiao against Antonio Margarito. I believe Pacquiao has the style to defeat the fighter banned for illegal hand wraps, but the noises coming out of the Filipino’s camp suggest that his mind has been on his new role as a Congressman. Margarito represents Pacquiao’s greatest challenge since his profile grew t0 being assessed in many critics’ books as boxing’s pound for pound No 1. What he needs to do now is focus his mind. Fail to do that, and he could face a loss against Margarito, who has much to prove. More analysis on the contest from Amir Khan, Freddie Roach and Alex Ariza in the next week.
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
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