By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Rod Nazario, the man who was largely responsible for steering the career of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao passed away early Thursday morning after a lingering illness. He was 74.

Nazario’s close associate Moy Lainez told us, Nazario died a very happy man because Pacquiao had visited him more than once recently and was at the 9th anniversary celebration of Nazario’s weekly TV boxing show “In This Corner” at the Wild Card Gym in Sucat, Paranaque.

Lainez told us Nazario was very pleased when Pacquiao granted his request to feature talented Filipino bantamweight Eden Sonsona on the undercard of his “Fire Power” showdown with WBO champion Miguel Cotto on November 14.

It was Nazario who took over the task of handling Pacquiao’s career from his original manager, the late Polding Corea, and steered him to his first world title – the WBC flyweight championship which Pacquiao won with a spectacular 8th round knockout of Thai hero Chatchai Sasakul in December 1998.

Nazario took Pacquiao to the US where he signed up with promoter Murad Muhammad when no other promoter was interested in the Filipino southpaw and within two weeks Pacquiao got a title shot at IBF super bantamweight champion Lelohonolo Ledwaba from whom he won the title with a stunning 6th round TKO.

When Pacquiao fought Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in November 2003 in San Antonio, Texas only a handful of Filipinos gave Pacquiao a chance against the hard-hitting Barrera. Among them were Nazario and Lainez. Pacquiao annihilated Barrera in eleven rounds.

Their relationship soured somewhat after the first encounter with Erik “El Terrible” Morales when some individuals around Pacquiao fed him false information that Nazario was in cahoots with Murad Muhammad in getting more than their fair share from Pacquiao’s earnings.

Pacquiao junked Murad and signed up with Shelly Finkel while Nazario decided to  step aside.

Pacquiao later realized his mistake and went out of his way to make amends to the gentleman who had helped him carve a name for himself early in his career in the United States, inviting him to the US as his special guest for his more recent fights and often visiting him either at his Wild Card Gym in Paranaque or at his home as well as in hospital.

Nazario’s wife is Supreme Court Justice Minita Nazario.