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Señor Pacquiao: Amigo or verdugo to Mexicanos?
Señor Pacquiao: Amigo or verdugo to Mexicanos?
OLMIN R. LEYBA, GMANews
MANILA, Philippines - Emmanuel Lucero, Hector Velasquez, Oscar Larios, Jorge Solis, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez. What do they have in common? They are Mexico’s great fighters all lambasted on the floor by Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao.
But while Pacquiao could be regarded as the plague that annihilated el Mexico’s enorme guerreros, el mejor boxeador libra a libra del mundo, swears he is no verdugo but a Mexican amigo.
“They call me Mexecutioner but I don’t like it. Mexicans are not my enemies," said Pacquiao, 10-1-1 win-loss-draw against top Mexicans and 12-1-1 overall (including Diaz and De La Hoya) since he hit it big-time in the US in 2001.
He also holds a 2-1-0 record against Morales and is 1-0-1 versus Marquez, who is once again challenging Pacquiao for a third match. Pacquiao is 2-0 against the former World Boxing Council super featherweight champion Barrera.
“I’m just doing my job. It just happens that there are a lot of Mexican champions in my division. I want to put on a good performance so I could make people happy. I don’t want to beat all the Mexicans. I love Mexicans, too. Outside the ring, they’re all my friends," he added.
‘Battles’ of beer
There’s truth to Pacquiao’s claim. Morales, who defeated Pacquiao in 2005, but was beaten by the Filipino boxer twice in 2006, has in fact become one of Pacman’s closest Mexican friends.
The two sealed their friendship over bottles of beer in their January 2007 commercial for San Miguel Beer shot in Forbes Park Mansion in Makati City.
In the commercial, Morales approached Pacquiao, broke into a smile, raised two bottles of beer, and handed one to Pacman, and said, “Wala kang katulad, Manny [You are like no other, Manny]."
Morales has learned to love not just Pacquiao, but also Filipinos in general. When Morales visited the Philippines in January 2007, two months after he was defeated by Pacman, he thought he would not be welcomed by Pinoys.
"I thought Filipinos hated me. We can’t even go shopping because I am surrounded by people who are asking for my autograph, talking to me and taking my picture. Of course, I am flattered. I love the Filipino people," said Morales in an interview with a newspaper in 2007.
Morales did a second commercial for San Miguel Corp.’s Magnolia Health Tea also in 2007 with actress Angel Locsin and basketball star Alvin Patrimonio. Morales ended the ad telling Angel, “Ganda mo [You are beautiful]."
Then there’s also ex-World Boxing Council lightweight champ David Diaz who was invited by Pacquiao to his 30th birthday bash in his hometown General Santos City. This came months after Pacquiao’s ninth-round knockout of Diaz, a match remembered more for the Filipino’s sympathetic gesture on the fallen Mexican-American.
Diaz was joined in the Pacquiao celebration by another Latino, Venezuelan KO artist Edwin Valero, who earlier engaged Pacquiao in a brief verbal showdown. Remember the dig “you-only-knock-tricycle-drivers-out?" Well, that turned out just pure business and nothing personal.
Even Mexican fighters who have not climbed the ring opposite Pacman apparently like him. During his gig with De La Hoya, Pacquiao got the support of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Antonio Margarito, and Jorge Arce.
Mexican icon
Mexican commoners also idolize Pacquiao.
According to legendary Mexican trainer Ignacio “Nacho" Beristain: “The fans there (Mexico) respect him as a great fighter."
This view was echoed by Mexican writer Hesiquio Alejandro Balderas Olivio who wrote in 2008 that majority of Mexican boxing fans favored Pacquiao over Oscar De La Hoya despite the fact that the latter is of Mexican descent.
“One would think that De la Hoya would be the over-whelming favorite…But the fact is Pacquiao is their choice because he is the underdog. And he has a pleasant Mexican style and the bravado of Mexican fighters," said Olivio.
Another Mexican writer, Hessiquio Balderas, agrees.
"Pacquiao here in Mexico is an icon… I´ve gone to cover many fights here in Mexico and its amazing to see how the ring is the dirt floor, no ropes, no real referee, just two guys beating each other without boxing trunks, without boxing shoes, just their daily outfit. Whether its boots and pants. But they want to be Pacquiao," Balderas wrote in 2008.
“You would hear the introductions as Juan Antonio “El Pacquiao" Martinez. Or in other venues the crowd would scream to the fighter who is aggressive ‘lets go Pacquiao.’ This gives you an idea of how big Pacquiao is here in Mexico," he said. - GMANews.TV
OLMIN R. LEYBA, GMANews
MANILA, Philippines - Emmanuel Lucero, Hector Velasquez, Oscar Larios, Jorge Solis, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez. What do they have in common? They are Mexico’s great fighters all lambasted on the floor by Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao.
But while Pacquiao could be regarded as the plague that annihilated el Mexico’s enorme guerreros, el mejor boxeador libra a libra del mundo, swears he is no verdugo but a Mexican amigo.
“They call me Mexecutioner but I don’t like it. Mexicans are not my enemies," said Pacquiao, 10-1-1 win-loss-draw against top Mexicans and 12-1-1 overall (including Diaz and De La Hoya) since he hit it big-time in the US in 2001.
He also holds a 2-1-0 record against Morales and is 1-0-1 versus Marquez, who is once again challenging Pacquiao for a third match. Pacquiao is 2-0 against the former World Boxing Council super featherweight champion Barrera.
“I’m just doing my job. It just happens that there are a lot of Mexican champions in my division. I want to put on a good performance so I could make people happy. I don’t want to beat all the Mexicans. I love Mexicans, too. Outside the ring, they’re all my friends," he added.
‘Battles’ of beer
There’s truth to Pacquiao’s claim. Morales, who defeated Pacquiao in 2005, but was beaten by the Filipino boxer twice in 2006, has in fact become one of Pacman’s closest Mexican friends.
The two sealed their friendship over bottles of beer in their January 2007 commercial for San Miguel Beer shot in Forbes Park Mansion in Makati City.
In the commercial, Morales approached Pacquiao, broke into a smile, raised two bottles of beer, and handed one to Pacman, and said, “Wala kang katulad, Manny [You are like no other, Manny]."
Morales has learned to love not just Pacquiao, but also Filipinos in general. When Morales visited the Philippines in January 2007, two months after he was defeated by Pacman, he thought he would not be welcomed by Pinoys.
"I thought Filipinos hated me. We can’t even go shopping because I am surrounded by people who are asking for my autograph, talking to me and taking my picture. Of course, I am flattered. I love the Filipino people," said Morales in an interview with a newspaper in 2007.
Morales did a second commercial for San Miguel Corp.’s Magnolia Health Tea also in 2007 with actress Angel Locsin and basketball star Alvin Patrimonio. Morales ended the ad telling Angel, “Ganda mo [You are beautiful]."
Then there’s also ex-World Boxing Council lightweight champ David Diaz who was invited by Pacquiao to his 30th birthday bash in his hometown General Santos City. This came months after Pacquiao’s ninth-round knockout of Diaz, a match remembered more for the Filipino’s sympathetic gesture on the fallen Mexican-American.
Diaz was joined in the Pacquiao celebration by another Latino, Venezuelan KO artist Edwin Valero, who earlier engaged Pacquiao in a brief verbal showdown. Remember the dig “you-only-knock-tricycle-drivers-out?" Well, that turned out just pure business and nothing personal.
Even Mexican fighters who have not climbed the ring opposite Pacman apparently like him. During his gig with De La Hoya, Pacquiao got the support of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Antonio Margarito, and Jorge Arce.
Mexican icon
Mexican commoners also idolize Pacquiao.
According to legendary Mexican trainer Ignacio “Nacho" Beristain: “The fans there (Mexico) respect him as a great fighter."
This view was echoed by Mexican writer Hesiquio Alejandro Balderas Olivio who wrote in 2008 that majority of Mexican boxing fans favored Pacquiao over Oscar De La Hoya despite the fact that the latter is of Mexican descent.
“One would think that De la Hoya would be the over-whelming favorite…But the fact is Pacquiao is their choice because he is the underdog. And he has a pleasant Mexican style and the bravado of Mexican fighters," said Olivio.
Another Mexican writer, Hessiquio Balderas, agrees.
"Pacquiao here in Mexico is an icon… I´ve gone to cover many fights here in Mexico and its amazing to see how the ring is the dirt floor, no ropes, no real referee, just two guys beating each other without boxing trunks, without boxing shoes, just their daily outfit. Whether its boots and pants. But they want to be Pacquiao," Balderas wrote in 2008.
“You would hear the introductions as Juan Antonio “El Pacquiao" Martinez. Or in other venues the crowd would scream to the fighter who is aggressive ‘lets go Pacquiao.’ This gives you an idea of how big Pacquiao is here in Mexico," he said. - GMANews.TV
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