Archive for May, 2012

MANNY PACQUIAO
I recently had a chance to meet Manny PacMan Pacquiao at the Imperial Palace Resort and Spa in Cebu Philippines. I was very impressed with him; even though many people where surrounding him he took the time to take pictures with anyone who approached him; I had stumbled over the below article that I think explains why he is so popular. Everyone loves the underdog; I hope the fame and fortune does not swallow him up like so many popular figures.

Below is an article from L.A. Weekly

“The floor of his house was made of dirt. The walls were thatched. His entire family of seven squatted in the house, small as a prison cell, sleeping on cardboard boxes…
Pacquiao dropped out of elementary school to sell doughnuts, ice water and fish he caught from the sea. One day in 1990, watching television, he saw the invincible Mike Tyson fall to James “Buster” Douglas, and fell in love with boxing. The underdog can win, he learned. He punched a rubber flip-flop tied around the trunk of a palm tree. He imagined himself a champion. He was 11 years old.

At 14, he ran away from home, from sleepy General Santos City in the lawless southern tip of the Philippines, a rusty, run-down town lost in time. He stowed away on a ship bound for the megacity Manila. Before boxing training in the afternoon, he welded steel at a factory, then used his weekly pay to buy flowers, which he would sell on the streets for twice the price. At 16, he turned pro, a gangly 106 pounds. He fought like a mad dog, wild and out of control.”

Manny was Born December 17, 1978 as Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao; he has won EIGHT division world championships; having won six world titles. Manny has gone far since the flower selling days, he has recorded music dabbled in acting and has become a politician; May 2010 Manny was elected to the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress of the Philippines, representing Sarangani province.

I’m sure the climax of his career would be to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. who just defeated Miguel Catto in a decisive manner. Manny’s last fight was not as easy and some say that the opponent actually should have won; I watched that fight live and you could see the uncertainty in every Filipino’s face. Everyone in the Philippines I have talked to loves Manny and I personally have grown to respect and enjoy the banter.

Cebu is a great place and it was very nice to have met one of the best fighters in history.

Do something nice today for someone without asking anything in return.
Bradleym