No American boxer is popular enough to have a preview of one of his fights be the lead, front page story in a major newspaper. But in the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao's popularity makes him the nation's biggest news (along with gas prices, which are big news everywhere).
Pacquiao's fight tonight against Chicago's David Diaz is for the WBC lightweight title and, more importantly, for Pacquiao to stake his claim as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
That front-page article is a great look at Pacquiao's strategy for winning the fight, and it's to the credit of that the article isn't a puff piece that tells Pacquiao fans what they want to hear. It offers a clear-eyed and even skeptical assessment of Pacquiao's chances:
Having said all that, I think Pacquiao will win, with a late-round knockout.Dangers do lurk for the highly favored Filipino boxing superhero.
For one, it was neither wise nor fair to claim that Pacquiao could not be bothered by a southpaw like Diaz.
A flashback would reveal that the first knockout in Pacquiao's career came courtesy of a left hook to the chin by Rustico Torrecampo, a southpaw.
Next, Pacquiao went down cockeyed after absorbing a stiff left straight to the tip of the chin from Nedal Hussein at the Casino Filipino, requiring timely assistance from a very patriotic Pinoy referee, which enabled the Pacman to get up and resume fighting.
It was also a thumping left to the rib cage that visibly jarred Pacquiao in the middle rounds of his last fight against Juan Manuel Marquez--a sight that prompted an American analyst to state that "Pacquiao was not invincible after all."
LIVE: Manny Pacquiao-David Diaz live blog.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-28-2008 @ 9:11AM
RicLonz said...
So much so has been said about the fight...let's get it on!!!
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6-28-2008 @ 9:48AM
mannyone said...
Recah Trinidad has no credibility and hates Pacman! He once said on national tv Pacman's fight with Juan Marquez should be investigated after an uproar he backtracked saying it was his make-believe friend. BY THE WAY, Nadel Hussein used his elbows a lot and the HELPFUL referee Carlos Padilla saw nothing. Hussein kept on using his elbows that the crowd became agitated at the Australian but the incompetent Padilla never saw it. SO MUCH FOR BEING HELPFUL. Recah Trinidad has no more credibility as far as avid Filipino sports fans are concerned. Good riddance.
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6-28-2008 @ 10:28AM
myke fernandez said...
it is not surprising in the philippines that manny paquiao's fight will be on the headline of our daily newspaper. considering his status, he deserved to be on the frontpage news and his story is worth reading.
if the fight between kris aquino and joey marquez, few years ago, graced the headline of our dailies which is not worth reading at all and has no national significance then how much more of that of paquiao's.
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6-28-2008 @ 10:34AM
sketches said...
To me as Filipino there's no one that can uplift our spirits as people,we are fed up of politics and politicians,the soaring gas prices,the calamities and terrorism which includes crimes.Manny Pacquiao is the only filipino that makes our country so proud. Get him pacman, Mabuhay!
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6-28-2008 @ 10:38AM
rikki said...
I think PACMAN will win this fight 'cause DIAZ is too big to miss.
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6-28-2008 @ 11:30AM
putik! said...
LET's get it on!
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6-28-2008 @ 1:36PM
Pinoy said...
Both promising and in great shape, determined and all fight for the pride of their country.
Attack agad!
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6-28-2008 @ 5:33PM
mannydeguzman said...
manny,
todos los filipinos aqui en spaña estaba esperando con su pilla.vamos manny, vamos
u can do it.
manu
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6-28-2008 @ 5:40PM
Third World Geek said...
It's only natural that Manny will be in the front page of a major daily here in the philippines. After all the calamities(nature driven and man made) we Filipinos have been through these past weeks, we need something that will take our minds off these terrible things. Thank God for Manny at least he's someone that we can think of and makes us feel really good about ourselves.
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