According to a longtime boxing writer’s metaphor, Manny Pacquiao is like a spruced-up car—brightly painted and adorned with embellishments but with nothing left under the hood. Really? Typically, boxers don’t compete at 46, let alone win fights. Yet, exceptions exist for extraordinary fighters like Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman, who won championship bouts well into their 40s. Pacquiao is already among this elite group of pugilists. However, he stands in a league of his own as the only eight-division world champion.
What sets him apart is his innate stubbornness to defy the odds, a hallmark of his career from the very beginning. Rising from a dirt-poor existence, he found ways to survive on the streets and, in the process, discovered his true calling in the boxing gym.
From the flyweight division, he transitioned to more lucrative weight classes, demolishing champions with a relentless and brutal style never seen before. In time, he became rich, famous, and began mingling with the Philippines’ political elite, eventually venturing into politics.
Popularity alone does not guarantee political success. However, Manny’s success in sports translated into political gains. Seizing the moment while his star power was at its peak, he became a congressman and later a senator. In boxing, he didn’t just prove his critics wrong—he astonished them, continuing to do so at an age when most boxers are long retired.
Once again, as with the Keith Thurman fight, critics are in for a surprise. When Manny entered politics, it was largely to capitalize on his fame. His political career, however, was lackluster and uneventful. His success in politics was tied to his continued triumphs in the boxing ring. Thinking otherwise led to his political downfall, culminating in a crushing defeat in a presidential election that most Filipinos anticipated, except for his overly optimistic political handlers and dwindling supporters.
Filipinos yearn for a global representative they can identify with, and Manny fits that role perfectly as a boxer but not as a world leader. Many would cringe at the thought of a President Pacquiao struggling to articulate his thoughts at a Davos Conference. He lacked the credentials to become the Philippine president. In Congress and the Senate, he was notably absent, a clear sign that he was out of his element.
In politics, he was like a fish out of water. He could have bolstered his reputation as a legislator by mastering the art of lawmaking or earning a master’s degree in public administration. Such efforts might have shifted public perception in his favor and, who knows, could have propelled him to the presidency.
As a fan who wants Manny to succeed in all his endeavors, I hoped he would follow through on his announced plan to enroll at Harvard University alongside another senator for a short course in politics and government. When that didn’t happen, it became clear his political tenure was nearing its end. But as a fighter, given his remarkable physical strength even at an advanced age for a boxer, I have no doubt Manny will come out blazing and dominate Mario Barrios tonight at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, much like he did against Antonio Margarito and Oscar De La Hoya. Those opponents, similar in stature to Barrios yet more imposing and skilled, were dispatched with ease by Pacquiao.
Expect Manny to deliver another clinical masterclass tonight. After the fight, we will undoubtedly hear ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. proclaim, “Really needing no introduction the world over, the one and only eight-division champion, Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao.” If it’s true that Pacquiao suffered from cramps and distractions during his fight against Yordenis Ugas, and if the four-year hiatus allowed his body to recover, then Barrios is in for a long night.
The Contributing Writer works in the Philippine Government and has a College Degree in Political Science and Master’s Degree in Public Administration and boxing aficionado.
