AFTER Manny Pacquiao’s unexpected knockout win last Sunday against Lucas Mathhysse, there was an interesting thread on social media about separating Manny the boxer from Manny the politician. Some agreed, some strongly disagreed, offering their various viewpoints.
I got asked for my take and I said you simply can’t separate Manny the boxer from Manny the politician, because he used his success in boxing to launch a political career. Besides, Manny doesn’t seem to separate his political persona from his boxing persona; why should we?
Consider what happened post-fight, when he had Senate President Tito Sotto join him in the press conference. For what, I have no idea. Surely it wasn’t to discuss boxing strategies. He also had the leaders of both Malaysia and the Philippines attend the fight and only a politician can do that.
There are those who no longer watch Manny Pacquiao fight, because they are disgusted with the way he has been acting. You can’t blame them, just as you can’t also blame those who glossed over his political fumbles just because he’s a boxer. Some even wish that he’d lose, and I know one trainer expressing surprise at wishing Pacquiao would lose.
Well. Let me simplify. If you’ve been called worse than an animal, would you wish good things for that person? The change of sentiments of some regarding Pacquiao is all because of Pacquiao.
As for me, I don’t separate Manny the boxer from Manny the politician. I am happy, though, that he won and by knockout at that. Like some, I hope that he’d retire at the top of the sport and won’t let the sport retire him.
But we all know that won’t happen. Before he could even collect his full purse from his latest fights, they are now all talking about mega-fights.
I don’t buy that crap, too, about him fighting for the country. Never did and never will. Manny fights for Manny and money. He won’t fight for free and he certainly would never do. Heck, the time of the fight was catered for the US market, not the Filipinos or what-not and that should tell you a thing or two about his motivation.
That para sa bayan crap is his political persona taking over and just like most political personas, some are lapping it up.