| Recently, I was fortunate enough to find myself traipsing around a local vineyard in San Gimignano, Italy for some wine tasting. As part of a side trip package, our group consisted mostly of middle-aged couples, some young travellers and us -- a family of five -- on board a well-appointed bus that took us through the lovely winding hills that led to the winery. WINE. To say that I enjoyed it would be an understatement, but as the term implies, it was just that really -- a mere tasting. The wines were exquisite and left this Last Rounder’s parched throat wanting for more. At the inception -- just as you would expect, the atmosphere around a table full of strangers was a bit stiff, but as soon as the wine started flowing and our tongues became a bit loose, the conversation flowed freely. MANNY. Everyone asked everybody what they did for a living and most of them were quite interested in our motley crew of five from the Philippines, which included my son Benjo, the only minor in the group. When they found out I was also a boxing columnist, inevitably -- as one would expect, the conversation turned to Manny Pacquiao. I guess it’s pretty normal for any Pinoy abroad to be asked about the Pacman, but my background as a columnist seemed to edge them a bit more and I was deluged with several queries about boxing in the Philippines. I was more than happy to oblige, secretly beaming with pride that they showed a lot of interest in Philippine boxing. The question that I expected to arrive at some point in the conversation was finally asked -- who is the next Pacquiao? Every time I am confronted with this query, I am quite firm and resolute that there can never be anyone else like Manny. His body of work will stand unequalled probably for several lifetimes, especially so with pro-boxing suffering a promotional decline here in our country. Fight cards are few and far between, and it will take a modern miracle for anyone to even mirror Pacquiao’s rise to boxing immortality. You see, Manny’s journey was not through a well-paved road. If you have been following his career, you will know that he got his first big break in the US after Lehlo Ledwaba’s scheduled opponent backed out. Luck and happenstance also had a lot to do with it, and Manny’s fight prowess was sui generis. There can never be anyone like him in our country, ever again. Sadly though, I am disheartened about reports that he will still fight again. A boxer, so unlike the exquisite wine I was sipping -- does not get better with age. LAST ROUND. It’s on my lovely daughter Jenya Mary Louise whose childhood wish to visit Paris when she turns 18 recently came true. Happy birthday, baby. Cheers! |