How much does Manny Pacquiao mean to the Filipino people?
Back home in the Philippines he's known as "Pambansang Kamao" — the National Fist.
In the Hollywood district of Los Angeles he's busy thinking about his waist, where he'll strap on a record seventh championship belt if he can beat Puerto Rican welterweight title-holder Miguel Cotto.
The fight is set at 145-pound limit for November 14 in Las Vegas. That's a five-pound jump for Pacquiao, who said he's feeling confident about walking out of the ring with another title. He has already captured titles at the following weight limits: 112, 122, 126, 130, 135 and most recently, 140 pounds.
"Winning a seventh world title in seventh weight class is a big honor for me and my family — not only for me but for our country and to the Filipino people," Pacquiao told the Asian Journal on November 4 during an open media day workout at the Wildcard Boxing Club, not far from the famed instersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.
Pacquiao is already considered the best boxer ever to come out of Asia, and he's making his case to stand among the greatest of all time. He was the first Asian fighter to win five world titles in five different weight divisions. No one is boxing history has won titles in seven weight classes.
There's no doubt that a seventh title would also cement Pacquiao's reputation among the greatest of all time. Just consider the fighters who have won fewer, a list that reads like a Hall of Fame Roster. Oscar De La Hoya, whom Pacquiao defeated last year, won six titles in as many weight classes. Thomas Hearns, Hector Camacho, and James Toney are the only others with as many as five.
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, said the Filipino is a once-in-a-generation fighter.
"I've already said this and I'll say it again: there will never be another Manny Pacquiao, at least in my lifetime," Roach told the press gathered at the Wild Card Boxing Club.
Winning another title in a different weight class would be a great achievement, but both men know that Cotto is a formidable opponent.
With one week remaining until the biggest fight of the year, Roach said he and Pacquiao are just fine tuning the game plan.
"He [Pacquiao] knows the game plan," said Roach. "We know how to fight this guy. I really do think we're going to make this guy look like an amateur."
The trainer's only worry is what he calls Cotto's propensity for dirty tactics — especially when he gets in trouble.
"I'm going to make it an issue, of course," he said. "I want points taken away right away or a disqualification if it's intentional."
Pacquiao said that his motivation to win another world championship is not his only driving force to win this fight. He also understands that a win could uplift the spirit of the country especially after the devastating typhoons that affected many Filipinos lives last month.
"This fight I dedicate to those who are suffering from the typhoon," Pacquiao said. "This is it. This is for our honor. This is for us."
Related articles:
• The Other Mannywood
• Pacquiao Puts Typhoon Victims on Shoulders
• Pac-Man's People Say Pride of the Philippines Set for Short Night's Work in Las Vegas
Joseph Pimentel is a writer for Asian Journal.
Photo by Robert Macabagdal
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