Tumayo na siyang promoter ng mga boxing legends na sina Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler at ilan pang mga popular na kampeon.
Ngunit para kay Bob Arum ng Top Rank Promotions, si Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao ang itinuturing niyang kakaiba sa mga boksingerong kanyang hinawakan.
“This is the most unique fighter I have ever promoted. (Muhammad) Ali was beloved, and larger than life but it wasn’t the same as Pacquiao,” ani Arum sa panayam kahapon ng Telegraph.co.uk sa Imperial War Museum sa London. “Look outside it’s a work day in London and the place is loaded with Filipino people coming just to look at this guy.”
Ayon kay Arum, nagtapos ng abogasya sa Harvard University, itinuturing niyang ‘greatest sportsman ever’ ang world heavyweight champion na si Ali.
Subalit ang 30-anyos namang world four division titlist na si Pacquiao ang kumakatawan sa sambayanang Filipino sa buong mundo mula sa kanyang mga makukulay na laban sa ibabaw ng boxing ring.
“Universally, Ali, as an athlete was the most popular of any sportsman I’ve seen, including Pacquiao. But if I am talking about one people, one nation, plus the 11 million Filipinos around the world, and the 3 million in the US, Manny is the man they look to, the most popular I have ever known,” pagkukumpara ni Arum kina Ali at Pacquiao.
Idinagdag ni Arum na alam na niya kung ang isang Asyanong lumapit sa kanya ay isang Pinoy na kagaya ng tubong General Santos City na si Pacquiao.
“I go any place in the world and if an Asian comes up to me, and wants to talk to me, to touch me, I know they are Filipino. And it’s because of Manny,” sabi ni Arum. “It really is incredible.”
Nasa kanyang ikalawang linggo na ngayon sa pageensayo si Pacquiao sa Wildcard Boxing Gym ni trainer Freddie Roach sa Hollywood, California bilang preparasyon sa kanilang world light welterweight championship ni Briton Ricky Hatton. (Russell Cadayona)