Intrigue: Sports, electoral politics

A text message very critical of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, his upcoming fight with Jorge Solis on April 14 (April 15 in the Philippines) and promoters of the fight has been doing rounds over the past several days. Friends called my attention to it Saturday night. I told them I also received such a text also last Saturday around 4:15 p.m. The text says: "Don’t fall for the hype! (Manny) Pacquiao is fighting a nobody on April 15. Solis has beaten no one of rank. That’s why Pacquiao spent more time campaigning than training."

The text says a mouthful, apart from the fact that it packs meaning from words that were left unsaid.

The entry of Pacquiao into politics has earned for the erstwhile popular boxer quite a number of negative comments. Just the other day on dwXI, the AM radio station of El Shaddai, the Catholic charismatic group that has millions for its members, a radio commentator asked what Pacquiao was up to by running for public office. The radio journalist said that the Pacman already had everything and that he could be of help to people by just being Pacquiao the boxer. The comment sparked a number of responses from the listeners. Most of them agreed that Pacquiao should not be distracted by politics and other endeavors that take away time from his primary mission.

The prevailing adverse comments about Pacquiao’s foray into politics is echoed by no less than his bitter rival in the ring, Mexican Erik Morales who advised Pacquiao, "So I ask Manny, do you really want to do it? You don’t need to be politician to help people. I think I can help more people by not entering politics."

According to Morales, he himself was asked a few times to seek public office in Baja California to help improve the lot of others but he turned them all down knowing he could do more by being a good boxer promoting social causes such as protection of the environment and health promotion.

Regardless of the negative publicity surrounding Pacquiao’s decision to run for Congress to represent Gen. Santos City, quite a number of people and business groups have faith in Pacquiao’s drawing power as a boxer. Whether he can bring that drawing power into the voters’ booths on May 14 is a big question mark given the outstanding qualities and formidable political network of his main rival for the post. But that is not our main point here.

One such group that has faith in Pacquiao’s drawing power from the time he upset Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003, is Solar Entertainment Corp. The media conglomerate’s chief operating officer (COO), the amiable Peter Chanliong, expressed the rationale for Solar’s continuing support for Pacquiao and for sports in general.

"Some people ask why we took the Pacquiao-Solis fight on. We took a look at the figures and our best judgment said the project had all of the sound business fundamentals for it to at break even. We have been working with Manny since the Barrera fight in 2003 and we were there for the Juan Manuel Marquez in 2004, Morales I, II and III in 2005 and 2006, and Hector Velasquez in 2005."

Chanliong says except for the rights to free TV of the Pacquiao-Morales Grand Finale, Solar has had full control of the TV rights of Pacquiao’s fights, from free TV, cable TV, Pay-Per-View (PPV), closed circuit, DVD rights, etc.

The tie up with giant television network GMA was established to ensure the total coverage that is needed for this national event, according to Chanliong. He adds, "Everyone will have the option to watch on a slightly delayed basis, or through PPV or on closed circuit. Manny is a national treasure and everyone wants to be associated with him. This is a mega event, a mega draw and just to have the bragging rights is already a big thing. So anyone who’s given the opportunity will go for it and Solar did."

A national event it indeed will be as Solar expects 90 percent of those watching TV at the time the fight is aired glued to the fight. Chanliong says that a 60 percent share is spectacular and anything beyond that is really gravy.

The next few weeks ought to be very interesting. Expect story spinners to have a field day adding fuel to the already smoldering fire created by a mix of sports, politics, business, show business and intense rivalries in boxing promotion and television.