WBO welterweight champion and the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Rep. Manny Pacquiao was in his element sharing insights as a guest commentator on the TV panel for the Brian Viloria-Giovani Segura WBO flyweight title bout at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City last Sunday morning.
When Pacquiao hosted a dinner for sports journalists at the Harbour View Restaurant in Luneta early last week, he cleared his calendar to watch Viloria’s fight. “Let’s show Brian our support,” said Pacquiao. “I know he can beat Segura. There’s no flyweight stronger than Brian in his division. He prepared hard in the gym. But Segura is tough. If Brian fights with heart, he can’t lose.”
Pacquiao agreed to join the TV panel for the fight. GMA’s Marivic Araneta, in charge of production, was ecstatic when she heard Pacquiao would be a guest commentator. So were Chino Trinidad and I who were his co-panelists.
It wasn’t the first time Pacquiao got behind a microphone to do a fight. In 2006, he was a commentator for Solar in Viloria’s first defense of his WBC lightflyweight title against Jose Antonio Aguirre at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. At the time, Pacquiao already displayed his eloquence as a boxing analyst. The month before, Pacquiao had stopped Erik Morales in the 10th round of their rematch at the Thomas & Mack Center, also in Las Vegas, and started an unbeaten run that remains alive today.
Pacquiao entered the Ynares Sports Arena with wife Jinkee and daughter Queenie midway the undercard fight between Martin Honorio and Fahsai Sakkreerin. Fans chanted his name “Manny, Manny” as he walked in. The reception was, as usual, warm. He could’ve come earlier but was advised to delay his arrival close to the start of Viloria’s fight. Jinkee sat beside former two-time world champion Gerry Peñalosa and his wife Goody.
* * * *
Pacquiao picked up the commentary for the Honorio-Sakkreerin bout. Immediately, he noticed how the gangling Honorio sparingly used the jab to keep the aggressive Fahsai away. “As a fighter, you have to know what your advantage is, you have to know how to take advantage of it,” he said. “If your reach is longer, then jab especially if your opponent is aggressive and always coming forward. Use the jab and fake to keep your opponent on the defensive. It’s hard to fight a tall opponent but if you don’t know how to make use of your height advantage, it won’t mean anything.”
As if on cue, Honorio picked up the pace when Pacquiao arrived and managed to win by a split decision.
Pacquiao shared his experience fighting against bigger and taller opponents. “(Antonio) Margarito was bigger and taller so I had to outsmart him,” said Pacquiao. “(Miguel) Cotto was probably the strongest fighter I’ve ever faced, stronger than Margarito. But I outsmarted him, too. I made it seem like I could take his best shots even if I got really hurt. I took away his left jab and brought him to the ropes. I made him get comfortable throwing hooks while I leaned on the ropes then I opened up. In boxing, winning is all about being mentally focused. It’s about conditioning. You must have a strategy and know how to execute it.”
During the Viloria-Segura fight, Pacquiao commented about how an injury – like what the Mexican suffered – can affect a fighter. Viloria raised a huge lump on the right side of Segura’s face in the third round.
“I had a bad cut in the fifth round of my first fight against Morales,” recalled Pacquiao. “The blood kept coming out of the cut and I couldn’t see from my eye. I couldn’t see the punches coming. I lost the decision. But I came back to stop Morales twice.”
* * * *
Pacquiao said he is fortunate that from when he turned pro in 1995 until today, his feet never left the ground. “I know I have to keep learning, to keep improving,” he said. “I stay humble and I thank God for all His blessings. I train hard, I pray for strength.”
Pacquiao recalled that in 1998, he won his first world title about two weeks before his birthday. He stopped Thai hero Chatchai Sasakul in the eighth round to claim the WBC flyweight title. Pacquiao was behind in the three judges’ scorecards, 70-64, 69-64, 68-65, when the end came. It was a resounding victory of the Filipino spirit.
When he celebrates his 33rd birthday on Saturday, Pacquiao said he’ll pray for more wins in the ring to give honor to the country and for more opportunities to help his countrymen.
It wasn’t a surprise that Pacquiao’s prediction of a Viloria victory came true. Before the fight started, Pacquiao boldly predicted on TV that he expected a Viloria win by knockout because of his faith in “Filipino power.” Sure enough, Viloria came through and Pacquiao’s crystal ball glowed ever so brightly.