When Manny made his US debut

It was in 2001 when Manny Pacquiao made his US debut, taking on defending IBF superbantamweight champion Lehlo Ledwaba of South Africa on the undercard of the Oscar de la Hoya-Javier Castillejo bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Pacquiao wasn’t in the original schedule as Mexican Enrique Sanchez was supposed to be Ledwaba’s challenger. But Sanchez withdrew from the match after sustaining an injury in training camp and promoters scrambled for a replacement.

Pacquiao was then working out with trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. San Francisco-based lawyer Sydney Hall had contacted Roy Jones’ agent Murad Muhammad to represent Pacquiao in negotiating fights and when word got out that Sanchez was injured, the Filipino stepped up to the plate. Pacquiao was rated No. 6 so he had a legitimate claim to challenge Ledwaba. Over a month before, Pacquiao and business manager Rod Nazario arrived in San Francisco to explore opportunities in the US. When nothing opened up in San Francisco, they motored to Los Angeles on a Greyhound bus and hooked up with Roach after learning that two Filipinos managed by Bebot Elorde, Reynante Jamili and Ernesto Rubillar, were training at Wild Card.

Pacquiao was 22, a former WBC flyweight champion with bleached blond hair. He signed to fight Ledwaba for a $40,000 purse on two weeks notice. At that point, Pacquiao’s record was 32-2 compared to Ledwaba’s 33-1-1. US media had no clue as to who Pacquiao was. Broadcaster Larry Merchant arranged to interview Pacquiao the day before the weigh-in and I was brought in as interpreter. Ring announcer Michael Buffer couldn’t pronounce Pacquiao’s name correctly and struggled in calling him out. In Pacquiao’s corner were Roach and cutman Ruben Gomez. His “entourage” included the Aniel family of San Francisco, Hall, trainer Ben Delgado, Marty Elorde and fighter Vernie Torres, a pal from General Santos City.

In the dressing room minutes before marching onto the ring, Pacquiao noticed the glum look on the faces of his team. He was a heavy underdog and Ledwaba was among the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters. Pacquiao raised both arms and assured everyone that at the end of the fight, the announcement would be “and the new ….” Before leaving the dressing room, Nazario whispered in Pacquiao’s ear to smash Ledwaba’s nose in the first round. “OK, Boss,” said Pacquiao, nodding his head.

And so it happened. Pacquiao broke Ledwaba’s nose in the opening canto and blood leaked out like dripping water from a faucet. Ledwaba was never the same. Referee Joe Cortez stopped the fight at 0:59 of the sixth with Pacquiao ahead on the three judges scorecards by a shutout. Ledwaba was decked thrice in the massacre. Pacquiao celebrated with his small support team at a modest Japanese restaurant.