THE POWER OF PACQUIAO

By Michael Swann

When it comes to star power, no fighter can compete with Manny Pacquiao. Every single thing that this guy does makes news, and quite a bit that he doesn’t do as well. He’s good copy in any language.

I can’t think of a single athlete in any sport that can command the type of attention that Pacquiao receives world wide, not in team sports, not golf, not tennis, and not boxing. David Beckham probably comes closest.

For example, pound for pound best Floyd Mayweather Jr., with the help of a great publicity machine has participated in “Dancing with the Stars,” “Wrestlemania XXIV,” and will wave the green flag at the Indy 500. He’s also had his share of negative press for “making it rain” in strip clubs, his family squabbles, and his occasional outrageous statements in hyping a fight. But even Floyd is not in Manny’s league as an international star.

Much has been made about Pacquiao’s superstar status in the Philippines, where he is treated as a god, but it doesn’t just end there in the Pacific. The boxing sites all know it. A story about Pacquiao missing a plane will draw more readers than a heavyweight title bout. Mayweather’s stories don’t even come close.

It’s incredible. Recently a report that Manny had gone scuba diving in Cebu made news.

Manny is scheduled to fight WBC lightweight titlist David Diaz on June 28 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. On his best day, Diaz has no shot against Pacquiao, but the fight has to be promoted.

So, what better way than to accomplish the illusion of a tough scrap than to make it appear that Pacquiao is taking the champ lightly? While Pac-Man is subjected to the scuba diving story, stories surface about Diaz already in the gym, working hard to prepare for the fight of his life.
It’s a gimmick used before. Manny, they say, is not dedicating himself to training, and quotes from Top Rank CEO Bob Arum and Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach indicate their concern. If he’s not careful, his opponent will capitalize on his lack of preparation.

There were stories all over the internet and in the Philippine media that Arum was unhappy that Manny blew off a planned May 3 press conference in Los Angeles to kick off the promotional schedule.

It’s understandable that Arum would want to take advantage of the huge media presence in LA this weekend. The Boxing Writers Association of America is having our annual dinner there on May 1, there will be a Telefutura card and concert on Friday, and finally the big boxing weekend concludes with the Oscar De La Hoya-Steve Forbes bout on Saturday, May 3.

But while he might have gotten more bang for his buck with a press conference this Saturday, I’m sure that the shrewd Mr. Arum will do just fine and succeed with the rescheduled date of May 13.

According to published reports. Manny will leave for LA following the ceremonial installation of his friend Lt. General Alexander Yano as Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff. Pacquiao was also scheduled to visit China to tour the site of the 2008 Olympic Games.

ABS-CBN News from the Philippines reported that Pacquiao “has several commitments to fulfill before heading to the US for his fight promotion.

“Arum and (Freddie) Roach already cautioned Pacquiao about taking Diaz lightly.”

Arum is quoted in the story as saying that Diaz, “is not only a tough fighter, he is a determined fighter.

“He stays in there and has a rock hard chin. Manny has to be prepared to go 12 tough rounds with him.”

It all part of the show folks, all part of the show.

Then there was Glove-Gate. There were internet and Philippine press reports that actively made the rounds that Manny’s punching power would be diminished because of a Nevada rule that had mandated, “Boxers who weighed over 135 pounds had to wear 10 ounce gloves instead of the customary 8 ounce gloves.”

You would have thought from the reporting on this story that the Filipino hero was going to be forced to fight with one hand tied behind his back. The stories implied that it was bad enough that Manny had to bring his power up another division, but now they want him to wear pillows.

Sometimes I can’t help but wonder how these stories get started, let alone how they could be spread so convincingly. But this and all subsequent reporting were erroneous from the beginning, yet no one called them on it.

You see, when they said fighters “who weighed OVER 135 pounds,” they meant junior welterweights, 140 pounds. Duh…

Lightweights were never affected by the Nevada rule to begin with, and it was a terrible rule anyhow. Since it applied only in Nevada, you can be sure that the cagey Arum would never have green-lighted a skirmish that would have jeopardized his most prized property by allowing him to go into war with only a sling shot.

Some of the confusion is probably because of the efforts to bring the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito fight to Vegas and the 10 ounce glove restriction up to welterweight in Nevada. That, combined with the NSAC meeting to review the results of a study on the safety of glove weights for fighters over 135 up to 147, (which the commissions voted 4-0 to amend), must have confused some Pac-Fanatics, who took the ball and ran with it.

While Top Rank promotes both fighters, Pacquiao is a tremendous box office attraction while Diaz is, well a nice guy. Diaz was TKO’d in 2005 by Kendall Holt. He barely beat a shot Erik Morales last year, and in a fight designed to showcase him for the upcoming June 28 event, he only managed a 10 round majority decision over journeyman Ramon Montano on the Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez undercard.

Accordingly, let there be no illusions about where the Top Rank loyalties lie, regardless of anything you may read or hear. Diaz is a pug who got lucky and fell backwards into the WBC title. Top Rank has already set up Morales to claim it, but he was no longer up to it so now it is being held for Pacquiao.

Pacquiao may have a somewhat crude style, but he’s a relentless southpaw with blazing hand speed and keeps perpetually busy in the ring. He’ll be looking for a title in a fourth division, having won titles at flyweight, super bantamweight and super featherweight, and it’s going to take more than a David Diaz to stop him from getting it.