MANNY PACQUIAO: ALL THAT GLITTERS ISN’T GOLD

The Manny Pacquiao story began with a childhood of typical Philippine poverty in General Santos City, having to drop out of elementary school to sell donuts in the city streets to help provide for his family, and then finally stowing away on a ship to Manila at age 16 in hopes of pursuing a boxing career. Today Manny is a cultural icon in the Philippines, the ultimate fairy tale.

There he is Elvis, the Beatles, and Muhammad Ali all wrapped into one super featherweight body. A movie was made there about his life; he made a hit recording, and is featured in video games. Pacquiao was praised by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as one of the nation’s modern day heroes in her State of the Nation Address last year. Seemingly, he can do no wrong in his home country. A Philippine sports analyst called Pacquiao, “a knight in shining armor; the only credible reason why we’re happy now.”

Pac is soon to begin preparations for his April 14 bout in San Antonio with Jorge Solis, an undefeated yet unknown opponent. He could have been participating in a mega-rich rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas, possibly as early as last weekend. But because of the legal entanglement that he found himself in by signing contracts with first, Golden Boy Promotions, and then Top Rank, and the resulting acrimony between the two companies, his opportunity for that money maker vanished.

Solis, 32-0-2 (23), is a ranked Mexican featherweight who is moving up a division to fight Pacquiao. He has little on his resume to suggest victory but he does have a four inch height advantage at 5’ 10” and has a good jab with a long reach. Solis stumbled into this good fortune when a proposed fight for Pac in Macau with Injin Chi fell through in February due to some financing and venue problems. Neither scenario is worthy of a fighter of Pacquiao’s stature, although Injin Chi is a two time WBC featherweight titlist. But at 28, and in his prime, Pacquiao should be focused on big money fights to secure his future.

Golden Boy, so goes the story, met the Filipino idol at LAX with a suitcase stuffed with $250,000 in $20 bills. After that, Pacquiao signed a multi-fight contract at a Beverly Hills steakhouse. Another $250,000 was to come by bank transfer or check. He then renounced the deal when Bob Arum offered $500,000 by check, and another $500,000 to reimburse Golden Boy.

But this was not Manny’s first rodeo. Shelly Finkel told us recently that when he first came on the scene as Manny’s manager, “He had a bad promotional contract [with Murad Muhammad], he had tax problems, he didn’t have a decent accountant.” Finkel said that he even laid out the money to retain Judd Burnstein, the boxing legal wizard who represented Pacquiao through that legal quagmire. Since Pacquiao won an out of court settlement against Muhammad in mid-2005, he signed with Gary Shaw to promote two fights, dumped him, promoted himself in Manila against Oscar Larios in July 2006, signed with Arum for his third fight with Erik Morales, signed with Golden Boy, signed with Top Rank, and coming full circle, dumped Finkel in January.

In March 2003, Pacquiao met Joanna Rose Bacosa, who has been described in various reports as a “spotter,” waitress, receptionist, and prostitute, in a billiard hall. Bacosa claimed that she became Pac’s girlfriend and gave birth to his son, Emmanuel Joseph, in January, 2004.

According to published reports, Bacosa sued Pacquiao for over $5 million in child support, saying that he had not provided financial support after she gave birth. Pacquiao had allegedly had given her money during her pregnancy, when, according to Bacosa he continued to see her. In her complaint she alleged that the Filipino hero had threatened to kidnap the boy when he discovered her intention to sue him for child support.

Bacosa provided a Baptismal certificate which named Manny as the father and a picture of Pacquiao with her and the boy as evidence. During the preliminary investigation, she requested that Manny and her son take a DNA test, but Pacquiao declined. Pacquiao was quoted in the Philippine press as willing to take the test, then claimed on a radio show that he was prepared to set up monthly support, an educational fund and a trust fund. But, according to Pacquiao, the deal fell through whose Bacosa brushed off the DNA test as a precondition.

Pacquiao didn’t deny the relationship, but claimed that it was a one night stand when he was drunk. He refused to sign legal papers acknowledging paternity, adding that even if they had a relationship, it didn’t prove that he was the father. (But, of course, the DNA test would have, regardless of whose story you believe.)

Last year, the Quezon City prosecutor’s office dropped the case for lack of evidence. Pacquiao has a wife, Jinky, a former ring card girl, and three children, one a baby girl born last year.

In March, 2006, Pacquiao “was sent to the hospital due to liver problems, brought about by his bar-hopping, womanizing, various product endorsements, and billiard playing,” according to Wikipedia.

The latest is that Manny is interested in entering politics. He received his GED in February and in his typical fashion, has been on and off about his political intentions. Last week, in the latest of his flip-flops on the subject, he was quoted by GMA News that he would definitely run for a congressional seat in the May 14 elections, representing South Cotabato.

His opponent is the incumbent Rep. Darlene Antonio-Custodio, said to be highly educated and a member of one of South Cotabato’s political dynasties. Yet, it’s not easy to be Filipino. It seems as if there’s a coup attempt about two or three times a year. The country has a history of colonization from Spain, Japan, and the United States. One writer referred to the country as the “world’s doormat.”

So when it is reported that Pacquiao returned home from Las Vegas after his third meeting with Morales to be met by thousands of fans, jamming the streets, forcing traffic to be rerouted and even had his picture posted on police cars, you sense how Manny is a uniting force in the country, one that offers pride and hope.

However, many of Pacquiao’s friends and supporters are against his candidacy, thinking that he will fall off his pedestal in the dirty world of politics, and Philippine politics is particularly known for its corruption. Some fear that when Manny lies down with dogs, he will get up with fleas, damaging his long term legacy.

However, perhaps more to the point, a congressional session hall is not a boxing ring. Let’s face it, you need common sense and intellect, and Manny has not shown anything resembling those traits in his history. He apparently has some addictive, destructive tendencies, and he seems to listen to advice from everyone who speaks to him, and follow the advice of whoever speaks last.

Pacquiao’s Filipino icon status is directly related to his ring accomplishments. He’s not a skilled boxer in the Juan Manuel Marquez or Barrera mold, and because of his style, exciting though it may be, it’s doubtful that he can compete at the highest levels for many years. When he loses badly, or drops a couple in a row, his homeland popularity will plummet, and thus, his political support. He’ll be lucky to be assigned as Ambassador to Baghdad.

Pacquiao has demonstrated a lack of ability to manage his own life and career, let alone a country. Given his humble beginnings and the heights that he reached in his home country, it’s really not surprising. How many 28 year olds would handle it better, given the circumstances?

But the fact remains that Pac is, and has been, over his head. He’s trying to find his way out of Oz, and he doesn’t know what’s going on behind the curtain. You want to talk about a boxing tragedy? Pacquiao may be living one. Isn’t there someone that Manny will trust that can deliver honest guidance?

One wonders about his financial situation when his fighting days are over. I fear that this story will come to an unhappy end, a terrible feeling that 15 years from now we’ll be thinking of Manny with feelings of sadness, wondering where it all went wrong.

Check back Thursday for some opinion on Evander Holyfield.