A Champion's Presence

There is so much buzz about Sunday’s fight. Or Saturday night, if you are around North America. The second both Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto step into the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. the world will come to a stop.

The buzz is being made louder by HBO. In the Philippines, the crime rate comes to zero as everyone is off the street and into their homes cheering on the “pambansang kamao.”

For us who are attending the 12th edition of “Synergy” here at the beautiful Misibis Bay Resort, the fight will surely be missed as we would be on our Cebu Pacific return flight to Manila. But we are sure the buzz will be around Legaspi City and even in the airport, where there will surely be TV monitors.

Experts predict that the fight will attract around 1 million pay view hits. The all-time record is 2.4 million for Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Oscar De La Hoya two years ago. Mayweather could be Pacquaio’s next victim as he is likely to win his seventh boxing title.

At 49-3-3, Pacquiao hasn't lost since 2005. He recently ended the careers of De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Oddmakers say that Pacquiao is a 3-1 favorite. Even US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Thomasian students that “no doubt Pacquiao would win.” Photo by of Welterweight boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and WBO champion Miguel Cotto during the official weigh-in by Gabriel Bouys / AFP / Getty Images.

I hope his presence on the ring will make Filipinos all over the world proud!

Goodluck Manny!