BOXING UNLIMITED: Face It, Oscar: Manny Pacquiao's Wordwide Army Is On The March!

LONDON—One of the many quotes which allegedly came from the lips of baseball icon Lawrence “Yogi” Berra is that the mental aspects of the sport are underrated.

Or, as they say the Yogster put it, “ninety percent of this game is half mental.”

With that in mind, I wonder how Oscar de la Hoya, who used to playing the conquering hero-matinee idol role, is going to handle it emotionally come Dec. 6 when he will have be chilling like a villain.

Because that is what Oscar will be when he climbs into the ring to face Pinoy National Fist, Manny Pacquiao.

I was reminded of this twice Monday as I stopped here on my slow way back from the Mikkel Kessler title bout in Germany.

I mean, you Pacnuts didn’t think I had abandoned you, did you?

First, I noticed the four middle-aged ladies who handle the gift shop/newsstand in my Kensington hotel were Pinays.

I mentioned Pacman’s name and they started swooning like bobbysoxers at a Sinatra show or, maybe more properly as I am here in the UK, like the girls used to go wild for those four Beatles.

I have them some snappy Megamanny patter and one lady looked at me and said, “You like Pacquiao. You know about Philippines. You got Filipino wife?”

“No, ma’m,” I answered, “not yet but maybe soon. Got any photos?”

I had another reminder that, for the first time in his storied career, Oscar will be facing an opponent who really has a worldwide following. Besides the six million or so OFW (Overseas Foreign Workers) who are scattered like the four winds in remote places such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, etc., there are the big population of Pinoys in the U.S., in Canada and just about everywhere.

How does Oscar, who pretends to be an emotional boxer but is really not, compartementalize that?

When he gets booed in December, it won’t be because he is intensely disliked unless you count the Antonio Margarito fans. It will be because of the intensity of the national pride that exudes from even the most casual Pacquiao fan.

Which brings me to my second reminder of Pacman Fever, deep here in the heart of Ricky Hatton Land.

I’m on the lift going up to my ninth floor room with a group of younger Filipinos who appear to be tourists.

There is one exceptionally pretty Pinay in the group.

“Mabuhay,” I say in greeting. “Manny Pacquiao fans…you all must be.”

The cutie pie looks over her shoulder and says brightly, “Manny Pacquiao, he will win the big fight!”

Pacman's Worldwide Army is on the march.

Face it, Oscar. Deal with it, Oskie Dolla Hoya.

It’s Manny Pacquiao’s world.

You and I, amigo, we’re just living in it.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)