THE HEART OF MANNY PACQUIAO

PhilBoxing.com




Who would even believe that in the thick of the preparation for the biggest fight of his life -- money and prestige-wise -- boxing icon Manny Pacquiao would still find time to make a call in the middle of the night to a friend in the Philippines to give an assurance that he would take care of two still unknown and unproven fighters?

Yes, he did. At about 3 p.m. on Nov. 2, as I and my family gathered in our old rural house and talked about life not far from the tombs of our loved ones, I received an unregistered call.

First, it was his publicist -- Winchell Campos, then his lawyer, Jeng Gacal, and finally, it was Manny Pacquiao himself, who talked to me. And it was 12 midnight in Los Angeles, California.

"I'm sorry. I did not know that they are still in the US. I thought they went home to the Philippines," Manny apologetically told me referring to featherweight Glenn Gonzales and bantamweight Jundy Maraon who were earlier signed up by Top Rank for a 4-fight-a-year 3-year contract.

Since arriving in the US in April this year, Gonzales has only fought once, winning a six-round bout in Planet Hollywood against Florida-based Robert daLuz, while Maraon still has to get a fight.

"It's too late for me to get them to fight in my undercard but I will ask Atty. Gacal to handle them starting now," Manny told me.

Manny learned of Gonzales and Maraon's plight following an article which appeared in www.philboxing.com and www.thepinoyboxers.com that quoted me as saying that I had asked Top Rank to release the two boxers from their contractual obligations and that I was bringing them home to the Philippines.

"(Michael) Koncz will no longer handle the boxers' schedules. It will be Atty. Gacal who will talk to Top Rank about the boxers' fights from now on," Manny said in response to my complaint that Koncz was interfering with the fight schedule of Gonzales and Maraon.

Gonzales, 23, a featherweight who has a record of 7 wins, 4 KOs, and 1 draw, and Maraon, also 23, a bantamweight with a record of 10 wins, 8 KOs and 1 draw, signed up with Top Rank late last year on the recommendation of Manny Pacquiao himself.

They are two of about a dozen outstanding boxers from Mindanao who belong to the Braveheart Boxing Club who are virtually unknown outside of the island.

When the boxers arrived in the US, however, Koncz called me up to say that Top Rank and MP Promotions, which is Manny Pacquiao's promotional outfit, have an agreement that all Filipino boxers appearing in Top Rank cards must go through MP Promotions.

Following a meeting with Manny Pacquiao, an arrangement on the purse percentage that would go to MP Promotions was reached and Gonzales was given a fight on July 5.

Then, everything was quiet. That was until I decided to bring the two boys home to get back into the ring in the Philippines as they had been inactive for a long time.

With Manny's call this afternoon, things might yet change. But in the meantime, the decision to bring Gonzales and Maraon home to have two or three fights before taking a crack at the Philippine titles in their respective divisions, stands.

In spite of this, one cannot help but admire the gesture of humility on the part of Manny Pacquiao.

Such is the heart of this young man who has made history by becoming the greatest Asian prizefighter of all time. And it is this soft heart that endears him to his countrymen.

Win or lose, Manny Pacquiao will always be a champion to the Filipino people.