Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

But I will push my queasy stomach aside for the moment because there is an angle to the man that needs to be said. Time Magazine ranked him the 22nd most influential person in the world for 2009. Time is right on the mark. For most of the 90 mil-lion Filipinos, of which several millions are spread far and wide in every corner of the world as immigrants or overseas foreign workers, there’s a bit of Pacquiao’s tenacity of spirit in every Filipino.

It’s not just the usual rags to riches story of someone who rose from crushing poverty by sheer gumption, prize-fighting with his fists to put food on the table at an early age, from the dusty streets of General Santos City, erstwhile known as Dadian-gas by Sarangani Bay, to come to the Wild Card Gym in Holly-wood half a world away, step in as replacement on two week’s notice to vanquish a seasoned opponent and defeat bigger op-ponents convincingly since then to become one of the most amaz-ing luminaries of the sport. He found a mentor who took him to his wings and nurtured a rela-tionship that approaches that of a father to a son. Roach, the great boxing trainer of our time, who struggles with Parkinson’s dis-ease, is Pacquiao’s Yoda. Roach has molded a willing, malleable and brilliant pupil transforming him from an aggressive but one-dimensional boxer into a complete fighter of the sport that is just beginning to recapture its former glory among a world audience, a sport that has sputtered a bit in the absence of a captivating persona people can admire.

Pacquiao’s story is engaging and at 30 years old, he does in-spire millions. Has there ever been anyone in history that can put a long, protracted war in Mindanao on hold and zap crime down to zilch nationwide for a few hours when he steps into the ring to do battle?

With his no-nonsense, precise, concise, 2-round total demoli-tion of the British boxing champ, Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton, who was pole-axed with the vaunted left hook delivered with power, precision and speed that seemed to come from nowhere, some afi-cionados remain shell-shocked weeks after the event. Hatton still is. British fans still are. There’s a newfound respect for the Pac-man as Pound for Pound King. Recriminations and excuses are percolating to account for the devastating defeat in Hatton’s camp. Cruel jokes about how Hatton should have gotten spon-sors for the soles of his shoes for his 2 knockdowns and his em-barrassing knockout and how he defended himself from punches with his face have surfaced on the internet.

Hatton shies away from the public these days admitting he has cried many times in the days since, admitting he never knew what hit him and may never get the courage to watch that foot-age ever. It guts his soul to be so unceremoniously done away with in such fashion, his tattered reputation needing redemption. Years from now, that particular segment of the "Battle between East and West" will be replayed over and over again as part of