Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

(Part 2 of 2)

ONE British writer likens the Pacman to a mild-mannered Clark Kent with a boyish smile and who seems harmless in his suits and hats, that is, until he steps into the ring. When the bell rings, he morphs into Superman, a fighter that goes to war, sizes up his opponents, executes a game plan and demolishes them promptly with blazing speed, brutal power and pin-point accuracy.

Like Yoda who trained Luke Skywalker, Freddie Roach has transformed Pacquiao to become a complete fighter — lightning fast with his head, hands and feet and whose ferocity, aggression and impressive arsenal of boxing skills in the ring should give his challengers pause. He has learned well. The humble ones always do. Roach, whose slurred speech, belies a sharp mind claims, "He is my best work."

But above all that hype when the lights dim and when the silence descends, here’s a fighter whose humility is humbling. Here is one who must deal with massive amounts of adulation, flattery and heady intoxication of fame and fortune and has managed, thus far, to remain centered on who he is and what his purpose is. "I’m just a fighter," he says, when asked about who he would like to do battle with next time, leaving that for his promoters to map out.

No ordinary fighter — this one. Few have the courage to wear their spirituality on their sleeves for fear of sanction in the ratings game, the mockery of the sophisticated, or the derision of the godless. Devoutly Catholic, he makes no bones about where he draws his spiritual strength and purpose and shows it for all the world to see. He doesn’t go through the motions of his spirituality just for show.

So does his mother Dionisia who chose to pray the rosary in the privacy of her hotel room. The fruit doesn’t really fall far from the tree. Pacquiao meditates in the silence, makes the sign of the cross between bouts, wears his rosary before and during the fight, kisses the crucifix of the rosary which his handler is instructed to hold, kneels at his corner, and just before engaging his opponent, tunes out, for just a few seconds, the raucous crowd while apparently tuning in to a much higher frequency. The more telling aspect is the post-fight when he looks heavenward after each victory, goes to mass and never fails to ascribe his victories to God and the Filipino people.

It is this aspect of the man that resonates with most Filipinos who are no stranger to adversity. In a small way, we see a bit of ourselves in him and vicariously live through him. Through his knockout punches, we also mentally TKO all things we struggle with and glory in his victories. Those who were born and lived in the battered island nation understand this wellspring of deep spirituality completely and without question.

He ascribes his string of successes and of his being to God. The politically correct pundits and sports analysts on the national level, who must cater to the biggest demographic chunks, are loath to dwell on this aspect of the man. I imagine a few squirm in their seats whenever Pacquiao does all that. After all, boxing is rarely for the humble or the deeply spiritual. Boxing is filled with self-absorbed, self-promoting blowhards that form part of the entertainment, right along Floyd Mayweather Sr.’s bluster and braggadocio. All that taunting is just part of the script and the hype of HBO’s 24/7 to ring up public interest and profits.

Pacquiao probably views his bouts as spiritual battles. He is living up to his name. Emmanuel means "God with us." Or that Pacquiao, spelled "Pakyaw" in the vernacular means wholesale. He trains relentlessly, wholeheartedly physically but his spiritual muscles get a workout as well. It is hard to stay focused and on target with all the distractions that buzz about him like bees to honey. This may just be the part where Pacquiao, the pupil, shows Roach, his mentor, about how to tap vast amounts of spiritual reserves.