Saturday, December 6th, 2008 will be one of the most memorable days in Boxing history, Sports history, and most of all, Philippine history- Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao defeating Oscar “Golden Boy” De La Hoya in 8 Rounds. For those who’ve observed Manny’s domination, you know it was more than a defeat, but a devastation and destruction of one of Boxing’s World’s Greatest. As a longtime De La Hoya fan (like many who’ve followed him since the Olympics in 1992), it was absolutely sick to see the Golden Boy suffer from every jab and body blow. No great athlete should ever have to suffer like that at the end of an astonishing career. Like veteran HBO Boxing commentator Larry Merchant said, “All great things must come to an end.” As a boxing fan and proud Filipino, it was an absolute double-dose proud moment to witness a new era of greatness in the making!
Boxing has become much more exciting, thanks to Pacquiao. I’ve followed Filipino boxers for a longtime, but was frustrated on the lack of media attention. The closest to mainstream boxing fame back then (in my opinion) was retired Filipino great, Luisito Espinosa, who won two World titles in two different weight divisions. Maybe because “we” were too small and that no one cares for the lighter divisions. Well, we’re so small anymore. This was it. All it took was a “dream,” which then became a “Dream Fight” (right?). Though Manny fought the great Mexican fighters- all he needed, was to fight a great American fighter.
I’ll be honest, I had my doubts in the back of my head. With no title on the line (just millions of dollars), I was weary about this fight. Going back as a De La Hoya fan, I knew he somewhat had a “Goliath” advantage. Plus there was the experience over youth factor. But I was also aware that Pacquiao carries the pride of the Philippines and he always puts on a good fight. A “Dream Fight” for many. A dream come true for millions for Filipinos worldwide. This is the Pacquiao Era of Boxing.
