THRONG TO 'READ BIBLE'
MANILA, MARCH 1, 2012 (BULLETIN) By NR RAMOS - Supporters greeted
boxer Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao with loud cheers when he appeared recently at the
Chelsea Pier's The Lighthouse in New York as part of a promotional jaunt
relating to his June 9 fight with undefeated pugilist, Timothy Bradley.
Quite amazed with the very passionate salutation was Bradley himself, who was
also present at the event.
"[It's as if] he has the support of the whole country," said he as quoted in
a report on GMA News Online.
But Pacquiao himself was not too keen about having to simply bask in the
adulation, the same report said. Acting more like a preacher than a battle-weary
fighter, Pacquiao ordered the throng to "read the Bible."
Apparently, the boxer has just rediscovered the Holy Book, and is more than
eager to share its wonders.
"Because that's the commandment of God and without God, I am nothing," he
reasoned.
Then again, the fans, it seems, were not too interested about that, peppering
Pacquiao with questions relating to his much-awaited fight with Floyd Mayweather
Jr. instead, as if Bradley wasn't there at all.
Pacquiao as with trainer Freddie Roach, are not closing their door on the
possibility for the fight to still push through. Pacquiao hinted on this when a
reporter asked him if the Bradley fight is going to be his last since having
announced his impending retirement.
Pacquiao smiled and said, "No this is not my last fight, two fights more and
that's it."
Later, he also said, "My 11-year-old son told me, 'Daddy I want you to retire
after you defeat Mayweather.'"
Freddie Roach himself implied the same, saying, "Mayweather is on the horizon
and after that fight we can call it a day."
Not eager to see the Pacman retire is Top Rank chief, Bob Arum.
The veteran promoter said he wants Pacquiao to continue with his boxing
career inasmuch as he is still a great inspiration to the "many dreamers out
there."
"Because [Pacquiao's life story] was and is really inspirational. And that's
when you chase your dream," Arum, a native New Yorker, told the crowd.
"Imagine a poor kid from the southern part of the Philippines. Coming to
Manila, living in cardboard shack in the street. Fighting with all these other
Filipino kids who want to use boxing to rise to prominence. Making it out of
that milieu and winning world championships one right after another," Arum
added.
Manny Pacquiao Teaming Up with Michael Jordan
[PHOTO - MANNY IN NEW YORK. Mike Lawrie/Getty
Images]
According to BoxingScene.com, welterweight champion, Manny Pacquiao is in
talks to take his product line from Nike to NBA legend Michael Jordan's own Nike
branch-off, the Jordan Brand.
Pairing up with one of the most well-known sports figures of all time will
take Pacquiao's already enormously successful career to a new level, even after
he does eventually retire from boxing.
Hooking up with Nike has given Pacquiao's career a boost, as his line is big
success with his ever-growing fanbase, and adding Jordan's name anywhere near
Pacman's will be a double threat that would surely boost sales of Pacquiao
endorsed merchandise even more.
Fans in Pacquiao's home country of the Philippines already compare him to
Jordan, according to Antony Gordan, president of Creative Talent & Advisory
Group, the company heading the talks about switching Pacman over to the Jordan
Brand from Nike.
"...the infatuation of sports fans in the Philippines and surrounding areas
in Asia with basketball finally hit a 'marketing tipping point' when the local
media began branding Pacquiao as the so-called 'Michael Jordan of boxing,'"
Gordan said.
Along with fellow welterweight champ Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao is already
one of the most known boxers since Mike Tyson, so it would be a no-brainer for
Jordan to bring Pacquiao on board with the Jordan Brand, making him the third
boxer to team up with the Jordan brand behind Roy Jones, Jr. and Andre Ward.
With Pacquiao saying he has two or three more fights left in him, he most
likely has around one or two more years left in the sport of boxing. The Jordan
Brand getting the hype surrounding partnering up with Pacquiao as he bids
farewell to the sport that made him a worldwide star will help ensure Pacquiao's
presence in boxing won't be gone even though he isn't fighting anymore.
If the deal does indeed go through, as it appears it will, Jordan would give
Pacquiao's career a breath of fresh air, one that could have his career soaring,
like Jordan once did on the basketball court.
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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