“Fight On!”

  • Page Views 2806
  • These words, in big, bold letters emblazoned on the vest strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune was wearing on the night Manny Pacquiao was crowned anew the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion, represents the significance of the Filipino icon’s title win over then defending belt-owner Jessie Vargas.

    “Manny’s on a mission and that is to serve humanity by making people happy in the only way he  knows how, through boxing. He’s been like that from the time he won the world flyweight championship 15 years ago. Each time he fought, he would tell us, his happiness is in serving people,” the 56-year-old seven-time ‘Trainer of the Year’ recalled. “It has always been a mission he imposed on himself.”

    “Of course, that’s besides helping his family extricate from the extreme poverty they were in. And after he had earned enough to secure his and his family’s future, his mind remained focused solely to making people, not only his countrymen, happy,” Roach added.

    Roach admitted that in the long years he’s been training fighters, he hasn’t seen a boxer like the eight-division champion who finds satisfaction in trading punches with his fellow fighters, to give enjoyment to others.

    “Manny’s a freak, I tell you, a real freak” Roach said. “the reason I love him. He’s a rarity.  He’s a different kind of person,” he said. “That’s why I’m very happy he won that fight coming from retirement.

    “I knew he needed that so he can continue with his mission. Had he lost, that could have been devastating,” he said. “He had lost many fights in his career. He can lose as many in the future, but not this one, which he wanted very badly so he can pursue further what he wants to do for he rest of his life.”

    “This, in reality, was the reason he came back to boxing following a self-imposed retirement. He thought he’ll be happy making people happy through government service like the senate,” Roach noted. “He felt sad and lonely staying in Manila all by himself and in the absence of his family.”

    Realizing that he cannot make people happy if he himself is not happy, Pacquiao, the trainer surmised, took the chance of returning to the ring while doubling as a member of the Upper Chamber.

    He did come back and a week after deciding on who to battle next, Pacquiao was seen on the road in in the mornings of days following, sparring and punching the mitts, the heavy bags and speed balls in the evenings right after attending senate sessions.

    The sudden change in lifestyle proved too hard and demanding physically and mentally, but having experienced the same hectic schedule while still in the movie and television before, Pacquiao endured the sacrifices and survived through a well-chartered time management.

    He even expressed willingness to undergo the same difficult experience two or three more times or for as long as his body would allow before finally retiring for good.

    * Photo by Wendell Alinea/OSMP

    By EDDIE G. ALINEA

    Share

    New Posts Recently publish post More

    • 29 March 2023
      5 hours ago No comment

      Romnick, Elijah deserving of acting awards

      Elijah Canlas won several best actor awards both here and abroad for “Kalel, 15,” directed by Jun Lana. He is now reunited with Jun in “About Us But Not About Us,” a veritable acting duel between him and Romnick Sarmenta. At the press preview, everyone agrees both Elijah and ...

    • 29 March 2023
      5 hours ago No comment

      With 9 short-listed entries: GMA Network leads PH contingent to 2023 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards

        Media giant GMA Network is set to proudly represent the Philippines at the 2023 New York Festivals TV & Film (NYF) Awards with nine entries making it to the short-listed candidates – again earning the most number of nominees for the country. Spanning three decades of blazing the trail in ...

    • 29 March 2023
      5 hours ago No comment

      Until Branches Bend (PG) ****

        Running Time: 1h 38min   Standing Tall!   By Robert Waldman     How nice it is for a Canadian movie to be eventful. Wonders never cease to amaze me. Why even more impressively Telefilm Canada got it right by helping finance Until Branches Bend. Besides helping local ...

    • 29 March 2023
      5 hours ago No comment

      Death Knot (PG)**

        Running time: 101 min.   Cursed!   By Robert Waldman     Nothing brings people closer than family. Or further apart. See a family put through the ringer in the deadly Death Knot which comes out on Jan. 17. Cornelia Sunny ensures audiences don’t have quite the sunny ...

    • 29 March 2023
      5 hours ago No comment

      Kat Alano reacts after SC junked rape, acts of lasciviousness raps vs Vhong Navarro

        Trigger Warning: Contains mentions of terms related to alleged sexual violence  Former model-VJ Kat Alano shared a cryptic tweet after the Supreme Court‘s Third Division dismissed charges filed against television host-actor Vhong Navarro on Monday. The Division in a 43-page ruling dated February 8 ordered the dismissal of the rape and acts of lasciviousness ...

    %d bloggers like this: