Philippine Asian News Today Vol 21 No 01 | Page 29

January 1 - 20, 2019
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
SPORTS
29
Pacquiao upstaged Broner in
Grand Arrival rite
LAS VEGAS: The two-year
hiatus in fighting in U.S, soil
didn’t diminish Manny Pacquiao’s
popularity among boxing American
fans especially in this gambling
city he called his second home.
This, the Filipino World
Boxing Association welterweight
champion found it anew Tuesday
during Grand Arrival ceremony in
connection with his coming fight
with American challenger Adrien
Broner on Saturday (Sunday in
Manila) at the MGM Grand Arena.
Despite heavy rains that have
been striking the city the past
few days, still thousands filled the
MGM lobby, site of the event, and
spilled outside the façade as early
as noon for the traditional rites
scheduled at 3 in the afternoon.
As in his past appearances here
the last 24 years pandemonium
greeted him in his arrival resulting
in elbowing and dodging among
the shrieking and shouting crowd
and thus, upstaging the reception
accorded the “Problem.”
And while fans expressed
their excitement by greeting the
“People’s Champ” warmly and
wildly, and so was Pacquiao,
whom upon reaching the stage,
raised both his hands by way of
acknowledging them.
“I’m very excited to see you
again,” Pacquiao exclaimed as the
shouting got louder. “It feels good
to be back.”
“I can’t wait to be on the ring,”
Pacquiao said during a post Grand
Arrival interview with international
media men.
While the fighting senator
had fought and filled many other
fighting venues in the U.S like the
Dallas Cowboys Stadium and the
Alamodome, Texas, among others,
the MGM Grand is especially close
to his heart as it was here where he
started to make a name when in
2001, he stopped Lehlo Ledwaba
to formally announced to the
boxing world of his coming.
Pacquiao and his team actually
arrived here Monday evening
following a long, five-hour drive
from Los Angeles where he spent
three weeks in the second leg of
his preparation for the Broner
fight.
He came to the Grand Arrival
rite from a light training session at
the Bones Adams gym here.
But it’s going to be more than
that for Pacquiao, whose career
enjoyed a revival of sort when
he knocked out Lucas Matthysse
in the seventh round to wrest
the World Boxing Association
welterweight championship in
Kuala Lumpur last July.
“That KO win was very
important to me because I want
to prove something, this being my
first fight since I turned 40,” during
the subsequent press interview.
Pacquiao turned 40 last month
and one of the many questions
asked him was how long the
Filipino Senator can carry on
fighting, which he simply answered:
Boxing is my passion and when
that passion disappeared, maybe
that’s the time to hang up my
fighting shoes.”
“I’m still passionate about
the sport of boxing and boxing is
my passion. That’s why I’m still
here continuing fighting,” said
Pacquiao.
‘The Killer instinct is back’
kung kumilos ngayon parang
noong 2009 pa ang talunin si
(Ricky) Hatton, (Miguel) Cotto)
at noong 2010 nang kunin ang
super-welterweight title kay
(Antonio) Margarito,” Buboy for
his part, reminisced.
“One hundred percent,
that’s how ready Manny is,”
Fortune and Roach chorused.
Boxing fans all over the world,
especially in the Philippines,
according to Fortune, “will be
happy seeing their idol fight
on Saturday. You will see a new
Manny Pacquiao.”
Pacquiao,
his
team,
LOS ANGELES: “The killer
instinct is back. The speed and
power are there. I’m a complete
fighter again.”
With these words, Filipino
World
Boxing
Association
welterweight
kingpin
Manny
Pacquiao on Saturday (Sunday
in Manila) declared himself ready
to defend his title comes January
19 and returns to the country still
champion.
Pacquiao battles challenger
Adrien Broner six days from now
on Saturday at the MGM Grand
Arena in Las Vegas hoping to make
his countrymen happy again as he
has ben doing the past 24 years as
a prizefighter.
“Yeah, that’s true. I have
recovered my killer instinct, my
aggressiveness. The speed the
power. Thank God,” the now 40-
year-old ring warrior told this writer
immediately after completing
a four-round sparring with
welterweight Arnold Gonzalez that
actually closed the door on the
Wild Card training camp here.
“No, I’m not predicting anything
what I’m saying I’m ready to fight.
We just had a very good training
camp. And I would like to thank my
training team, Buboy (Fernandez)
Justin (Fortune), Noy (Neri) and
Haplas (Fernandez) for the good
job they’ve done since we pitched
camp in Manila, the eight-division
world champ said.
“And, of course, Freddie
(Roach), who’ve contributed a lot
in everything we did, especially
when we moved here in LA,”
Fans, lalo na ang aing mga
kababayan ay matutuwa na naman.
Like in my previous fights, I’ll do
my best. Hindi sila mabibigo,” he
assured.
“Manny’s there na. Handang
handa na. Nakita namn natin

supporters and followers will drive
in a long convoy of some 40 cars,
sports cars and a tour bus to fight
site in La Vegas Monday (Tuesday
in Manila (
A brief practice session with
mitts will precede the parade
shortly after lunch, Fortune said.
“No more sparring in Vegas
starting Monday although another
short gym activity is scheduled
Tuesday.”
A complete
rest follow
Wednesday, Thursday before the
weigh in on Friday.

By: Julian Ray Fortaleza
Answers from last week’s issue:
1. Elias Petterson was drafted in 2017
2. They used to play in Arsenal Stadium in Highbury
3. The unified champion is Kieth Thurman
New Questions:
1. How many divisions is Amanda Nunes the champion of?
2. The Hawthornes is the stadium for what English Premier League
team?
3. Who is the oldest member of the Vancouver Canucks roster?
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